Unit 6 Man and Environment

1. Unit 6 Man and Environment

2. New words and expressions for Reading One: • landfill: A landfill is a large deep hole in which very large amounts of rubbish are buried. • The rubbish in modern landfills does not rot. • ...the cost of disposing of refuse in landfill sites.

3. diaper: A diaper is a piece of soft towel or paper, which you fasten round a baby's bottom in order to soak up its urine and faeces. (AM; in BRIT, use nappy) • He never changed her diapers, never bathed her. • aluminum: Aluminum is a lightweight metal used, for example, for making cooking equipment and aircraft parts. (AM; in BRIT, use aluminium)

4. refuse: Refuse consists of the rubbish and all the things that are not wanted in a house, shop, or factory, and that are regularly thrown away; used mainly in official language. • The District Council [(英国市或乡的)区自治会]made a weekly collection of refuse. • = waste, rubbish

5. toss: If you toss something somewhere, you throw it there lightly, often in a rather careless way. • He screwed the paper into a ball and tossed it into the fire... • He tossed Malone a can of beer, and took one himself.

6. municipal: Municipal means associated with or belonging to a city or town that has its own local government. • The municipal authorities gave the go-ahead（计划等的最终核准）for the march. • ...next month's municipal elections. • ...the municipal library.

7. excavate: To excavate means to dig a hole in the ground, for example in order to build there. • The turtle excavates a hole in the sand and then lays its eggs in it. • Work is under way to excavate the ancient city. • Workers had already begun excavating the foundations for the house.

8. biodegrade:materials, chemicals etc that biodegrade are changed naturally by bacteria into substances that do not harm the environment • pack down: to press snow, soil, sand etc down so that it becomes hard and firm • pack something down • Pack the soil down firmly.

9. intact: Something that is intact is complete and has not been damaged or changed. • Most of the cargo was left intact after the explosion... • stripper: a tool or liquid chemical used to remove something from a surface • heavy metal: a metal that has a high density, such as gold, mercury, or lead. Many heavy metals are poisonous.

10. seep: If something such as liquid or gas seeps somewhere, it flows slowly and in small amounts into a place where it should not go. • Blood seeped down his leg. • The gas is seeping out of the rocks... • leachate:A product or solution formed by leaching, especially a solution containing contaminants picked up through the leaching of soil. • 沥出液；浸析液：通过滤取获得的生成物或溶液，尤指经土壤渗滤后得到的含有污染物的溶液

11. percolate: To percolate somewhere means to pass slowly through something that has very small holes or gaps in it. • Rainwater percolates down through the rock. • precipitation:rain, snow etc that falls on the ground, or the amount of rain, snow etc that falls

12. porous: Something that is porous has many small holes in it, which water and air can pass through. • The local limestone is very porous. • vinyl: Vinyl is a strong plastic used for making things such as floor coverings and furniture. • The grey vinyl floor gave way to carpet tiles.

13. clay soil: 粘质土 • lay down: set something in position for use on the ground or a surface • The floors were constructed by laying down precast concrete blocks. • 地面是通过铺设预制混凝土块建成的。 • line: to form a layer over the inner surface of something • The birds use small leaves for lining their nests. • line something with something • The cage should be lined with straw.

14. Check Your Comprehension A • 1. What does the text say about Americans in terms of garbage problems? Of all the countries in the world, Americans produce the most waste. Every year they throw out a lot of disposable pens, tires, razors and blades, diapers, aluminum, etc.

15. Check Your Comprehension A • 2. What is a landfill? A landfill is a special area that a local government sets aside for waste disposal and decomposition. Originally it is usually an excavated area or pit. But gradually it will be filled by garbage and then a layer of soil is laid on top of it.

16. Check Your Comprehension A • 3. What are the two conditions bacteria need to break down organic materials? Bacteria need oxygen and water in order to break down organic materials. • 4. How will children be affected when exposed to lead? Children who are exposed to low levels of lead can suffer brain damage, nervous system disorders, and other developmental problems.

17. Check Your Comprehension A • 5. What will happen if a landfill is not properly designed? If a landfill is not properly designed, leachate can run off into streams or seep through the soil into groundwater, and as a result the source of drinking water will be contaminated.

18. New words and expressions for Reading Two: • DDT: a poisonous substance which is used for killing insects 滴滴涕（二氯二苯三氯乙） • pesticide: Pesticides are chemicals which farmers put on their crops to kill harmful insects. • pelican: A pelican is a type of large water bird. It catches fish and keeps them in the bottom part of its beak which is shaped like a large bag. 鹈鹕,塘鹅, 淘河鸟

19. solvent: A solvent is a liquid that can dissolve other substances. • miscarriage: If a pregnant woman has a miscarriage, her baby dies and she gives birth to it before it is properly formed. • She had two miscarriages before she had her first child. • One in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage.

20. DBCP: dibromochloropropane 二溴氯丙烷(农药名) • pregnancy: the condition of a female having a baby growing inside her body • It would be wiser to cut out all alcohol during pregnancy... • She was exhausted by eight pregnancies in 13 years. • This drug should not be taken during pregnancy.

