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
air breathing power unit
akerite
aleukenic lymphadenoma
anion active auxiliary
Apartheid Wall
arkell
ASR
automatic congestion level
Bagerhat District
Batouri
bead cut
benzophenone-anil
bright steel wire
bronchus segmentalis basalis cardiacus
canadian provinces
constructive code
control-surface actuator
corbasson
cotization
crippling resilience
cryptotis parvas
deeds of high resolve
deroburts
dishonorable discharge
distance study
elevation of temperature
ePresence
F function
fixed array multilaser radar
flyproof
foreign subsidiaries
funny face
general purpose interface trigger
geocorona
glycol ester
gorcock
Graham crackers
hand puppet
hepatic injuries test outfit
hyperoxypathy
isochromatic stimulus
keuka lakes
lower cover
LREAA
Lyclamycin
microwave mixer
middle latitude climate
Mogi-Mirim
mulfunction
naebody
Naha City
nms (neutron monitoring system)
normal vectorcardrogram
oblate
on-load tap changing transformer
osteoproduction
parasambus sauteri
passive tags
person connected with a corporation
photoimaging
plaited
pod pepper
polives
program for optical system design
promise to do
provision for possible loan loss
put sth down to sth
resiliences
response range
restricted bayes estimator
reticulated pythons
retsina
rickettsial
rivet hot
roast gas
rolling avalanche
scrapes
semiautomatic clutch
Shengia
shot fire
smip
source-separated
statement of surplus analysis
stricture of anterior naris
table-tipping
tank foundation
the south west
thermically
three-dimensional holography
Tǒkhyǒn
unhook
vacuum casting steel
ventilating rate
vertical contact pin
vestibular ganglion
water tank vessel
Wetlina
wheelclamps
wildlands
wine acid
wirwe