参考答案 - 选修第四册第三单元
UNIT 3 SEA EXPLORATON
Reading and Writing
① Look at the title and the photo of the text. Then answer the questions below.
1 What objects can you see on the beach?
2 Where do you think they came from?
3 What words do you think might appear in the article?
② Read the text and then answer the questions on page 79.
A SEA OF PLASTIC
Scientists visiting tiny Henderson Island in the South Pacific recently made an alarming discovery. Although it is one of the most remote places on the earth and previously untouched by humans, the island was covered in plastic waste. They calculated there were 38 million pieces of plastic, weighing almost 18 tons, with thousands of new pieces washing up each day, "No country has a free pass—we found plastic from everywhere," said one scientist. "We all have a responsibiity, and we have to sit up and pay attention. This is not an issue to ignore. We need to do something now to protect the sea."
Plastic waste in the sea has long been known about, but only now are we discovering the true extent of the problem. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose, so all the plastic ever produced still exists somewhere. Around 95% of plastics made are not recycled, and large amounts enter the sea. Currents collect this waste in large circular systems called "gyres". One of the largest is in the Pacific Ocean, an area now known as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch".
Tne problem gets worse as plastic breaks down into very small pieces, or "micro plastic". This is eaten by fish and leads to massive species loss. Humans also eat these fish, and micro plastic has even been found in tap water around the world. The problem has spread too far to ignore. The plastic on Henderson Island accounts for just 2 seconds' worth of global annual plastic production. That production will more than triple by 2050. Then there will be the same weight of plastic in the sea as fish.
However, there are some young minds working to clean up and protect the sea for future generations. While diving in Greece, young Boyan Slat noticed there was more plastic waste than fish. He decided right then to dedicate his life to solving this problem. Previously the problem was considered too big to solve; collecting the plastic with boats and nets would be expensive, would harm sea life, and would take thousands of years! But, Boyan thought, why move through the sea when the sea can move through you? To work with the currents and gyres would help collect the waste. So he started The Ocean Cleanup project, which places very long floating barriers in the Pacific. Currents then concentrate the waste naturally so it can be collected and recycled. He hopes to reduce the patch by 50% in just five years.
"Many problems today are side effects of things people didn't think about in the past," he says. "Sea plastic is a symbol of the negative effects of our lifestyle and technology. Our aim should be to create a new lifestyle for this century. Protecting the sea from plastic is a good place to start!"
1 What alarming discovery did the scientists make?
2 What are "gyres"?
3 What is the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"?
4 Why does "micro plastic" make things even worse?
5 How does The Ocean Cleanup project work?
③ Write an argumentative essay about sea protection.
1 Choose a topic from the box below. You can also choose your own topic.
● protecting sea animals
● preventing oil spills/petrol leaks
● preserving sea resources
● reducing pollution
● collecting sea waste
● promoting better understanding of and respect for the sea
2 Before you write, consider and discuss these questions.
● Why is it important to protect the sea? What facts support this?
● What is the issue you want to highlight? Why is it happening?
● What facts illustrate this issue?
● Does everyone agree on the issue? What different opinions are there about it?
● What solutions are there already for this issue? Do they work? Are they being used?
● What solution do you think would work for this issue? Why? How would it work?
3 Include your opinions on the topic, and find facts to support and prove your point.
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第三单元 海洋探索
Suggested Answers
Activity 1
1 I can see a lot of plastic, wood, and cans.
2 I guess they came from all over the world, or at least from tourists or people live nearby.
3 I think the article will have words that talk about waste, pollution, stronger laws, and plastic recycling.
Activity 2
1 Scientists discovered 38 million pieces of plastic on the tiny island of Henderson in the South Pacific.
2 They are large circular current systems that naturally gather waste.
3 It is one of the largest of the circular systems that have collected floating waste.
4 Micro plastic is eaten by fish and leads to massive species loss, as well as entering the human world in terms of second-hand consumption and in some cases, has even appeared in drinking water.
5 Very long floating barriers are placed in the ocean. allowing the current to gather the waste naturally. The waste is then collected and recycled.
Activity 3
Sample Writing
The oceans cover 70% of the earth's surface. Ocean plants provide much of the oxygen that we breathe, and sea life provides much of our food and many of our products. Without healthy oceans, we would be in terrible trouble. Yet, today our oceans are under threat because of pollution. What can we as individuals do to stop this crisis?
First, we can stop using single-use plastic products such as plastic shopping bags. These products can take anywhere from 450 to 1000 years to biodegrade. Our oceans have become one giant rubbish bin of plastic waste, threatening sea life. We can keep this problem from growing by recycling bottles and using our own shopping bags at the market.
Second, we can push for stronger laws so that farmers will not be able to use chemicals harmful to the environment on their crops, and factories will not be able to dump their waste into our waters. Since all rivers in the end empty into the sea, chemicals from a farm or factory will eventually make their way to the ocean, killing sea life and destroying the ocean's delicate balance.
Third. we can reduce our carbon footprints by using less fossil fuel. While this may not look like an issue that has much to do with the ocean, rising temperatures due to climate change have started to cause our coral reefs to die. As these reefs provide a habitat for thousands of animal species, these species will decline. Scientists predict that this will result in mass hunger, because so many people depend upon sea life for food, and a huge economic impact as well. All this can be prevented if we will ride a bicycle instead of driving a car or using solar power instead of coal or gas.
The future of our oceans is in our hands. If we act now, they can still be saved, and they will still be a resource for future generations.
