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英语听力—环球英语 1121 The Story of Paper

时间:2012-10-31 05:11来源:互联网 提供网友:jpstudy   字体: [ ]
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   Voice 1

 
  Welcome to Spotlight1. I'm Christy VanArragon
 
  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
 
  Every day more people in the world use computers and other technology to communicate. Many books are now available on the internet. People write emails, and text messages, instead of letters. In many places, people do not even use physical money to pay for things any more. All these technologies are replacing one of the most important materials in history: paper. Today's Spotlight is on paper, its history and its importance in the world today.
 
  Voice 2
 
  Many people believe that paper started with the ancient Egyptians. However, this is not exactly true. Instead, five thousand years ago, Egyptians used a material called papyrus2. They made papyrus from the stems3 of river plants. They put these flat pieces together, to create a larger flat sheet. Ancient Egyptians wrote on these sheets like paper.
 
  Voice 1
 
  But the paper we know today did not exist until three thousand years later. It was created in China. Before the invention of paper, people in China would write on pieces of bone, bamboo or costly4 cloth. No one knows who first invented paper. But history does tell us about one man who improved the process. It was in the year 105. A man named Cai Lun began to experiment. He used many materials to make paper. He took bark from the outside of trees, pieces of net normally5 used to catch fish, and pieces of cloth rags. He broke these materials down into very small pieces. He put all these materials into a large container of water, to mix them. Then he removed this material, using a screen. When he pressed out the water, all that was left was a thin sheet of paper. He presented this new way of making paper to the Emperor. The Emperor was very happy and gave Cai Lun much money.
 
  Voice 2
 
  Paper quickly spread to other areas of the world. In the Middle East, people made paper thicker. They also made it easier to produce quickly. From the Middle East, paper travelled to Europe and then the Americas. For many years paper cost a lot of money and time to create. But in the nineteenth century, people began to use steam powered machines to create paper from wood. Paper is still made from wood today in large factories around the world.
 
  Voice 1
 
  Paper changed the way people lived. Long ago, when paper was difficult to make, people only used paper for special purposes. Religious leaders would write holy words on it. Government officials would write important laws on it. Explorers drew maps of the world on it. But normal, common people did not use it. As paper became easier to make, it was used for more things. People wrapped it around gifts. Anyone could use paper to make notes and write down information. Paper was also used as money.
 
  Voice 2
 
  Today people use paper for even more things. Paper cloths clean up dirt. Many products are sold in cardboard6 boxes made from paper. People drink water and other drinks out of paper cups.
 
  Voice 1
 
  But this creates a new problem - the problem of waste. When we are done using paper, it does not just disappear. Some paper can be recycled - it can be made into new paper. But a lot of paper simply becomes waste, or garbage. It is burned for energy, or stored in large landfills. Paper does biodegrade, or break down over time but it does not happen quickly. As the paper breaks down it releases8 harmful gasses into the air. In the United States, paper makes up one third of all waste. In just that country, that is 85 million tons per year!
 
  Voice 2
 
  But this is not the only problem that paper can cause. In the past, paper included materials from cloth, waste paper, and other fibres from plants. But today, most paper comes from trees. Many of these trees come from very old forests around the world. Today, only twenty percent of the world's ancient forests still exist. Around the world, every 2 seconds, people cut down more than four thousand square meters of trees. And many of those trees became paper.
 
  Voice 1
 
  These ancient forests cannot be replaced. Forests provide oxygen for animals and humans. They store the gas carbon dioxide, which can cause global warming. Cutting down trees can also destroy environmental systems. The birds, plants and animals that live there may also die. Some companies plant new trees when they cut down forests. But it takes a long time for new trees to grow. Often, these newly9 planted trees are all the same kind of tree. This is called a monoculture. A monoculture forest can get diseases11 easier. If one tree gets sick, all the same kind of trees get sick. When forests have many different kind of trees, they can resist disease10 easier.
 
  Voice 2
 
  Creating the paper can also cause environmental problems. Large paper factories use chemicals to make paper white. They also use a lot of water to create the paper. The chemicals pollute the water. If the factories release7 the water without removing the chemicals, the water can then pollute rivers and lakes. The chemicals in the water can also cause health problems.
 
  Voice 1
 
  So what can be done to help reduce the number of trees being cut down for paper? What can a person do to change their paper impact12 on the world?
 
  Voice 2
 
  The first step is to try to use less paper. Could you clean with a cloth instead of paper? Can you use less paper in your office or home? Can you re-use the paper used to cover a gift?
 
  Voice 1
 
  Next, look at the kind of paper you use. Most paper can be reused in some way. Old paper can be turned into new paper through recycling. By recycling paper like this, less trees have to be cut down. It takes less energy to recycle paper than it does to make new paper from trees. Are there ways to recycle paper where you live?
 
  Voice 2
 
  Many companies make products from post-consumer materials. This means that instead of cutting down trees to make the paper products, they use recycled paper. Buying these recycled paper products can save a lot of trees, water and energy.
 
  Voice 1
 
  In many places, people can also buy paper that comes from forests that are sustainably harvested. This means that when the trees in these forests are cut down, people make sure that it will not damage the environment of the forest.
 
  Voice 2
 
  Paper has been an important part of history. It has made many things possible. And even though people are using less paper, it is still very important to us today. But it is up to us to make sure that paper does not harm the world. It is our responsibility to give it a positive future.
 
  Voice 1
 
  The writer and producer of this program was Joshua Leo. The voices you heard were from the United States. You can find our programs on the Internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called 'The Story of Paper'. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 spotlight 6hBzmk     
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 papyrus hK9xR     
n.古以纸草制成之纸
参考例句:
  • The Egyptians wrote on papyrus.埃及人书写用薄草纸。
  • Since papyrus dries up and crumble,very few documents of ancient Egypt have survived.因草片会干裂成粉末所以古埃及的文件很少保存下来。
3 stems 01af57e4ae6d799566f5695b3679756b     
n.(花草的)茎( stem的名词复数 );词干;(高脚酒杯的)脚;烟斗柄v.遏制[阻止](液体的流动等)( stem的第三人称单数 );封堵;遏止
参考例句:
  • The present wave of strikes stems from discontent among the lower-paid. 当前的罢工浪潮起因于低工资雇员们的不满情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Her interest in flowers stems from her childhood in the country. 她对花卉的兴趣产生于她在乡下度过的童年时代。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
5 normally ln8zVb     
adv.正常地,通常地
参考例句:
  • I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
  • My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。
6 cardboard DTGyB     
n.硬纸板,卡纸板
参考例句:
  • She brought the shopping home in a cardboard box.她将买的东西放在纸箱里带回家。
  • There is a sheet of stiff cardboard in the drawer.在那个抽屉里有块硬纸板。
7 release iVhxh     
vt.发布,发表,发行;释放,放开
参考例句:
  • After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
  • This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。
8 releases 02b67c3eae678dc49209d6de4709a171     
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》
9 newly cG7xE     
adv.新近,最近;重新,再度;以新的方式
参考例句:
  • Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗?
  • It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树,还没有扎下根来。
10 disease etMxx     
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。
11 diseases 5c749da591474dd5c2c7f1d77b874f5d     
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。
12 impact Ganx3     
n.冲击,碰撞;影响;vt.装紧,压紧
参考例句:
  • The computer had made a great impact on modern life.计算机对现代生活产生了巨大的影响.
  • How will the war impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人会产生什么影响?
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