英语听力—环球英语 525 Zero Waste

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Steve Myersco,
Voice 2
And I'm Marina Santee. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Today, over half the people on the planet² live in a town or city. 2008 was the first time in history that this became true. The growth³ of many towns and cities in Africa and Asia is also faster than it has ever been. This raises many issues⁴. One of these is that people throw away trash - the material and things they do not want. The problem is how to manage the increased waste from all those people.
Voice 2
Waste management is a problem for authorities⁵ all over the world. Experts say that people around the world produce 1.6 billion tonnes of waste from their homes each year. They also say that two times as much waste will be produced in the year 2030. In many places, this waste is burned, buried, or left in huge waste areas near cities. All this is bad for the environment.
Voice 1
So, is it time we thought more about what happens to our waste? Today's Spotlight looks at a different way of managing waste. Its goal is to produce no waste at all - so the system is called ‘Zero Waste'. People in many different countries are using Zero Waste projects to help in their local areas.
Voice 3
‘We were no longer able to burn our waste. So, we thought the best policy⁶ was simply not to produce any waste.'
Voice 2
These are some of the words of Sonoe Fujii. She spoke⁷ to the Guardian⁸ newspaper about the Zero Waste project in her town - Kamikatsu in Japan. Kamikatsu has been a Zero Waste town since 2003. Sonoe Fujii is one of the people who helps to manage the Zero Waste project in the town
Voice 1
Very little of Kamikatsu's waste is now burned or buried. Instead people recycle their waste. They collect unwanted materials such as glass bottles, metal cans and paper. These materials can be used to make new products. To recycle like this, people must first separate⁹ their waste into 34 different kinds of materials.
Voice 2
In 2008 Kamikatsu recycled over 80 percent of its waste. In the future, the authorities in Kamikatsu hope they will not burn or bury any waste at all. They hope to be recycling all of the town's waste by the year 2020. This will prevent the damage to the environment that burning or burying waste would cause.
Voice 1
Zero Waste is an idea that is becoming popular around the world. It encourages people and authorities to recycle more. It also encourages them to use products that can be recycled easily. Zero Waste projects also encourage businesses to think about the waste they produce. This helps to reduce waste in the production and selling of goods.
Voice 2
Zero Waste's aim is to stop producing waste, not just manage the waste. Many towns, authorities and individuals around the world are using the Zero Waste idea. The capital of Australia was one of the first places to try it. The authorities in Canberra hope to produce no waste by the year 2010. Many areas in New Zealand also have Zero Waste projects. There are also Zero Waste groups in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.
Voice 1
But Zero Waste is not just an idea for governments and authorities. It is an idea that individuals can use as well. Today, many people are concerned about the environment. Some of these people are also thinking about the waste they produce from their homes.
Voice 2
One example of this is a family from England. They call themselves the Green family. In May 2008, they decided¹⁰ to start their own Zero Waste project. They have tried to make their house Zero Waste. They have written reports of their progress on the internet. Every week they weigh how much waste they produce from their home.
Voice 1
The Green family are also careful about what they buy. They avoid products and food that comes with plastic covering. They do this because they know what happens to such waste - it is burned or buried. They think the way many people live today is damaging the environment.
Voice 2
Mr Green has written about why they wanted to be Zero Waste. He wants to encourage people to save the environment.
Voice 4
‘There is a lot of conflicting¹¹ information about climate change. This means¹² people do not know what to think about it. There is a feeling of defeat before we have even started. The truth is we can all make a difference. If we all come together and make small changes, the results can be life changing. The environment needs to be saved and together we can do it.'
Voice 1
So what are the small ways for people to create change? Individuals can help by recycling their waste where possible. They can also buy food that is not contained in a lot of plastic or other kinds of material. Reusing¹³ paper and other materials instead of wasting them is also important. Individuals can also help by writing to their local authority¹⁴ to encourage them to think more about Zero Waste.
Voice 2
The Japanese have a word that describes the attitude of Zero Waste - ‘mottainai'. In English this word means ‘what a waste'. Japanese people use this word to express regret when something valuable is wasted. This attitude could be why Japan is one of the best countries at recycling. The former Japanese Prime¹⁵ Minister spoke to the leaders of the world's richest countries about this Japanese word. He said,
Voice 5
‘The word mottainai describes the three Rs - reduce, reuse¹⁶, and recycle resources¹⁷. Do not waste them. In other languages I believe it is difficult to translate this word mottainai. So we could simply use the Japanese word - mottainai. It means to believe that environmental¹⁸ protection¹⁹ is important. It also means to value resources.'
Voice 1
As the population of the world increases, more and more waste is being produced. Much more work is needed to manage and reduce this waste. But we can all help the environment in our own small way. One of the best ways of doing this could be to remember one word - mottainai!
 

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 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

3 growth   

n.生长，栽培

参考例句：

• All living things depend on the sun for their growth.万物靠太阳生长。
• Youth is the time of physical growth.青年时期是长身体的时期。

4 issues   

（水等的）流出( issue的名词复数 )； 出口； 放出； （特别重要或大众关注的）问题

参考例句：

• Let's start with the more easily addressable issues. 我们先从较容易处理的问题着手。
• Employment and taxation are the bread-and-butter issues of politics. 就业和征税是很重要的政治问题。

5 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 policy   

n.政策，方针，保险单

参考例句：

• This policy is very tough.这个政策是很强硬的。
• The country has always pursued a policy of peace.该国一直奉行和平政策。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

9 separate   

n.分开，抽印本；adj.分开的，各自的，单独的；v.分开，隔开，分居

参考例句：

• Are they joined together or separate?它们是合在一起还是分开的？
• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering.洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 conflicting   

adj.相冲突的，相矛盾的

参考例句：

• They confused me with conflicting accounts of what happened. 他们对发生的事所作的陈述自相矛盾，使我迷惑不解。
• Another team of scientists has come up with conflicting evidence. 另一组科学家提出了有抵触的证据。

12 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

13 reusing   

v.再用，重新使用( reuse的现在分词 )；重用

参考例句：

• Great programmers are masters at recognizing and reusing common patterns. 优秀的程序员精通于对通用的模式的识别和重用。 来自互联网
• Build on the classes you have developed,thereby reusing them. 建立在你开发的类上，从而重用他们。 来自互联网

14 authority   

n.当局，官方；权力，权威，威信；当权者

参考例句：

• He is recognized internationally as an authority in this field.国际上承认他是这方面的一个权威。
• Professor White is looked upon as an authority on mathematics.怀特教授被看成数学权威。

15 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

16 reuse   

v.再使用；vt.重新使用

参考例句：

• There are some ways to reuse the wastes.有很多废品再利用的方法。
• The use and reuse of urban land.城市土地利用与再利用。

17 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

18 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

19 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。