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Unit 5B - The ABCs of Global Warming

The ABCs of Global Warming

Ruth Gamberg

Everything in nature changes, including the climate. This is a universal law of nature. Through the process of evolution, over very long periods of time, animal and plant species can adapt to these gradual changes. This is another universal law of nature. However, the speed with which the climate has been changing in the last 20 or so years is unprecedented. Human beings as a species are unique: we are a part of the natural world, but we are also apart from it in the sense that the actions of our species can dramatically change the world we live in. These changes are not always beneficial, either to humans or to other species.

The Industrial Revolution in the West, which began nearly 200 years ago, provides the best example of this. During these last two centuries, human beings have been responsible for enormous technical developments which are transforming the natural world. The speed and magnitude of these changes are far too great to enable many of the earth's living things, including humans, to adapt. Let us examine some of the ways in which this is occurring.

Undisturbed by human action, the earth's atmosphere has been able to maintain a delicate balance for thousands of years. The radiation from sunlight (solar energy) penetrates the atmosphere, a thin layer that encompasses the earth.

Carbon dioxide, methane and other gases trap some of this energy, which makes the earth warm and habitable. The atmosphere of the earth serves as a kind of greenhouse which uses some of the heat from the sun to warm the planet. It also makes it possible for there to be life on earth. The remainder of the solar energy bounces back into space.

Thus, there has been the right amount of heat to sustain life as we have known it.

However, the Industrial Revolution, which saw the use of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in huge and ever-growing quantities, has been responsible for changing this delicate balance. When burned—in factories, houses, automobiles, generating stations, etc.—fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide (CO2) and certain other gases into the atmosphere. These, in turn, trap more solar energy. Over a period of time, the accumulated CO2 has been sufficient to cause serious warming of the planet, upsetting the balance.

The damage was not immediate. It took time for the gases to accumulate to a harmful extent, but for the last 60 or 70 years, the trend toward global warming was becoming apparent. However, in the last 2 decades, the speed of change has increased dramatically, and is continuing to change even more rapidly.

Global warming is now increasing at a phenomenal rate, so much so that it could reach a point of no return. Scientists have found that there is more carbon dioxide and methane—the two major greenhouse gases—in the atmosphere now than there has been for 650,000 years.

So far, the earth has warmed an average of 6℃ above pre-industrial levels, which does not sound like very much. However, the warming is not uniform in all parts of the planet. It is much greater in the polar regions, and this is already having serious consequences. Land and water absorb most of the solar energy that reaches it, whereas ice reflects most of it back into space. The increase in greenhouse gases warms the atmosphere, with the result that less snow and ice form and they melt more quickly. A cycle is created: as the ice and snow melt, the sea and land absorb an increasing amount of heat, causing even more melting. In the Arctic, this process has recently speeded up to the point where it is happening at a rate 10 to 15 times faster than it had been for the previous several decades. Huge chunks of the polar ice caps are breaking off, accelerating the process even further and causing the sea level to rise.

Essentially the same process is occurring in Greenland and in the Antarctic.

However, these ice caps are thicker than the Arctic ice cap. They are also on land. Both of these factors slow down the melting process to an extent. However, enormous pieces of the ice sheets in both places have already broken off. Scientists claim that if the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, the result would be an increase of 6 to 7 meters in sea level.

At this point, let us look at another universal law of nature. We find in nature a massive and complex interconnectedness and interdependency of things. This interconnectedness applies to warming in the Arctic in a variety of ways. People who live in the northernmost regions are experiencing serious effects of this melting right now. In some areas, homes and roads are built on permafrost, ground that has been frozen for thousands of years. Cases are now being reported of buildings collapsing as the permafrost melts. Some roads have become impassable at certain times of the year.

CO2 is an extremely prevalent, humanly created form of greenhouse gas. There is far less methane in the atmosphere, but it is much more potent in terms of the greenhouse damage it causes—about 20-25 times more potent. Both methane and CO2 are locked in the permafrost. As the ground thaws, these gases are being released in very large quantities, adding even more rapidly to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

In addition, warming in the North has resulted in shorter winters, so that the people have less time to hunt for polar bears, seals, walruses, reindeer and caribou—the animals they depend upon for food, clothing and other means of subsistence. Some of these animals, as well as the fish that the people of the North depend upon, are migrating even further north to areas that are still cold enough for them. Some animals are even dying out. Polar bears are just one example: they use the ice as their hunting grounds, and as the amount of sea ice dwindles, the polar bears have to struggle to reach the ever decreasing chunks of ice. Large numbers of polar bears are unsuccessful in their efforts and are now drowning. This, in turn, makes the animals even scarcer for the people of the North.

