全新版大学英语第二册UNIT 8.docx
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全新版大学英语第二册UNIT 8.docx
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全新版大学英语第二册UNIT8
UNIT8
ProtectingOurEnvironment
PartIPre-ReadingTask
Listentotherecordingtwoorthreetimesandthenthinkoverthefollowingquestions:
1.Whatkindofparadiseisdescribedinthesong?
2.Whydopeoplehavetopaytoseethetrees?
3.WhatwouldhappeniffarmerscontinuedtouseDDT?
4.Whatisthethemeofthesong?
Thefollowingwordsintherecordingmaybenewtoyou:
pink
a.粉红色的
boutique
n.时装店
hotspot
n.(sl.)nightclub夜总会
insect
n.昆虫
PartII
TextA
Protectingnaturecertainlyhasbenefits,butithascostsaswell.Howarewetobalancethetwowhendecidinghowfarweshouldgoincaringfortheenvironment?
SAVINGNATURE,BUTONLYFORMAN
CharlesKrauthammer
Environmentalsensitivityisnowasrequiredanattitudeinpolitesocietyasis,beliefindemocracyoraversiontonylon.ButnowthateveryonehasclaimstoloveMotherEarth,howarewetochooseamongthedozensofconflictingproposals,restrictions,projects,regulationsandlawsadvancedinthenameoftheenvironment?
Clearlynoteverythingwithanenvironmentalclaimisworthdoing.Howtochoose?
Thereisasimpleway.First,distinguishbetweenenvironmentalluxuriesandenvironmentalnecessities.Luxuriesarethosethingsitwouldbenicetohaveifcostless.Necessitiesarethosethingswemusthaveregardless.Thenapplyarule.Callitthefundamentalprincipleofsensibleenvironmentalism:
Combatingecologicalchangethatdirectlythreatensthehealthandsafetyofpeopleisanenvironmentalnecessity.Allelseisluxury.
Forexample:
preservingtheatmosphere,bybothprotectingtheozonelayerandhaltingthegreenhouseeffect,isanenvironmentalnecessity.InAprilscientistsreportedthatozonedamageisfarworsethanpreviouslythought.Ozonereductionnotonlycausesskincancerandeyecataracts,italsodestroysplankton,thebeginningofthefoodchainontopofwhichwehumanssit.
Therealityofthegreenhouseeffectismorespeculative,thoughitspossibleconsequencesarefardeadlier:
meltingicecaps,floodedcoastlines,disturbedclimate,driedupplainsand,ultimately,emptybreadbaskets.TheAmericanMidwestfeedstheworld.ArewepreparedtoseeIowaacquireAlbuquerque'sclimate?
AndSiberiaacquireIowa's?
Ozonereductionandthegreenhouseeffectarehumandisasters.Theyhappentooccurintheenvironment.Buttheyareurgentbecausetheydirectlythreatenman.Asensibleenvironmentalism,theonlykindofenvironmentalismthatwillwinuniversalpublicsupport,beginsbyunashamedlydeclaringthatnatureisheretoserveman.Asensibleenvironmentalismisentirelyman-centered:
itcallsformantopreservenature,butonthegroundsofself-preservation.
Asensibleenvironmentalismdoesnotsentimentalizetheearth.Itdoesnotaskpeopletosacrificeinthenameofothercreatures.Afterall,itishardenoughtoaskpeopletosacrificeinthenameofotherhumans.(Thinkofthepublicresistancetoforeignaidandwelfare.)Askhardworkingvoterstosacrificeinthenameofthesnaildarter,and,iftheyarefeelingpolite,theywillgiveyouashrug.
Ofcourse,thisman-centerednessrunsagainstthegrainofacontemporaryenvironmentalismthatworshipstheearthtothepointofexcess.Onescientifictheory—Gaiatheory—actuallyclaimsthatEarthisalivingorganism.Thiskindofenvironmentalismlikestoconsideritselfspiritual.Itisnothingmorethansentimental.Ittakes,forexample,ahighlyselectiveviewofthekindlinessofnature.MynatureworshipstopswiththeMaystormsthatkilledmorethan125,000Bengalisandleft10millionhomeless.
Anon-sentimentalenvironmentalismisonefoundedonProtagoras'principlethat"Manisthemeasureofallthings."Suchaprinciplehelpsustofightourwaythroughthejungleofenvironmentalargument.TakethecurrentdebateragingoveroildrillinginacorneroftheAlaskaNationalWildlifeRefuge.Environmentalists,fightingagainstabillworkingitswaythroughCongresstopermitsuchexploration,arguethatweshouldbeconservingenergyinsteadofdrillingforit.Thisisafalseeither/orproposition.Thecountrydoesneedasubstantialenergytaxtoreduceconsumption.Butitneedsmoreproductiontoo.Governmentestimatesindicateanearlyfifty-fiftychancethatundertheANWRliesoneofthefivelargestoilfieldseverdiscoveredinAmerica.
Wehavejustcomethroughawarfoughtinpartoveroil:
EnergydependencecostsAmericansnotjustdollarsbutlives.ItisaridiculoussentimentalismthatwoulddenyourselvesoilthatispeacefullyattainablebecauseitrisksdisruptingthebreedinggroundsofArcticreindeer.
Ilikethereindeerasmuchasthenextman.AndIwouldberathersorryiftheirmatingpatternsaredisturbed.Butyoucan'thaveeverything.Andifthechoiceisbetweenthewelfareofreindeerandreducingoildependencethatgetspeoplekilledinwars,Ichoosemanoverreindeereverytime.