21. ventilation: To ventilate a room or building means to allow fresh air to get into it, for example by means of windows. “Ventilation” is the noun form for “ventilate”. • The only ventilation comes from tiny sliding windows. • respirator: A respirator is a device you wear over your mouth and nose in order to breathe when you are surrounded by smoke or poisonous gas.

22. Check Your Comprehension • 1. What did Rachel Carson warn us against in her book Silent Spring more than 30 years ago? She warned us that DDT and other pesticides were killing birds and other creatures and that the health of human beings was also being threatened.

23. Check Your Comprehension • 2. What happened as a result of Carson’s book? DDT was banned in the United States. • 3. Is DDT forbidden everywhere in the world or is it still used? No, it is not forbidden everywhere in the world and actually it is still being used in some other countries.

24. Check Your Comprehension • 4. What were the effects of the pesticide DBCP, and similar chemicals, on the people who worked with them? The pesticides caused problems such as miscarriages, birth defects and infertility.

25. Check Your Comprehension • 5. What, according to the text, should employees know about the chemicals in the work environment? What responsibilities do employers have if their employees work with toxic chemicals? Employees have the right to know what chemicals they are working with so that they can better protect themselves. The employers should provide their employees with information on the dangerous chemicals they are working with, and provide them with training concerning the safe use of the chemicals. The employers also must provide alternative work sites for pregnant women and for people who are planning to have a child.

26. New words and expressions for Reading Three: • irrevocable: If a decision, action, or change is irrevocable, it cannot be changed or reversed. (FORMAL) • He said the decision was irrevocable. • deforestation:Deforestation is the action of clearing an area of forest or trees. • tropics: The tropics are the parts of the world that lie between two lines of latitude, the tropic of Cancer, 23½°north of the equator, and the tropic of Capricorn, 23½°south of the equator.

27. integrate: If someone integrates into a social group, or is integrated into it, they behave in such a way that they become part of the group or are accepted into it. • They have lived in this country for ten years, but have never really integrated. • 他们已在这个国家生活了十年, 但还没有融入这个社会。 • Immigrants are integrated into the community. • 移民与该地区的居民融为一体。

28. calabar bean: 卡拉巴豆 • glaucoma: Glaucoma is an eye disease which can cause people to go gradually blind. • snakeroot plant: 蛇根木；印度蛇根草 • reserpine: a compound of the alkaloid class obtained from Indian snakeroot and other plants and used in the treatment of hypertension 利血平（治疗高血压药）

29. hypertension: Hypertension is a medical condition in which a person has very high blood pressure. • vine: 藤本植物，藤 • Melons grow on vines. • strophanthus: • n. (pl. strophanthuses) • 毒毛旋花子

30. quinine: 奎宁，金鸡纳碱 • Quinine has a bitter taste.奎宁有苦味。 • Quinine is a natural antidote for this fever. • 奎宁是治疗这种热病的天然药。 • alkaloid: n. (Chemistry) any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin which have pronounced physiological actions on humans. They include many drugs (morphine, quinine) and poisons (atropine, strychnine) • 生物碱， 植物碱基

31. cinchona: an evergreen South American tree or shrub with fragrant flowers, cultivated for its bark（产于南美洲的）金鸡纳树，金鸡纳皮 • derivative: A derivative is something which has been developed or obtained from something else. 派生物，衍生物 • periwinkle: an Old World plant with flat five-petalled flowers and glossy leaves. Some kinds are grown as an ornamentals and some contain alkaloids used in medicine长春花 • the Madagascar periwinkle • 马达加斯加的长春花

33. remission: If someone who has had a serious disease such as cancer is in remission or if the disease is in remission, the disease has been controlled so that they are not as ill as they were. • Brain scans have confirmed that the disease is in remission...

34. lymphocytic: adj. 淋巴细胞的 • Hodgkin’s disease: 霍奇金病—又名淋巴网状细胞肉瘤是一种慢性进行性、无痛的淋巴组织肿瘤，其原发瘤多呈离心性分布，起源于一个或一组淋巴结，以原发于颈淋巴结者较多见，逐渐蔓延至邻近的淋巴结，然后侵犯脾、肝、骨髓和肺等组织。由于发病的部位不同，其临床表现多种多样。

35. ammonia: Ammonia is a colorless liquid or gas with a strong, sharp smell. It is used in making household cleaning substances. 氨 • latex:（制造油漆及涂层等用的）人造乳胶 • foam rubber: 海绵乳胶，泡沫乳胶 • sheet rubber: 橡皮板，橡胶片 • footwear: Footwear refers to things that people wear on their feet, for example shoes and boots.（总称）鞋类 • It is a custom among the Japanese to remove their footwear before entering a house. • 脱鞋进屋是日本人的习惯。

36. literally: (informal) used to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling • 表示所指物并非真实，只是为了强调或表达感情 • I have received literally thousands of letters. • 我收到了好几千封信。

37. cane: Cane is used to refer to the long, hollow, hard stems of plants such as bamboo. Strips of cane are often used to make furniture, and some types of cane can be crushed and processed to make sugar. • 竹料；藤条；柳条（用于制作家具或篮子） • cane coffee table藤条咖啡桌

38. insulation: 隔音；隔热；绝缘；隔离，隔绝 • Foam rubber provides good insulation. • 泡沫橡胶隔绝性能良好。 • sap: the watery liquid in plants and trees • The leaves, bark and sap are also common ingredients of local herbal remedies. • Amazonian: related to the area around the river Amazon • ...the Amazonian rainforest.

