【英语趣味课堂】气候变化-Climate Change

Paul: So have you seen all these freakish weather events on the news all around the world?

 

Amy: Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to pay attention, yeah. It's been pretty bad in some places. I think, it's been the wettest January on record in the UK at the moment.

 

Paul: Right, right, right. So do you think it's kind of indicative¹ of climate change? Are you a climate change believer or a climate change denier?

 

Amy: I think it's hard to deny really. I think what humans do to the planet² is going to have some effect and science is science, you know. It's backed up by evidence and facts and scientists don't tend to say things until they know it's true or as true as it can be. So yeah, I'm definitely³ a believer in climate change, I think. We are affecting things on the planet.

 

How about you?

 

Paul: I've read quite a lot about it. And yes, there is a science to support it but there's also a lot of science to — not to deny it but there's definitely a lot of questions that aren't answered yet. It's a very sort of complex issue. I mean, these global systems of weather and you've got all these like organic⁴ processes going on that we just don't really understand. And then trying to explain all these complex events by saying it's climate change, it's…

 

I mean, what worries me is that by denying it, it seems to also be a sort of justification⁵ for us to continue living the way we are, which worries me a lot. Whether it's true or not, I think we need to be thinking about how we can live better. And that means, living in ways that are less, sort of, damaging on our environment.

 

Amy: Yeah, I agree. I agree. I've also read a bit about weather systems that are perhaps not—because of climate of change, every planet has weather systems that come and go. And I understand that part but I also fully⁶ agree that we have to stop being so destructive⁷.

 

I think it's pretty clear. You can't continue cutting down acres and acres and acres of really valuable resources like the rainforest. I mean, we need that to breathe, so it just doesn't make sense. Yeah, I think we definitely have to stop being so destructive.

 

重点词汇：

 

freakish

 

Have you seen all these freakish weather events on the news?

 

Freakish means strange or unusual. Notice the following:

 

I do not understand his freakish behavior.

There was a freakish storm last night.

indicative

 

It's kind of indicative of climate change.

 

Indicative means something is an indication⁸, or sign, for something else. Notice the following:

 

Stress can be indicative of something else.

A long line at a restaurant is an indication of good food.

hard to deny

 

 

I think it's hard to deny really.

 

If something is hard to deny, it is difficult to prove it is untrue. Notice the following:

 

It is hard to deny that Brazil produces great football players.

It is hard to deny that cars contribute to global warming.

backed up

 

 

It's backed up by evidence and facts.

 

Backed up means supported by. Notice the following:

 

He backed up his statement with hard facts.

He backed up his claim of neglect⁹ with photos of the damage.

complex

 

 

It's a very sort of complex issue.

 

Complex is the opposite of simple. Notice the following:

 

This is a complex problem.

We have a complex filing system at work.

acres

 

 

We can't continue cutting down acres and acres of trees.

 

An acre is a large measurement¹⁰ of land (about .4 hectares). Notice the following:

 

We live on five acres of farmland.

There are acres and acres of fields where I live.

1 indicative   

adj.(of)象征的；陈述的；n.陈述语气

参考例句：

• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。
• Use the indicative mood to make a sentence.请用陈述语气造句。

2 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。

3 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

4 organic   

adj.有机的，有机物的；有组织的

参考例句：

• Organic farming is expanding everywhere.有机农业正在各地迅速发展起来。
• The organic fertilizer shall keep the soil in good heart.这有机肥一定会使土壤保持肥沃。

5 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 destructive   

adj.破坏（性）的，毁灭（性）的

参考例句：

• In the end,it will be destructive of our whole society.它最终会毁灭我们整个社会。
• It is the most destructive storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的一次风暴。

8 indication   

n.(暗示某事物的)言语，姿势，标记

参考例句：

• He gave no indication that he was ready to compromise.他没有妥协的意思。
• His behavior gave every indication of an open affectionate heart.他的行为就可以表明，他的心胸是坦荡的。

9 neglect   

vt.忽视，忽略；疏忽，玩忽；n.疏忽，玩忽

参考例句：

• Don't neglect to lock the door when you leave.你离开时别忘了锁门。
• Today's housing problems are the product of years of neglect.今天的住房困难是多年来忽视的结果。

10 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。