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。
标签: SSS notably
学英语单词
'Ain Ibn Fuhaid
active rc network transfer functions
after-discharge
airstream detector
ambotoxoid
amount overbought
ansu apricot
anthoxantbin
anti-icer
arteriae sphenopalatina
Barings Bank
benavente y martinez
bending sensor
blastopelitic
boar's head carol and dance (scandinavia)
briding loan
caprolactam polymerization
cetotheriid
cholecystoscope
Coloquencha
come off one's high horse
concertizing
congested problem
constructive service
consultation on the basis of equality
controlling board
conus sugimotonis
could be beautiful
crotonyl
crouchback
dancin'
detection of hidden defects of hydraulic structure
electric hot bath for full body
encloses
expanded range interval
fibrilliform
Filton
fire fireclay
fire resisting door
fitting of the second degree parabola
frontal crash test
fund application
fuzzy graph model
girasole
handite
ingrown toenails
initial contact report
internal report
jointing clamp
Katyryk
Kita-Daitō-jima
lazes away
leading-off rods
Lepidium virginicum L.
low-spin complex
lunstrum
massarotti
mastonia quadrimaculata
metal photomask
metapodal shield
minute quantity
Mustafas
n.y.s.e
Naval Radio
netpicker
nitrosylating
nonpreparatory
outdoor type switchgear
outerwear
pesticide-free
physio-psychology
plasma cutting system
pneumatic feeder
popular singer
pravous
press filtration
price-taking
princock
rattus norvegicuss
reanalysable
repeated laundering
sciography
seasonal trades
shsasrsdswsasrses-s
Siebold's operation
skurn
suckabuck
sueable
techinque
testamentation
thoracick
unrevenued
Virunga Mountains
visgee
visual display monitor
whirling current
whympel
William Tatem Tilden Jr.
Winterthur
year of delivery
Zermatt