VOA标准英语2010-Week-Long Earth Day Celebration Begins in

Globes showing environmental challenges are lining¹ the National Mall for Earth Day activities.

Week-long activities to commemorate² the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in the United States have kicked off with an eco-village on the National Mall and green volunteer service around national monuments. 

An official with the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Donna Locks-Lewis, rallied volunteers to begin mulching around the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial.

Others raked, did some weeding or picked up trash. One of the volunteers, Wright Sigmund, took time from his busy work in commercial real estate to help.

The fifth-generation Washingtonian said even monuments need environmental help. "Over the course of the years, the National Parks service, there has been a huge deficit³ in their ability to work on projects to restore areas such as the Lincoln Memorial, which every year is sinking into the ground. When you walk around the National Mall, you see the grass is all torn up. Everything that should be the most beautiful landmark⁴ of our country is just falling apart," he said.

On the National Mall, artistic⁵ globes depicting⁶ the earth's environmental problems and possible solutions lined walkways.
Companies, embassies, government agencies and activists⁷ set up tents to promote products and programs.

A scientist with the National Aeronautics⁸ and Space Administration, Ruth Netting, set up a puzzle made up of satellite images. "This is our earth. This is our planet earth and we should take care of it. Young kids like here, they are getting excited about it and hopefully they will learn and take care of the planet earth that they live on," she said.

Historical footage also played on a big screen, including a speech about environmental problems, such as pollution, by former President Richard Nixon.

"It is a cause of particular concern to young Americans because they more than we will reap the grim consequences of our failure to act on programs which are needed now if we are to prevent disasters later," he said in one speech.

Earth Day was initiated⁹ by a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, as an environmental teach-in. The first event which took place on April 22, 1970,  turned into a massive protest in which millions of Americans took part demanding government action to help stop environmental degradation¹⁰.

Activities this week on the National Mall will culminate¹¹ with a rally and celebrity-filled concert on April 25th demanding Congress pass climate legislation to create green jobs and cap carbon emissions¹².

 

1 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

2 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

5 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

6 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 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。

11 culminate   

v.到绝顶，达于极点，达到高潮

参考例句：

• The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
• Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。

12 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。