【英语趣味课堂】全球变暖-Global Warming

Todd: Christine you're from Papua New Guinea?

 

Christine: Yes, we're a small island in the South Pacific.

 

Todd: And that is near Australia?

 

Christine: Just above Australia.

 

Todd: Like how far is it from Australia?

 

Christine: To Brisbane it's 3 hours by plane. To the tip of Australia it's about an hour and a half by boat.

 

Todd: We were talking earlier about global warming and how this can be a problem for your island.

 

Christine: Oh, absolutely, because we're surrounded by water, obviously¹ it creates a problem when the tides rise.

 

Todd: Because the tides rise, and the water...

 

Christine: The tides rise, and a lot of people build their homes and villages around the water....cause the ocean is where we get our food from, most of our costal villages are based there, so, yeah!

 

Todd: The people put their houses close to the water.

 

Christine: Close to the water or on the water

 

Todd: So what do you think about global warming? I mean, what do you think should be done?

 

Christine: Like we were talking about it earlier, I am very much for the Kyoto Protocol² I think that industrial countries, industrialized³ countries need to act now before there's too much, how do you say?, before even more damage is done. Obviously being from a small country where people aren't educated about these things we don't realize what is really happening, but we are really starting to realize now and we and other small nations have spoken out about it and it's good to know that bigger countries are doing something about it, and I think thing needs to be done now, rather than waiting, which is happening with governments which are under economical⁴ stress right now...they haven't done enough..they know the situation, they know they're responsible for it. We're the ones who are suffering because of it even though we don't add to it. Yeah, so I think they should do something.

 

学习内容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

just above

 

Papua New Guinea is just above Australia.

 

In this case 'just above' means a short distance north of Australia.  We use the word 'just' to show a small distance or period of time and 'above' indicates an upward⁵ or northern direction. Notice the following:

 

Ecuador is just above us.

Argentina is just below Brazil.

about

 

Papua New Guinea to Australia takes about an hour and a half by boat.

 

You can use 'about' before a measurement⁶ of time, distance or number to show the information being given is approximate⁷.  Maybe it takes little more than an hour or maybe a little less. Notice the following:

 

I think he's about 60.

My new camera was about $200.

based

 

Most of our coastal⁸ villages are based there.

 

In this case, 'based' is similar in meaning to 'located.' Notice the following:

 

I'm based out of Colorado now.

She has been based in Asia for about five years now.

global warming

 

What do you think about global warming?

 

'Global warming' is the idea that the overall⁹ temperature on the planet¹⁰ is increasing every year because of pollution and negative effects that humans have on the earth. Notice the following:

 

The earth has changed a lot because of global warming.

Global warming has caused a lot of problems for animals in cold climates.

rather than

 

We need to something about it rather than wait.

 

We use 'rather than' to compare two options and show which one we prefer.  The option that is not preferred always comes immediately after 'rather than.' Notice the following:

 

It's always better to tell the truth rather than lie.

Rather than go to a restaurant, I would prefer to eat at home.

 

1 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

2 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

3 industrialized   

adj.工业的，工业化的

参考例句：

• Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet. 污染就是我们为这个人口过密，过度工业化的星球所付出的代价。 来自新概念英语第三册
• Industrialized countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 工业化国家必须减少二氧化碳的排放。

4 economical   

adj.节约的，节俭的；经济学的；经济上的

参考例句：

• The state has paced the whole nation in the economical reform.这个州在经济改革中走在了全国的前列。
• Coke is an economical fuel but it leaves a lot of ash.焦炭是一种很经济的燃料,可是燃烧后剩下很多灰。

5 upward   

adj.向上的，上升的；adv.向上，上升

参考例句：

• The birds flew upward.鸟儿向上飞去。
• Prices have an upward tendency.价格有上升的趋势。

6 measurement   

n.测量，衡量；(量得的)尺寸，大小

参考例句：

• I can find the size of something by means of measurement.我可以用测量法求得某物的体积。
• He has made an accurate measurement of my garden.他准确地丈量了我的花园。

7 approximate   

adj.大约，大致，近似的；vi.(to)近似，接近

参考例句：

• The builder gave an approximate cost for fixing the roof.房屋修建商给修理房顶粗略地估计了一个价钱。
• The approximate date of his departure is next month.他大约在下个月动身。

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

9 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

10 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。