Sea levels are rising as a result of so much melting ice and snow. This is already creating severe and frequent flooding in some South Pacific islands. The situation has reached serious enough proportions to force people to migrate to Australia and other areas. The prediction is for a great deal more rising of sea levels—such that very large parts of low lying countries like Holland and coastal cities like Shanghai, New York, Calcutta, Bangkok, Jakarta, Buenos Aires, and dozens of others—will be under water.

These are just a few examples of the interconnectedness stemming from climate changes in the North. There are many others. Ocean currents could be affected, triggering an ice age on the European continent. Another example: with the melting of Arctic ice, the salt content of the oceans decreases, which can impact the patterns of ocean circulation and can also affect fish and plant life in the seas—and therefore ultimately people.

What is happening in the North provides dramatic evidence of global warming, but warming in other parts of the globe is also having serious consequences. Glaciers all around the world are melting. According to renowned authors glaciers in the Himalayas contain significantly more ice than most and are melting more rapidly. The Himalayas are the starting point of several major rivers that flow into China and a number of other Asian countries. Forty percent of the population of the entire world depends, in large part, on these rivers for their water. As such, since huge quantities of snow and ice are melting so rapidly, we can expect first too much water, and eventually not enough: floods and droughts. Thus, if humankind does not work fast to curb global warming, billions of people will likely be very seriously affected.

The United Nations warns that countries with "arid and semi-arid areas or areas liable to floods, droughts and desertification (are) particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change."

Changes in temperature, evaporation and precipitation can create the conditions for floods, droughts and desertification. And as expected, we have already seen a significant increase in all three in various parts of the world in recent years. In the last half century there has been a six-fold increase in the number of major floods in Asia—the most seriously affected continent (and within Asia, especially China). At the same time, Africa has suffered the most severely from the opposite problem—droughts. Normally, the earth stores CO2, which fertilizes the soil. Drought conditions cause the microbes in the soil to rapidly decompose organic matter so that this stored CO2 is then emitted into the atmosphere, creating even more problems. Prolonged droughts have also led to desertification. More than 2 billion people live in areas that are characterized as drylands, found especially in Africa and Asia. These cover over 40% of the earth's land surface, and vast areas of these drylands are becoming deserts.

As most of us have noticed, we are experiencing more storms than ever before. It is known that warm ocean water fuels typhoons (also known as cyclones or hurricanes in different parts of the world). The result is that as the ocean water warms, there are more of these storms, they are fiercer, and they occur in coastal areas which hitherto had been protected from them by the cold temperatures of the surrounding ocean water.

Other extreme events in nature, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are now also being linked to global warming. Glaciers are very thick and extremely heavy. Some geologists say that as the glaciers melt and the earth is relieved of their great weight, pressures beneath the earth's crust are reduced, which can cause shifts. These shifts can potentially lead to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Underwater earthquakes can cause tsunamis.

Forest fires are natural and play a useful role for ecosystems. Like other plants, as trees grow, they absorb CO2, which is later released into the atmosphere through decomposition or burning. Global warming disrupts the natural rhythm of forest fires. A rise in temperature and a fall in precipitation create the perfect combination for a wildfire. North and South America, which are heavily wooded, saw a more than twenty-five fold increase in wildfires in the last half of the 20th century. Increases in forest fires to this extent are largely a result of global warming and a cause of further global warming.

It is no surprise, then, that life on land and in the sea is seriously affected by the massive human generation of greenhouse gases. A great many species of plants and animals have become extinct, and innumerable others are threatened with extinction.

For example, many underwater coral reefs, habitat to a multitude of plant and fish species, are dying out due mostly to the higher ocean temperatures. Some species, both on land and in the sea, are migrating to climates where they have a better chance of survival. On the other hand, some species thrive with the increase in temperatures. However, this is not always to our benefit. For example, warmer weather means more mosquitoes, rodents and other disease carrying creatures.

We, especially people in the industrialized countries, have for too long looked upon the natural world as our playground, there for our benefit alone. We have massively exploited nature, taking what we need and what we want without much thought to the consequences or to our responsibility to nourish and replenish nature.