Similarlythespottedowl.Iamnoenemyoftheowl.Ifitcouldbepreservedatnoorlittlecost,Iwouldagree:
thevarietyofnatureisagood,ahighaestheticgood.Butitisnomorethanthat.Andsometimesaestheticgoodshavetobesacrificedtothemorefundamentalones.Ifthecostofpreservingthespottedowlisthelossoflivelihoodfor30,000loggingfamilies,Ichoosefamilyoverowl.
Theimportantdistinctionisbetweenthoseenvironmentalgoodsthatarefundamentalandthosethataremerelyaesthetic.Natureisourcharge.Itisnotourmaster.Itistoberespectedandevencultivated.Butitisman'sworld.Andwhenmanhastochoosebetweenhiswell-beingandthatofnature,naturewillhavetoaccommodate.
Manshouldaccommodateonlywhenhisfateandthatofnaturearebounduptogether.Themosturgentaccommodationmustbemadewhentheveryintegrityofman'senvironment—e.g.,atmosphericozone—isthreatened.Whenthethreattomanisofalesserorder(say,thepollutantsfromcoal-andoil-firedgeneratorsthatcausedeathfromdiseasebutnotfataldamagetotheecosystem),amoremoderateaccommodationthatbalanceseconomicagainsthealthconcernsisinorder.Butineithercasetheprincipleisthesame:
protecttheenvironment—becauseitisman'senvironment.
Thesentimentalenvironmentalistswillcallthissavingnaturewithatotallywrongframeofmind.Exactly.Asensible—ahumanistic—environmentalismdoesitnotfornature'ssakebutforourown.
(966words)
NewWordsandExpressions
environmental
a.(自然)环境的
environmentn.
sensitivity
n.敏感(性)
belief
n.信念,信仰;相信
democracy
n.民主(制度)
conflicting
a.beingindisagreement,collision,oropposition不一致的,冲突的,矛盾的
conflictvi.
proposal
n.sth.proposed提议,建议
restriction
n.sth.thatrestricts,suchasalaworrule限制;限制性规定
regulation
n.anofficialruleororder规章;规定
inthenameof
forthereasonof;usingtheexcuseof以…为由,以…为借口,以…的名义
distinguish
v.recognizethedifference(between)区别,辨别
regardless
ad.inspiteofeverything;anyway不顾一切地;无论如何
fundamental
a.ofthebasisorfoundationofsth.基本的,根本的
environmentalism
n.环境保护论;环境论
combat
v.fightorstruggle(against)(与…)斗争,战斗
ecological
a.ofecology生态的;生态学的
atmosphere
n.大气;气氛
ozone▲
n.臭氧
layer
n.asinglethicknessofamaterialcoveringasurface层
reduction
n.makingorbecominglessorsmaller减少
cancer
n.癌,恶性肿瘤
cataract
n.白内障
plankton
n.浮游生物
reality
n.现实;真实
speculative
a.猜测性的,推测的
consequence
n.theresultoreffectofanactionorcondition后果,结果
deadly
a.causingorabletocausefatalinjuryorseriousdamage致命的,毁灭性的
melt
v.(causeasolidto)becomeliquid(使)融化,(使)熔化
urgent
a.callingforimmediateattention紧急的;急迫的
universal
a.全世界的;普遍的,全体的
unashamedly
ad.withoutshowingguiltorembarrassment坦然地,满不在乎地
man-centered
a.以人为中心的,只考虑人类的利益的
callfor
require,demand要求
onthegroundsof/on…grounds
forreasonsof因为;以…为理由
self-preservation
n.自我保护
sentimentalize
vt.treatorconsiderinasentimentalway感情用事地对待(或看待)
creature
n.alivingbeing,especiallyananimal生物(尤指动物)
resistance
n.opposition反对,反抗
voter
n.投票者,(法定)选举人
vote
v.expressone'schoiceinfavourof(apersonorpoliticalparty)atanelection投票选举
snaildarter
n.蜗牛鱼(一种濒临绝种的很小的淡水鱼)
run/goagainstthegrain(ofsth.ortodosth.)
becontrarytoone'sinclination,desire,orfeeling与(…)格格不入;违反意愿(做某事)
contemporary
a.current;modern当代的,现代的
worship
n.,vt.崇拜;崇敬
tothepointof
toadegreethatcanbedescribedas达到…的程度
excess
n.morethanthereasonabledegreeoramount过节,无节制
organism
n.生物体,有机体
spiritual
a.ofthespiritasopposedtomatter精神的;非物质的
nothingmorethan
justthesameas;only无异于;只不过,仅仅
sentimental
a.感情用事的;多愁善感的
selective
a.oforcharacterizedbyselection选择的;有选择性的
Bengali
n.,a.孟加拉人(的);孟加拉语(的);孟加拉的
jungle
n.杂乱无章的事物;(热带)丛林
current
a.occurringinorexistingatthepresenttime当前的,现在的
debate
n.辩论;争论
rage
vi.continuewithgreatforce;beintense激烈地进行
wildlife
n.wildanimalsandvegetation,especiallyanimalslivinginanaturalstate(总称)野生动物(尤指野生动物)
refuge▲
n.aplaceprovidingprotectionorshelter庇护所;避难处
workone'sway
managetoreachorgothrough;makeeffortstoattainone'sgoal设法抵达(或获得通过);努力达到目标
congress
n.国会;立法机关;代表大会
exploration
n.theactoraninstanceofexploring勘查,探测;探索
conserve▲
vt.protectfromlossorharm;preserve保护;保存
either/or
a.只能两者择其一的
proposition▲
n.提议;命题
consumption
n.theactofconsuming;theamountconsumed消费(量)
comethrough
experience,surviveorovercome(adifficulty,etc.)经历;从(…中)活下来(或挺过来)
inpart
tosomeextent;partly在某种程度上;部分地
dependence
n.thestate
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