【英语时差8,16】植物遏制全球变暖

Don: You know, Ya?l, no matter how much we talk about the need to stop global warming, sometimes it seems impossible. I mean, what are we actually doing about it? Ya?l: Well Don, I suppose there's no one solution, but things like hybrid¹ cars can make a difference. And scientists are busy developing biofuels that could reduce our use of gasoline derived² from oil. And then there are crops... D: You mean crops and plants that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Y: That, but also crops like corn and wheat with leaves that reflect sunlight back into space. Scientists have used computer models to show that in major croplands in the United States and in Europe, planting crops with waxier leaves reflects more sunlight. In fact, switching to these crops could lower temperatures by about a degree during the summer. D: So are farmers switching to these plants? Y: Not yet, because right now they exist only as experiments. But with selective breeding and maybe genetic³ engineering it would be pretty simple to end up with seeds that produce plants with waxier and more reflective leaves. D: Cool. But there's only so much cropland on the planet? How would more reflective crops help stop global warming? Y: It wouldn't, at least not globally. But in places where there's lots of wheat, corn and other crops, waxier leaves could make a regional difference. D: I guess that's something.

1 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

2 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。