In the end, we are all deeply affected by these vast changes in nature. We share one planet; we share one atmosphere. Greenhouse gases emitted in the United States will directly affect China, and greenhouse gases emitted in China will affect Africa. Melting ice in the Arctic will affect coastal cities the world over. Greenhouse gases can be the stimulus to bringing humankind together for the first time in the history of our species, or, if we do not meet the challenge, it can make life as we know it impossible.

参考译文——全球变暖基本情况

全球变暖基本情况

鲁思·甘伯格

自然界的一切都在发生变化,气候也不例外。这是大自然的一个普遍法则。经过很长一段时间的进化过程,动物和植物才能适应这些渐进的变化。这是大自然的另一个普遍法则。然而,在过去二十多年以来,气候变化的速度却是前所未有的。人类是一种特别的物种,我们是大自然的一部分,但我们的行为却可以极大地改变我们生活的这个世界,从这种意义上来说,我们又不属于大自然。这些变化对于人类或其他物种并不总是有益的。

约200年前开始于西方的工业革命就是最好的例子。在过去的两个世纪里,人类取得了巨大的技术进步,改变了大自然。如此快速的发展和剧烈的变化使得地球上的许多生物,包括人类,都很难适应。让我们来分析一下这些正在发生的变化。

如果不受人类行为的干扰,地球的大气能够在数千年间维持一种微妙的平衡。阳光的辐射(太阳能)会穿透一层薄薄的环绕地球的大气层。

二氧化碳、甲烷和其他气体会封锁其中的一些能量,使地球变暖,适合人类居住。地球的大气像一个温室,能吸收太阳的一些热量,使地球变暖。这也使得地球上生命的存在成为可能。剩下的太阳能被反射回太空。

这样,正如我们所知道的那样,地球上就有了适量的热量来维系生命。

然而,工业革命后人们开始越来越大量地使用化石燃料(煤、石油和天然气),打破了这种微妙的平衡。化石燃料在工厂、房屋、汽车和电站等地燃烧时,会把二氧化碳和某些其他气体排放到大气中。而这些气体则会留住更多的太阳能。经过一段时间,累积的二氧化碳就足以使全球气候严重变暖,扰乱气候平衡。

危害不会立即发生,气体需要经过一段时间才能积累到有害程度。但是,在过去的六七十年间,全球变暖的趋势越来越明显。然而,在最近的20年间,这种变化速度急剧加快,甚至还在继续加快。

现在,全球变暖的速度异常惊人,已达到一种无法挽回的程度。科学家们发现,大气中的两种主要温室气体——二氧化碳和甲烷——含量已经超过了65万年来的整体水平。

到目前为止,地球的平均温度比工业革命前高出6℃,这听上去并不是很多。然而,气候变暖在全球各地并不均匀。极地地区变化更大,已经带来了严重后果。土地和水会吸收大部分到达其表面的太阳能,而冰却将大部分反射回太空中。温室气体增多了,气候变暖了,结果雪和冰变少了,融化也变快了。于是形成了这样一种循环:由于冰雪消融,海洋和陆地吸收的热量会增加,进而致使融化进一步加剧。在北极,最近这一过程已经加速到前几十年的10到15倍。大块的极地冰帽正在融化,极大地加速了这一过程,并使海平面不断上升。

事实上,同样的过程也发生在格陵兰岛和南极洲。

但是,这些冰帽比北极冰帽更厚,而且还在陆地上。这在某种程度上减缓了融化的过程。然而,在这两个地方,大片的冰层已经破裂。科学家宣称,如果整个格陵兰岛的冰层融化,将会使海平面上升6至7米。

在这一点上,让我们来看看另外一个自然法则。我们发现,自然界的事物相互依存、有着紧密而复杂的内在联系。这种内在联系也以多种不同的方式表现在北极的气候变暖现象中。现在,那些住在极北地区的人们正经受着冰川融化的严重影响。在一些地区,房屋和道路都是建立在冻结了数千年的冻土上面的。有报道称,目前随着冻土的融化,已出现了建筑物倒塌的情况。有些道路在每年特定的时期无法通行。

二氧化碳是人类创造的、一种极其普遍的温室气体。大气中的甲烷非常少,但是它所造成的温室效应破坏性却极强——大约是二氧化碳的20至25倍。甲烷和二氧化碳都被封锁在冻土中。随着冻土的解冻,这些气体被大量释放出来,使大气层中的温室气体急剧增加。

