英语听力教程第二版 第三册-1

Part Ⅰ Getting ready

The environment is the natural world of land, sea, air, plants, and animals that exists around towns and cities. Since there is only one globe where we're living, more and more people realize the importance of protecting the total global environment. A 1989 UK Department of the Environment survey showed public concern about the environment was second only to worries about the National Health Service.

A  The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. Listen carefully and study the definitions.

   1. vicious circle: a set of events in which cause and effect follow each other in a circular pattern

   2. monsoon 1 season: the season of heavy rains that fall in India and neighboring countries

   3. hygiene 2: the study and practice of how to keep good health, esp. by paying attention to cleanliness

   4. accelerate: (cause to) move faster

   5. summit: a meeting between heads of state

   6. think tank: a research institute or other organization of scholars, social or physical scientists, etc. esp. one employed by government to solve complex problems or predict future developments in military and social areas

   7. trigger: start (esp. a chain of events)

   8. impediment: a fact or event which makes action difficult or impossible

   9. bore hole: a hole made by drilling or digging

  10. incentive 3: an encouragement to greater activity

 

B  Listen to two short extractions. Write down the environmental issues mentioned in them.

   1. _____________________________________________

   2. _____________________________________________

Part Ⅱ  The Earth at risk (Ⅰ)

Do you know what happens to a rainforest when the trees are chopped down? About 80% of the rain forests nutrients 4 come from trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in the soil. The nutrients from the leaves that fall are instantly recycled back into the plants and trees. When a rain forest is clear-cut, conditions change very quickly. The soil dries up in the sun. When it rains, it washes the soil away.

A  Listen to the first part of an interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.

   Questions

   1. What is the vicious circle mentioned by Brian Cowles?

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

   2. Why is the rain so important to soil?

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

     

   3. What are some of the reasons that tropical forests are being cut down?

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

B  Now try this: listen to a more authentic 5 version of the first part of the interview. Complete the outline.

   Outline (Ⅰ)

   Ⅰ. Environmental problems in different continents

       A. Africa

          1. ______________ expansion

          2. no grass for animals to eat (East Africa)

       B. _____________________________

          1. situation -intensive farming/agriculture

          2. potential problem- _____________________

       C. South America, Central Africa & Southern Asia

          1. problem- _________________________

          2. consequences

             a. soil -> thin -> unproductive -> wasteland

             b. _____________________________________

             c. _____________________________________

Part Ⅲ   The Earth at risk (Ⅱ)

As early as in 1984, the United Nations created a special environmental agency, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In 1992, the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro aroused great media interest in tackling difficult global environmental issues.

A  Listen to the second part of the interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.

   Questions

   1. Why is some flooding man-made?

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

   2. What does Brian imply when he says that the national governments have to be forward-looking?

      _____________________________________________

      _____________________________________________

B  Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the second part of the interview. Complete the outline.

   Outline (Ⅱ)

   Ⅱ. Reasons for some "natural" disasters-mainly man-made

       A. __________________________________

       B. flooding in Sudan 

   Ⅲ. _____________________________________

       A. national governments-forward-looking

       B. __________________________________

       C. stopping using hardwood for furniture-making

       D. educating people to realize the consequences

Part Ⅳ  More about the topic: The Effects of Global Warming

The world is getting warmer. It matters because it changes a lot of things to do with our everyday life. We can also say because the Earth is warming up we could simply not have enough to eat. Do you know what some of the effects of global warming are?

Listen to the material. Complete the outline.

   Outline

   Ⅰ. __________________________________

       A. average temperature

       B. yearly increase

   Ⅱ. Causes of global warming

   Ⅲ. __________________________________

       A. great changes in rainfall

       B. rise in the sea level

       C. _______________________________

       D. health and social problems

          1. environmental refugees

          2. change of patterns of distribution of insects and infective agents

          3. ___________________________________

   Ⅳ. Time to take action

Part Ⅴ  Do you know ...?

Water is abundant globally but scarce locally. Of the earth's 1360 million cubic kilometers of water, 97 percent is in the oceans. Three-quarters of the freshwater is in glaciers 6 and icebergs 7, another fifth is groundwater, and less than 1 percent is in lakes and rivers. Almost two-thirds of the renewable freshwater provided by annual rainfall over land evaporates. Much of the rainfall transformed into runoff is lost to floods.

A  Listen to the following news report. Decide whether the statements are true or false. Put "T" or "F" in the brackets.

   (   ) 1. Water consumption in some parts of the world has increased ten fold.

   (   ) 2. Oil will he the cause of warfare 8 in the next century.

   (   ) 3. The number of people affected 9 by water shortage will increase five fold over the next 20 years.

   (   ) 4. The main reason why water is becoming a scarce resource is agriculture since it now accounts for 90% of water consumption worldwide.

   (   ) 5. In some regions water shortage is now the biggest impediment to feeding the population.

 

B  Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the report.

Nowadays energy is too expensive to waste. It costs the country, and you, too much. What have you done to conserve 10 existing energy resources? Here are some tips to help you slim your waste ?save energy. Always remember that energy sense is common sense.

C  Now listen to some simple tips to help you Save It ?save energy. Complete the do's and don'ts.

   Do's        

   ● Rough-dry ________ and nylon things.                        

   ● ________ unnecessary lighting 11.

   ● Do without ________ if you can.

   ● Defrost the ________ regularly.

   ● Before using your washing machine, ________________.

   ● Cook ________ in the oven and Save It on the rings and grill 12.

 

   Don'ts

   ● Don't attempt to ________.

   ● Don't turn ________ too high.

   ● Don't leave ________ to boil away.

   ● Don't fill the kettle ________ for only a cup of tea.

   ● Don't put ________ in the fridge.

  

Part Ⅵ   Reminder 13 of key points in this unit

           Verb & Verb Phrase  Noun & Noun Phrase  Other

   Part Ⅰ sponsor        Amazon 

    implement        rain forest 

                 summit 

                 emission 

   part Ⅱ expand        continent    at risk

    stabilize        impact            at an alarming rate

    blow away        the Sahara Desert   unproductive

    cut down        vicious circle 

    make way for        domestic animal 

    convert        intensive agriculture 

                 ranch 

                 hardwood 

                 rare plant 

                 rainfall 

   part Ⅲ                     Bangladesh    depressing

                 India            forward-looking

                 Nepal 

                 monsoon season 

                 Sudan

                 the Nile 

                 Ethiopia 

   part Ⅳ put stress on       global warming    potential

    accelerate        pole            heat-related

           take action         lower/higher latitude 

                 decline 

                 environmental refugee 

                 infective agent 

   part Ⅴ highlight        the earth summit 

    switch from...to...  think tank 

    feed the population consumption 

    boil away        trigger 

    defrost        barrier 

                        warfare 

                 fold 

                 home market 

                 high yield 

                 impediment 

                 extraction 

                 bore hole 

                 financial incentive 

                 brim 

                 build-up 

                 a full load 

                 ring