英语听力—环球英语 760 Waste Management in Cairo

　　Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Ryan Geertsma. 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
Magdi Shenuda is a young man from Cairo, Egypt. He lives in an area called Manshiet Nasser. This area is also known as Garbage City. Like many young people in his neighbourhood, Magdi grew up in a family of garbage collectors, or Zabbaleen. Many Zabbaleen live in poor conditions. However, they are proud of what they do. The Zabbaleen have worked to collect, recycle, re-use and re-sell waste in Cairo for over 60 years.
Voice 2
Today’s Spotlight is on the Zabbaleen community of Cairo. This community uses simple methods of garbage collecting and recycling that produce very little damage to the environment. And with the help of development organizations, the Zabbaleen provide an example to the world - an example of environmentally friendly waste management.
Voice 1
In Cairo, there are sixty to seventy thousand Zabbaleen. Most live in and around the Garbage City area. And most of the community is Coptic Christian³.
Voice 2
The Zabbaleen moved to Cairo in the 1950s. Before living in Cairo, many of them farmed and raised animals in country areas. When they moved to Cairo, there was not much need for their farming skills. However, these immigrants⁴ did find work in garbage. And since that time, the Zabbaleen have used the same method to manage waste.
Voice 1
The fathers and young men, like Magdi, go from house to house collecting garbage. Many use donkeys⁵ and two wheel carts to carry the garbage. Others use very small trucks that can fit through the many small streets of Cairo. People pay them very little money for this help. Sometimes they do not pay at all! Instead, the Zabbaleen make money using and selling things they find in the garbage.
Voice 2
At home, the mothers, young women and children sort through the collected waste with their hands. The Zabbaleen use as much of the collected garbage as possible. Some objects are cleaned and re-used. Plastic, paper or metal objects are sold to local factories to be recycled. These factories break down the objects and make new things out of the material. The Zabbaleen even put the smallest pieces of food waste to good use. They use this waste to feed their pigs and other animals.
Voice 1
These methods may seem very simple, but they produce amazing results. The Zabbaleen community re-uses or recycles eighty to ninety percent of the garbage they collect. This rate is much higher than most waste management companies. In fact, private garbage companies in Cairo are only required to recycle twenty percent of what they collect. This means that up to eighty percent of this garbage is burned at the city garbage dump⁶.
Voice 2
For centuries, people have burned garbage to get rid of it. Burning some garbage is necessary. However, burning garbage produces gases and pollution which harm the environment. So, it is important to burn as little garbage as possible. Today many cities are beginning to recycle or re-use as much waste as possible. And this is what the Zabbaleen do best!
Voice 1
In 2005, Wael Salah Fahmi, a professor of city design at Helwan University in Cairo wrote about the Zabbaleen’s method. He said,
Voice 3
“They have created what is probably one of the world’s best, most efficient resource recovery⁷ and waste recycling systems.”
Voice 2
The Zabbaleen’s method is efficient - it puts everything to a good use. However, there are also problems with it. One problem is that the Zabbaleen have not been able to keep up with Cairo’s growth. Beginning in the 1970s, Cairo started growing very fast. Today it is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa. Because Cairo grew so fast, the Zabbaleen were not able to meet all the city’s garbage collection needs. Instead, the government decided⁸ to pay private European companies to manage waste in parts of the city. These companies now manage one third of Cairo’s waste. However, many people do not like the new companies. The companies cost more than the Zabbaleen and they recycle less.
Voice 1
However, the biggest problem with the Zabbaleen method is the living conditions that it produces. While the Zabbaleen do support themselves, they are still very poor. They also suffer from many diseases⁹ caused by working and living with garbage. And since the families usually work together, children do not always attend school.
Voice 2
In the 1970s, Sister Emmanuelle, a French nun¹⁰, visited the Zabbaleen communities of Cairo. She recognized a need to improve the living conditions of the Zabbaleen. She also recognized the importance of what the Zabbaleen did for the people of Cairo and the environment. For twenty years, Sister Emmanuelle lived among the Zabbaleen. During that time, she started an organization called the Association¹¹ for the Protection of the Environment or APE.
Voice 1
APE helps the Zabbaleen improve their lives by doing what they do best - recycling. APE works¹² with other investment¹³ groups too. Together, they have started recycling schools in the Zabbaleen communities. These schools teach the Zabbaleen even more methods of recycling. They teach the Zabbaleen to use machines which break down plastic. They provide training in how to weave material scraps¹⁴ found in the garbage. From these scraps the students can make rugs¹⁵ and blankets to sell. The school also teaches students how to recycle paper to make cards and other paper goods. These goods can also be sold.
Voice 2
The schools also teach basic reading skills, health education, arts and even computer training. Students, like Magdi, use computers to record how many bottles they recycle. These students also learn many business skills that help them be more productive¹⁶.
Voice 1
With the help of APE, the Zabbaleen are improving their lives. They are also beginning to teach their good recycling methods to students in other countries. And, cities like Manila and Bombay are now using the Zabbaleen method of waste management.
Voice 2
Today, cities are growing faster than ever. This means that waste in cities is also produced faster. However, modern methods of waste management may not be the best answer to the growing waste. Instead, cities all over the world can learn from the Zabbaleen’s method. It is a method which makes money, manages waste and still cares for the world’s environment.
 

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 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 donkeys   

n.驴( donkey的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some medieval towns raced donkeys or buffaloes. 有些中世纪的城市用驴子或水牛竞赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Donkeys are related to horses, and both are part of the equine family. 驴是马的近亲，两者都是马科家庭的一员。 来自辞典例句

6 dump   

n.垃圾场；v.倾卸，切断电源，倾倒

参考例句：

• Where can I dump this rubbish?我将这些垃圾倒在什么地方？
• They wheeled the rubbish out to the dump.他们把垃圾用车运到垃圾场去。

7 recovery   

n.恢复，痊愈；追回，寻回，收复

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• The quick recovery was truly in response to medication.这次迅速康复确实是对药物治疗的反应。

8 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。

9 diseases   

n.疾病( disease的名词复数 )；弊端；恶疾；痼疾

参考例句：

• Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
• The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。

10 nun   

n.修女，尼姑

参考例句：

• I can't believe that the famous singer has become a nun.我无法相信那个著名的歌星已做了修女。
• She shaved her head and became a nun.她削发为尼。

11 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

12 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。

13 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。

14 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

15 rugs   

n.小块地毯( rug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• Try to avoid colours that jar when choosing curtains and rugs. 选择窗帘和地毯时，尽量避免颜色不调和。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。