此外,气候变暖缩短了北极的冬天,人们可以捕捉北极熊、海豹、海象、驯鹿和北美驯鹿的时间也变短了,而这些却是他们赖以获取食物、衣服和其他生活必需品的动物。其中的一些动物以及北极人所依赖的鱼,都迁徙到了更北部更冷的地方。有些动物甚至在逐渐灭绝了。北极熊只是一个例子:它们把冰作为自己的捕猎地,但是随着浮冰的大量减少,北极熊必须努力去寻找一直在减少的巨大冰块。然而大量的北极熊却没能找到,最后淹死在水中。这反过来令北极人能找到的动物更少了。

海平面的上升正是大量冰雪消融的结果。这导致南太平洋群岛上洪水频发。这种洪水已经相当严重且频繁,足以迫使人们移居澳大利亚和其他地区。据预测海平面还会继续上升——如荷兰这样地势较低的国家的大部分地区,和沿海城市如上海、纽约、加尔各答、曼谷、雅加达、布宜诺斯艾利斯以及其他几十个地区——将会葬身水底。

这些只是北极气候变化由于自然界的内在关联性将造成的影响的几个例子。其他的例子还有许多。洋流可能会受到影响,导致欧洲大陆进入冰河时期。另一个例子:随着北极冰块的消融,海水的含盐量会降低,这将会影响到海洋环流模式,也会影响到海洋中的鱼类和植物,并最终影响到人类。

北极发生的情况为全球变暖提供了引人注目的证据,但是气候变暖在世界其他地方也造成了严重后果。世界各地的冰川正在融化。据著名作家所言,喜马拉雅山的冰川含冰量明显高于大多数地区,并正在加速融化。喜马拉雅山是几条流入中国和其他一些亚洲国家的河的源头。在很大程度上,世界上百分之四十的人口依赖这些河流为其提供用水。长此以往,因为大量冰雪正在快速消融,我们首先会得到大量的水资源,但最终却会面临饮水资源枯竭的问题:洪水与干旱。因此,如果人类不尽快抑制全球变暖,可能会有数十亿的人受到极其严重的影响。

联合国警告称,“位于干旱和半干旱地区、洪水易发区、旱灾区和荒漠化地区”的国家尤其容易受到气候变化的不利影响。

温度、水分蒸发和降水的变化都会带来洪水、干旱和沙漠化。正如所料,近年来我们已经看到这三种灾害发生的次数在世界各地都显著增加。过去的半个世纪以来,亚洲大陆的重大洪灾次数已经增加了六倍,成为受灾最严重的大陆(亚洲内部,中国尤其严重)。与此同时,非洲却遭受了最严重的干旱。通常,地球会储存能使土壤变肥沃的二氧化碳。旱情会使土壤中的微生物加速分解有机物质,于是储存其中的二氧化碳会被排放到大气中,造成更多的问题。长期的干旱会导致沙漠化。超过20亿的人居住在干旱地区,主要分布在亚洲和非洲。这些地区占陆地表面的40%以上,其中的大片地区正在变成沙漠。

我们大部分人已经注意到,我们经受的风暴数量远远超过以前。众所周知,温暖的海水会引发台风(世界其他地方也称为旋风或飓风)。因此,海水变暖会在沿海地区引发更多、更凶猛的风暴,之前这些地区一直受周围海洋低温的保护而免于遭受风暴的袭击。

其他一些极端的自然事件,比如地震和火山爆发,现在也与全球变暖联系到了一起。冰川非常厚,也非常重。一些地质学家说,随着冰川的融化,地层的承重会减轻,地壳下面的压力会下降,进而可能会引发多种变化。这些变化可能会引发地震和火山爆发。海底的地震会引发海啸。

森林火灾是种自然现象,对生态系统起着非常有益的作用。像其他植物一样,树木生长时会吸收二氧化碳,再通过分解或燃烧释放到大气中。全球变暖会破坏森林火灾的自然节奏。温度的升高和降水量的下降为森林火灾的发生提供了完美的契机。在森林大面积覆盖的北美和南美,20世纪后五十年中森林火灾数量增加了25倍。森林火灾数量的急剧增加,在很大程度上是由于全球变暖造成的,这反过来又进一步加剧了全球变暖。