39. copaiba: 药用香脂苏木 • margarine: Margarine is a yellow substance made from vegetable oil and animal fats that is similar to butter. You spread it on bread or use it for cooking. 人造黄油 • kernel:The kernel of a nut is the part that is inside the shell. 果仁 • mayonnaise: Mayonnaise is a thick pale sauce made from egg yolks and oil. It is put on salad. 蛋黄酱

40. far-fetched: If you describe a story or idea as far-fetched, you are criticizing it because you think it is unlikely to be true or practical. • The storyline was too far-fetched and none of the actors was particularly good. • = unrealistic • inventory: make a complete list of • 为……开列清单

41. wondrous: If you describe something as wondrous, you mean it is strange and beautiful or impressive. (LITERARY) • We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.

42. Check Your Comprehension B • 1. Some people may respond to others’ worry about the loss of tropical forests with a look of indifference as if saying “it does not affect me as I am not living in the tropical areas.” • 2. If we look at the processes and states of the tropical forests, we see that we are losing the world’s richest regions at the rate of an area of tropical forests as large as ten city blocks every minute.

43. 3. Five million species of plants, animals and insects (that is almost up to 40 to 50 percent of all living things in the world) live in the tropical forests and they disappear forever before people discover them, get to know them and tell others about their use. • 4. But scientists want to raise the alarm that it will be 20 years too late to do anything to save the forests when we finally become aware of the detrimental effects of the loss of tropical forests.

44. 5. Will the disappearance and removal of tropical rainforests do harm to our daily life? The fact that we have very limited areas of tropical forests but receive lots of benefits from the rich and impressive products made out of them already provides an answer to this question.

45. New words and expressions for Reading Four: • polyester: Polyester is a type of artificial cloth used especially to make clothes. 聚酯 • Ted Turner: the founder of CNN • Dow: Dow Chemical Company—1897年创建于美国的陶氏化学公司是一家以科技为主的跨国性公司，位居世界化学工业界第二名的国际跨国化工公司（美国杜邦公司居第一位）。主要研制及生产系列化工产品、塑料及农化产品，其产品广泛应用于建筑、水净化、造纸、药品、交通、食品及食品包装、家居用品和个人护理等领域。公司业务涉及180个国家和地区，全球员工4.6万人，2003年总销售额达330亿美元，产品类型多达3,500余种。公司总部设在密歇根州米德兰。

46. Exxon: 埃克森公司（Exxon Corporation），美国第一个托拉斯组织，世界大工业公司之一。其前身为新泽西美孚石油公司，1972年改为埃克森公司。所属公司有200多家，分布于近百个国家，其主要分公司或子公司有美国埃克森公司、埃克森国际公司、埃克森化学公司、埃克森企业公司、埃克森生产研究公司、埃克森研究和工程公司、永联电器公司、埃索勘探公司、埃索中东公司、埃索东方公司等。其海外子公司和附属机构的名称和商标上有ESSO字样，故国际上又有埃索公司的别称。公司从事石油和天然气的勘探、开采、提炼、运输和销售，同时还兼营煤炭、铀、计算机、电器产品、有色金属、电子工业设备等。总部设在纽约。

47. profess: If you profess to do or have something, you claim that you do it or have it, often when you do not. (FORMAL) • The government professes to care about the poor. • He professed to be an expert on Islamic art. • = claim

48. advance: When a theory or argument is advanced, it is put forward for discussion. • Many theories have been advanced as to why some women suffer from depression... • = put forward • ozone: Ozone is a colorless gas which is a form of oxygen. There is a layer of ozone high above the earth’s surface. • What they find could provide clues to what might happen worldwide if ozone depletion（臭氧耗竭）continues.

49. depletion: exhaustion • the depletion of the ozone layer • cataract: a medical condition that causes the lens of your eye to become white, so that you slowly lose your sight • plankton: Plankton is a mass of tiny animals and plants that live in the surface layer of the sea. • The ocean had so much plankton in it that the sea itself had changed colour.

50. atop:If something is atop something else, it is on top of it. (AM; also BRIT LITERARY) • Under the newspaper, atop a sheet of paper, lay an envelope. • = on top of • speculative: based on guessing, not on information or facts • Descriptions of how this ancient tribe lived are speculative at best. • Theories of the origin of life are partly speculative.