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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The Clean Air Act – On Today's Congressional Moment The first time Congress dealt with any issue pertaining1 to unclean air was in 1955. Prior to that, states had passed their own legislation dealing2 with the problems of impure3 air… most of it excess smoke from burning fields and clearing forests. But as industry and our nation grew, more people and more land were exposed to dirty air emissions4 from industrial smokestacks and automobile5 exhaust. By the 1960s, environmental issues had become a public concern, as scientific studies linked air pollution to specific health issues. The Clean Air Act of 1963 marked the beginning of federally funded air quality research programs to deal with increasing amounts of smog. Two years later, it was amended6 to include cars as a source of pollution. The Clean Air Act of 1970, the year the EPA was established, was even more robust7, and subsequent amendments8 in 1977 and 1990 addressed ozone9 depletion10 and acid rain. Enforcing clean air standards has helped control pollution and reduce health hazards over the years, but the process of improving and amending11 this Act to keep our air clean is on-going, as the costs to industry must be weighed against the benefits to the environment. The Clean Air Act - one of the most complex and extensive pieces of federal environmental legislation - remains12 very much a work in progress. STANDARD CLOSING: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center On Congress website at congress.indiana.edu.
1 pertaining | |
与…有关系的,附属…的,为…固有的(to) | |
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2 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
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3 impure | |
adj.不纯净的,不洁的;不道德的,下流的 | |
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4 emissions | |
排放物( emission的名词复数 ); 散发物(尤指气体) | |
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5 automobile | |
n.汽车,机动车 | |
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6 Amended | |
adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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7 robust | |
adj.强壮的,强健的,粗野的,需要体力的,浓的 | |
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8 amendments | |
(法律、文件的)改动( amendment的名词复数 ); 修正案; 修改; (美国宪法的)修正案 | |
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9 ozone | |
n.臭氧,新鲜空气 | |
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10 depletion | |
n.耗尽,枯竭 | |
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11 amending | |
改良,修改,修订( amend的现在分词 ); 改良,修改,修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 ) | |
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12 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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