因此,生活在陆地和海洋中的生物都正受到人类活动所产生的大量二氧化碳的严重影响,这就不足为奇了。许多动植物已经消失,其他无数物种也面临着灭绝的威胁。

例如,海底的许多珊瑚礁是大量植物和鱼类的栖息地,它们正在逐渐绝迹,海洋温度的升高正是其主要原因。一些物种,既有陆地上的也有海洋中的,正向气候更适宜生存的地方迁徙。另一方面些物种随着温度的升高而大肆繁殖。然而,这对我们并不总是有益的。例如,天气越热,蚊子、啮齿动物和其他传播疾病的生物就越多。

我们,尤其是生活在工业化国家的人们,长期以来一直把自然界看作我们的游乐场,其存在只是为了满足我们的需求。我们大规模地开发大自然,获取我们所需的和我们想要的东西,毫不考虑后果,也未承担照料和恢复大自然的责任。

结果,我们都深受自然界这些巨大变化的影响。我们同住一个星球,我们共享一种空气。美国排放的温室气体将直接影响中国,中国排放的温室气体将会影响非洲。北极的冰川融化将会影响世界各地的沿海城市。温室气体能够成为使我们团结起来的契机,实现人类历史上的首次同心协力。而如果我们不迎接这种挑战,它将会彻底使我们目前的生活变成泡影。

Key Words:

radiation [.reidi'eiʃən]   

n. 辐射,放射线

universal [.ju:ni'və:səl]   

adj. 普遍的,通用的,宇宙的,全体的,全世界的

enormous      [i'nɔ:məs]

adj. 巨大的,庞大的

beneficial       [.beni'fiʃəl]     

adj. 有益的,有利的

species   ['spi:ʃiz]  

n. (单复同)物种,种类

technical ['teknikəl]      

adj. 技术的,工艺的

revolution      [.revə'lu:ʃən]  

n. 革命,旋转,转数

global     ['gləubəl]

adj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的

unique    [ju:'ni:k]  

adj. 独一无二的,独特的,稀罕的

magnitude     ['mægnitju:d]

n. 大小,重要,光度,(地震)级数,(星星)等级

certain    ['sə:tn]    

adj. 确定的,必然的,特定的

     

global     ['gləubəl]

adj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的

emit        [i'mit]     

vt. 发出,放射,吐露

greenhouse   ['gri:nhaus]   

n. 温室,暖房

delicate   ['delikit]  

n. 精美的东西

adj. 精美的,微妙的,美

remainder      [ri'meində]    

n. 剩余物,其他的人,残余

vt. 廉价出售

trap [træp]    

n. 圈套,陷阱,困境,双轮轻便马车

     

apparent [ə'pærənt]     

adj. 明显的,表面上的

immediate     [i'mi:djət]

adj. 立即的,即刻的,直接的,最接近的

accumulate    [ə'kju:mjuleit] 

vt. 积聚,累加,堆积

planet     ['plænit] 

n. 行星

essentially      [i'senʃəli]

adv. 本质上,本来

antarctic  [æn'tɑ:ktik]   

adj. 南极的 n. (the A-)南极洲,南极圈

uniform  ['ju:nifɔ:m]     

n. 制服

adj. 一致的,统一的

global     ['gləubəl]

adj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的

accelerating   [æk'sæləreitiŋ]     

adj. 加速的,促进的,催化的 动词accelerat

greenhouse   ['gri:nhaus]   

n. 温室,暖房

previous ['pri:vjəs]

adj. 在 ... 之前,先,前,以前的

absorb    [əb'sɔ:b] 

vt. 吸纳,吸引 ... 的注意,吞并

melt [melt]     

vi. 融化,熔化,消散

extent     [iks'tent] 

n. 广度,宽度,长度,大小,范围,范围,程度

variety    [və'raiəti]

n. 多样,种类,杂耍

extremely       [iks'tri:mli]     

adv. 极其,非常

enormous      [i'nɔ:məs]

adj. 巨大的,庞大的

greenhouse   ['gri:nhaus]   

n. 温室,暖房

complex  ['kɔmpleks]   

adj. 复杂的,复合的,合成的

n. 复合体

massive  ['mæsiv]

adj. 巨大的,大规模的,大量的,大范围的

universal        [.ju:ni'və:səl]   

adj. 普遍的,通用的,宇宙的,全体的,全世界的

prevalent              ['prevələnt]    

adj. 流行的,普遍的

claim      [kleim]   

