高级英语第六册

Lesson 3 At war with the planet

1. What people do may intentionally cause droughts, floods and heat waves.

2.But this image, now repeatedly thrust before us in photographs, posters, and advertisements, is misleading.

The Earth we see in photos, posters, and ads, which appears so beautiful, is not the true reflection of the world we live in; such image lulls us into complacency.

3.The techno sphere has become sufficiently large and intense to alter the natural processes that govern the ecosphere.

Human activities have taken place over such large areas and with such intensity that they have already caused disastrous effects on ecology.

4....which could establish it only because it fitted properly into the preexisting system?

The fish could play its role because it became a necessary link with the processes preceding it and the processes following it in the ecological system.

5.Defined so narrowly, it is no surprise that cars have properties that are hostile to their environment.

When cars are produced to serve such narrow purposes, it is not surprising that some of their characteristic qualities are harmful to the environment.

22. Yields rose, but not in proportion to the rate of fertilizer application...

The farmer applied more and more fertilizer, and the production did rise but did not increase at the same rate of the fertilizer.

23...their waste is flushed into the sewer system altered in composition but not in amount at treatment plant...

People eat plants and animals, and their waste is flushed into the sewer system. After being processed, the waste is still waste. The residue will go into rivers, oceans, and will have harmful effect on the aquatic ecosystem.

24. Left to their own devices, ecosystems are conservative...

If the ecosystems are not upset by outside intrusion, they will remain the same with very little change

25. In contrast to the ecosphere, the techno sphere is composed of objects and materials that reflect a rapid and relentless process of change and variation.

The characteristics of the objects and materials in the techno sphere are rapid change and great variety.

26. But this is done only at the cost of understanding.

If we take side in the war of the two words, we are doing so at the risk of failing to have a clear understanding of the nature and cause of the war, thus, we lose the chance to really solve the grave environmental crisis.

Lesson4 nettles

27.How all my own territory would be altered, ad if a landslide had gone through it and skimmed off all meaning except loss of Mike.

The impact of Mike's leaving on my life was beyond my imagination. I didn't expect that Mike's leaving would have such a tremendous power that it would change the