时间:2018-12-24 作者:英语课 分类:Scientific American(八)月


英语课

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch may be disappearing, and not in a good way. New research presented at the biannual 1 meeting of the American Chemical Society reveals that polystyrene actually can break down in seawater.


Polystyrene is probably better known as Styrofoam, wads of which can be found on seashores and floating out to sea. Most scientists assumed it would linger forever but apparently 2, when exposed to sunlight and rain and seawater, Styrofoam breaks down into its constituents 3, most notably 4 three chemicals known to cause cancer.


 


Japanese chemists found traces of these chemicals in samples of seawater from across the Pacific.


They also found bisphenol A, or BPA, which is another chemical that leaches 5 from some plastics. BPA has been linked to human health impacts, such as heart disease, as well as developmental and reproductive disorders 6 in animals.


 


Of course, these chemicals are diluted 7 almost beyond detection by the vastness of the sea and not all plastics are exposed to strong sunlight or warm waters. But it’s clear that the millions of tons of plastic pollution building up in the world's oceans are up to no good.


 



1 biannual
adj.一年两次的
  • I have to make a biannual report next Monday.下周一我得作半年度报告。
  • Our school doctor recommends a biannual visit to the dentist.我们校医建议一年去看牙医两次。
2 apparently
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
3 constituents
n.选民( constituent的名词复数 );成分;构成部分;要素
  • She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
  • Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 notably
adv.值得注意地,显著地,尤其地,特别地
  • Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席,特别是连班长也没来。
  • A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小,一头银发,每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。
5 leaches
n.(将化学品、矿物质等)过滤( leach的名词复数 );(液体)过滤,滤去
  • People consume it when it leaches from plastic into baby formula, water or food in container. 当它被从塑料中经沥滤而入婴儿配方奶粉、水或罐装食品当中的时候,人们将其摄入。 来自互联网
  • After this article uses is also the microwave pretreatment, leaches the method with the solution. 本文采用的也是微波预处理后用溶液浸取的方法。 来自互联网
6 disorders
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调
  • Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告,厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 diluted
无力的,冲淡的
  • The paint can be diluted with water to make a lighter shade. 这颜料可用水稀释以使色度淡一些。
  • This pesticide is diluted with water and applied directly to the fields. 这种杀虫剂用水稀释后直接施用在田里。
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abegglen
amarantine
an infant in arms
andvaris
antibiotin
antique Bristol
audio button
Auger electron spectroscopy (AES)
average investment criterion
Barrow Island
bath electric hot-air
bottom-side ionospheric sounding
calusa
cathode back-bombardment
certificate of patent
cettia fortipes robustipes
chant sing the praises of someone
classification of business transactions
cochrans
collicluefaction
compressive fatigue strength
core cap
cost of distribution and sales
crimp stripe
declark
Defrost Cycle
delightful
didymodon constrictus flexicuspis
direct reductive analysis
direct-method heat balance
drops over
entoconid
ferrous metal pipe
filler panel
free milling gold
Futu (S32)
genus Sula
goal-orientated
gonadectomy
grid focusing system
headstock
holding tank equipment
hot vulcanization
hydron c
i'll bet
ICPP
icterus catarrhalis
identity rooted tree
information note(s)
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intercatilaginous
interpretative geochemistry
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lever set
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monotropa hypopithyss
Mushu I.
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nebularia lugubris
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p'u sa man tui wu
periapical granuloma
phthalylglutamic acid
Poles'ye
political advantage
propose a toast
receiving unit
regulation of stock
relative damping factor
removal of trade barriers
resolutes
retributress
sauce-boat
secondary pellagra
seeing off
simple Keynesian model
sliding dial
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sorosilicates
sose
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Stilling's bundle
taji
thermo gravimetric analysis
underground duct
uniform signal quantization
unsummoning
Vitis baihuashanensis
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