n. 要求,要求权;主张,断言,声称;要求物

severe    [si'viə]    

adj. 剧烈的,严重的,严峻的,严厉的,严格的

pacific     [pə'sifik] 

n. 太平洋

adj. 太平洋的

addition  [ə'diʃən] 

n. 增加,附加物,加法

unsuccessful  [,ʌnsək'sesful]

adj. 失败的;不成功的

frequent ['fri:kwənt]     

adj. 经常的,频繁的

vt. 常到,常去

prediction      [pri'dikʃən]    

n. 预言,预报

global     ['gləubəl]

adj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的

affected  [ə'fektid] 

adj. 受影响的,受感动的,受疾病侵袭的 adj. 做

circulation      [.sə:kju'leiʃən]

n. 流通,循环,发行量,消息传播

curb [kə:b]     

n. 抑制,勒马绳,边石,路缘

vt. 抑制,

dramatic [drə'mætik]   

adj. 戏剧性的,引人注目的,给人深刻印象的

contain   [kən'tein]

vt. 包含,容纳,克制,抑制

vi. 自制

impact    ['impækt,im'pækt]

n. 冲击(力), 冲突,影响(力)

affect      [ə'fekt]   

vt. 影响,作用,感动

adverse  ['ædvə:s]

adj. 不利的

vulnerable     ['vʌlnərəbl]    

adj. 易受伤害的,有弱点的

hitherto  ['hiðə'tu:]

adv. 到目前为止,迄今

affected  [ə'fektid] 

adj. 受影响的,受感动的,受疾病侵袭的 adj. 做

desertification       [,dezətifi'keiʃən]    

n. (土壤)荒漠化;沙漠化

vast [vɑ:st]    

adj. 巨大的,广阔的

n. 浩瀚的太

precipitation   [pri.sipi'teiʃən]

n. 坠落,沉淀,凝结,冰雹,降雨量,仓促,急躁

organic   [ɔ:'gænik]      

adj. 器官的,有机的,根本的,接近自然的

drought  [draut]   

n. 干旱

temperature   ['tempritʃə(r)] 

n. 温度,气温,体温,发烧

evaporation   [i.væpə'reiʃən]

n. 蒸发,消失,脱水,干燥

volcanic  [vɔl'kænik]    

adj. 火山的,猛烈的

precipitation   [pri.sipi'teiʃən]

n. 坠落,沉淀,凝结,冰雹,降雨量,仓促,急躁

global     ['gləubəl]

adj. 全球性的,全世界的,球状的,全局的

greenhouse   ['gri:nhaus]   

n. 温室,暖房

fold [fəuld]    

n. 折层,折痕

vt. 折叠,包,交叉,拥抱

extremely       [iks'tri:mli]     

adv. 极其,非常

extreme  [ik'stri:m]

adj. 极度的,极端的

n. 极端,极限

combination  [.kɔmbi'neiʃən]     

n. 结合,联合,联合体

melt [melt]     

vi. 融化,熔化,消散

vt. 使融化,使熔

absorb    [əb'sɔ:b] 

vt. 吸纳,吸引 ... 的注意,吞并

greenhouse   ['gri:nhaus]   

n. 温室,暖房

benefit    ['benifit] 

n. 利益,津贴,保险金,义卖,义演

affect      [ə'fekt]   

vt. 影响,作用,感动

replenish [ri'pleniʃ]

vt. 补充,再装满 vi. 补充

challenge       ['tʃælindʒ]     

n. 挑战

v. 向 ... 挑战

impossible     [im'pɔsəbl]    

adj. 不可能的,做不到的

affected  [ə'fektid] 

adj. 受影响的,受感动的,受疾病侵袭的 adj. 做

survival   [sə'vaivəl]

n. 生存,幸存者

thrive      [θraiv]    

vi. 兴旺,繁荣,茁壮成长

vast [vɑ:st]    

adj. 巨大的,广阔的

参考资料:

  1. 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第三册:U5B The ABCs of Global Warming(1)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
  2. 现代大学英语精读(第2版)第三册:U5B The ABCs of Global Warming(2)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语
  3. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml
  4. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml
  5. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml
  6. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml
  7. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml
  8. http://www.kekenet/daxue/201703/49645shtml

现代大学英语精读(第2版)第三册:U5B The ABCs of Global Warming(9)_大学教材听力 - 可可英语

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