VOA标准英语2012--Dire Warnings Issued on Diminishing Arctic Ice
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(九月)
Dire 1 Warnings Issued on Diminishing Arctic Ice
Polar bears hunt seals from sea ice, but could drown if forced to swim long distances in open water. Satellite photos released by America’s space agency, NASA, illustrate 2 the daunting 3 threat to such bears. An image shows the amount of Arctic Sea ice in 1979. Another shows the record minimum set this year on September 16. The shrinkage is equivalent to an area greater than Texas, an impossible distance for even the mightiest 4 polar bear to swim.
Scientists say fossil fuels are increasing carbon emissions 5 in the atmosphere. This not only warms the oceans, but threatens biodiversity in cold and warm waters alike.
“As we increase the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a high proportion, about 40 percent of that, goes back into the ocean, and so it’s increasing the acid content of the ocean and that’s threatening coral reefs,” said Ben Orlove, a Columbia University climate research scientist.
Orlove notes that the demise 6 of coral reefs subsequently threatens fisheries around them.
Scientists at a recent symposium 7 at Columbia University’s Earth Institute said less ice is likely to draw some shipping 8 away from the Panama Canal. This is because a northern route, though still hazardous 9, reduces the distance between Europe and Asia by about 6,500 kilometers.
Anne Siders of Columbia’s Center for Climate Change Law said countries bordering the Arctic are not the only ones with interests there.
“There certainly will be interest in the Arctic from nations that don’t touch physically 10 on the Arctic; that’s very clear for natural resources, for fishing, for a variety of reasons,” said Siders.
Energy supplies are among those reasons. Siders says China and Japan are seeking influence - so far unsuccessfully - in the Arctic Council, an international forum 11 of eight countries that border the Arctic.
Scientists say more open water in the Arctic means more evaporation 12 and extreme weather elsewhere. The Earth Institute’s Peter Schlosser adds that warmer water around Greenland could melt some of the island’s glaciers 13 to the detriment 14 of low-lying areas everywhere.
“They are impacting sea levels, for example. If you look at the tropical Pacific and island nations there, they experience sea level rise and their existence is actually threatened by that,” said Schlosser.
The Arctic is far from most of the world’s population. Scientists, however, caution that distance is no guarantee people will be spared the effects of warming in the planet’s northernmost regions.
- There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
- We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。
- The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
- This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。
- They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
- Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。
- \"If thou fearest to leave me in our cottage, thou mightiest take me along with thee. “要是你害怕把我一个人留在咱们的小屋里，你可以带我一块儿去那儿嘛。 来自英汉文学 - 红字
- Silent though is, after all, the mightiest agent in human affairs. 确实，沉默毕竟是人类事件中最强大的代理人。 来自互联网
- Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
- Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
- He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
- The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。
- What have you learned from the symposium?你参加了这次科学讨论会有什么体会？
- The specialists and scholars present at the symposium come from all corners of the country.出席研讨会的专家学者们来自全国各地。
- We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
- There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
- These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
- Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。
- He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
- Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
- They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
- The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
- Be careful not to lose too much liquid by evaporation.小心不要因蒸发失去太多水分。
- Our bodies can sweat,thereby losing heat by evaporation.我们的身体能出汗，由此可以蒸发散热。
- Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
- It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）