英语听力精选进阶版 6375（在线收听）

It's not every day that you find a motorcycle or a concrete dock washed ashore, but that's what people on the West coast of the United States have been spotting. These items were among debris from the March 2011 tsunami in Japan.

It's been estimated that 1.5 million tonnes of debris is floating through the North Pacific Ocean and new items are frequently dragged up onto sandy beaches.

Volunteer beachcombers have been working at Yaquina Bay in Oregon to clean the beach of all rubbish. The group - college students, pensioners, surfers and locals - work alongside State Park officers and is given gloves to protect their hands. There's been no evidence yet of any radioactive debris, but they are all too aware of the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant after the tsunami.

The arrival of alien species is another cause for concern in the US. The concrete dock that drifted in to Newport, Oregon, was found to contain sea creatures originating from Japan that could threaten the local ecosystem. Some starfish prey on native marine organisms and the Wakame kelp is known as one of the worst invasive species outside its natural environment.

As the Hatfield Marine Science Centre's John Chapman explained on the International Business Times website: "In sheltered waters, the Wakame kelp can quickly form large beds that block out sunlight essential for the survival of native kelps, seaweeds, and other marine algae."

The debris is also a reminder of the human suffering brought by the tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people.

Jack Barth, a professor at Oregon State University's College of Oceanic Atmospheric Sciences, points out that some personal items found can provide some closure for families in Japan.

Sixteen-year-old Misaki Murakami, a tsunami survivor, was reunited with his football after it washed up in Alaska. His signature on the ball made it possible to trace him.

Murakami said: "I'm very grateful as I've so far found nothing that I'd owned."

Quiz 测验

1. How much debris from the tsunami in Japan is estimated to be floating through the North Pacific Ocean?

1.5 million tonnes.

2. In the material washed ashore, what is a cause for concern in the US?

The possibility of radioactive debris and species of animals and plants that might damage local ecosystems.

3. Is the following statement true, false or not given? Students are part of a group of beachcombers paid a salary to clean beaches in Oregon.

False. The group is made up of volunteers, according to the article.

4. What made it possible to identify the football's owner?

His signature on the ball.

5. What marine creatures are mentioned in the article?

Starfish (kelp is a plant not a creature)

Glossary 词汇表

washed ashore 被冲上岸

the coast 海岸

to spot 偶然看到

debris 碎片，残骸

to float 浮

to drag 拖

a beachcomber 海滩清理者

a surfer 冲浪者

radioactive 放射性的

meltdown 彻底崩溃

to drift in 在海上漂流

the ecosystem 生态系统

a starfish 海星

Wakame kelp 裙带菜海带

to block out 阻挡

a seaweed 海藻

marine algae 海洋藻类植物

closure 完结

to trace 跟踪