英语听力—环球英语 474：E-Waste

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight¹, I’m Liz Waid
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Computers are amazing machines. It is amazing what people can do with a box made of metal and plastic. People create images. They play games. They even communicate with other people across the world. But computers are not all fun and games. For some people, computers cause disease² and even death.
Voice 2
In a landfill in Nigeria, young people dig through mountains of waste products such as computers. They are searching for parts of electronics³ such as computers. They are looking for valuable metals such as copper⁴ and cadmium to sell. But getting these metals from the computers releases⁵ dangerous chemicals. These young people have great risk. They risk cancer, brain damage, and nerve⁶ damage. Today’s Spotlight is on a problem called e-waste.
Voice 1
E-waste is waste from electric devices⁸ such as computers, radios, and televisions. Some of the materials in these devices can be very bad for the environment. Computers use metals like mercury⁹, lead, and cadmium. These are poisonous for people and the environment. When people break computers apart, these metals escape into the soil, water or air.
Voice 2
There are over one billion computers in the world. Many of these computers only get used for two years. After that, people put them into large waste areas called landfills. In the United States, people throw out thirty million computers each year. These computers become waste. Many other countries also send their old computers to landfills. In landfills, seventy percent of heavy metal waste comes from electrical devices. Sometimes people will give their old computers to people who cannot buy new computers. But even these computers will become waste when new technology is available.
Voice 1
Not all computers go to landfills in their own countries. Many developed countries send old computers and electric devices to less developed countries. Much of the e-waste is sent to India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana. Companies in these countries can make a lot of money from the old computers. These companies use old computers and take out pieces they can use. Then they build new computers with the old parts. They also sell parts of the computers for money.
Voice 2
The process of getting these parts from old computers is difficult. And it can be harmful to people. Workers use many different ways to get the metal, and other pieces from the old computers. They boil, melt, and crush¹⁰ parts of the computer. This process releases chemicals that are harmful to the workers. Many of the workers in computer recycling factories are poor. They cannot get better jobs. And they can not get medical care. Their jobs threaten their health.
Voice 1
The families that live near these landfills and factories are also at risk. They are at risk of cancer, brain damage, and problems affecting their nerves¹¹. They are at risk because of the dangerous chemicals and metals in the computers.
Voice 2
Breaking apart these old computers is bad for the environment too. People can only reuse fifty percent of an old computer. They can not use the rest of the computer at all. The workers often burn the extra parts from the computers. Burning this plastic releases harmful chemicals into the air. And the chemicals damage plants and animals.
Voice 1
E-waste was not a problem twenty five years ago. There were not as many electronic devices in the world. But today, humans produce 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste every year. In Europe, only 25 percent of e-waste is recycled, or reused, correctly. In developing countries, only one percent is recycled correctly. Most e-waste is sent to developing countries.
Voice 2
But will the e-waste problem ever stop growing? Well, companies and people must work together. For example, a city in the United States is trying to make sure that people throw out computers correctly. They made a new law. Now, putting computers in landfills is illegal. People must bring their old computers to a special place. There, people will recycle the computers correctly. The city has made it easy for people to recycle their computers.
Voice 1
Many electronics companies are also making it easier to recycle their products. They are removing the dangerous chemicals from things such as computers and mobile¹² telephones.
Voice 2
StEP is a group that is working to fight e-waste. Their name S T E P stands for Solving the E-waste Problem. The group is made of many organizations who care about the effects of e-waste. They hope to solve the problem by working together.
Voice 1
StEP works¹³ in many different ways. It is a resource for governments to learn about e-waste and make better laws. It encourages people to re-use electronic devices, like computers. It looks for new ways to recycle e-waste safely. And finally, StEP works with companies to make better, safer electronic products. It is a resource for better thinking, planning and action on e-waste.
Voice 2
But you do not have to own a factory or be a government official to reduce e-waste. You do not have to be a researcher with StEP. There are ways for you to help in your own community. In many cities, there are special places where you can recycle your computer or other electronics.
Voice 1
You may not own a computer, but even radios and televisions can harm the environment. Find out if there is a store or other place that will throw out electric devices correctly for you. Tell your friends to also give their used devices to these organizations. If you buy a new computer, or radio, give the old one to someone who can use it. If you have an electrical device⁷ that breaks, see if someone can repair it.
Voice 2
It is easy to put old things in the trash and never think about them again. But most waste, never disappears. A computer you throw away today could be in the hands of a person across the world in a few weeks. Every decision we make with our electrical devices today effects the lives of other people in the future.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

3 electronics   

n.电子器件，电子学，电子技术

参考例句：

• About 45000 people worked in electronics in Scotland.苏格兰约有4.5万人在电子行业工作。
• He wants to brush up his knowledge of electronics.他想温习他的电子学知识。

4 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

5 releases   

v.释放( release的第三人称单数 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy. 核裂变释放出巨大的能量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Zemel says that when calcium levels are low, the body releases a hormone that helps squeeze the most out of every available milligram of the mineral. 泽莫尔博士说，当人体中的钙含量偏低时，身体里就会产生一种荷尔蒙，它能帮助肌体最大限度地吸收所摄入的钙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 nerve   

n.神经；勇气，胆量，沉着，果断

参考例句：

• Did he have the nerve to say that?他竟有脸说这话吗？
• He never got up enough nerve to meet me.他从没有足够的胆量来见我。

7 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

8 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

9 mercury   

n.汞，水银，水银柱

参考例句：

• The liquid we can see in thermometers is mercury.我们看到的温度计里的液体是水银。
• Mercury has a much greater density than water.水银的密度比水大得多。

10 crush   

v.压垮，压倒，压服，镇压；压碎，碾碎

参考例句：

• This machine is made to crush the rock into powder.这台机器是用来把石头压成碎末的。
• You can't crush so many people into the classroom.不能让这么多人挤进教室。

11 nerves   

n.神经紧张 vt.鼓起勇气

参考例句：

• What he said at the meeting strung her nerves up. 他在会议上的发言使她的神经很紧张。
• At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered. 教了一天课，她精疲力竭。

12 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

13 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。