英语听力精选进阶版 13589

Environmental protection targets missed

Summary

3 May 2010

A major study has confirmed that the world's governments will not meet their internationally-agreed target of reducing the global loss of species and nature by 2010.

Reporter:

Richard Black

Report

This study confirms what people in the conservation movement have known for several years; the 2010 target of significantly curbing¹ the rate of biodiversity loss is not going to be met.

The researchers surveyed more than 30 trends covering wildlife on land and at sea. Virtually all of them show increasing degradation², with the evidence especially strong since the 1970s.

The reasons are straightforward³; an ever-increasing number of people on the planet and rising affluence⁴, leading to increased demand for food and timber and water and energy. As the human footprint expands, nature is squeezed to the margins⁵.

Governments set the 2010 target eight years ago; the researchers describe actions taken since then in order to meet it as "woefully inadequate⁶".

Richard Black, BBC Environment Correspondent

1 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

2 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

3 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

4 affluence   

n.充裕，富足

参考例句：

• Their affluence is more apparent than real.他们的富有是虚有其表。
• There is a lot of affluence in this part of the state because it has many businesses.这个州的这一部分相当富有，因为它有很多商行。

5 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

6 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。