1.惯用口语句子：

 

Now the environmental pollution is too serious.

现在环境污染太严重了。

environmental a. 环境的

pollution n. 污染

 

Some people pay little attention to the environment.

有些人根本就不重视环境。

A lot of companies just ignore the law.

许多公司简直就无视法律，

little a. 很少，几乎没有

environment n. 环境

ignore n. 忽视，无视，不理睬

pay attention to“注意，重视”

 

They should stop contaminating the air.

他们应该停止污染空气。

contaminate v. 污染

 

The air in this mill stings the eyes.

这家工厂里的空气刺激眼睛。

mill n. 工厂，制造厂

sting v. 刺痛，使疼痛

 

The illegal waste dumping has mushroomed in the last decade.

非法倾倒垃圾的现象近十年来愈演愈烈。

illegal a. 违法的，不合规定的

waste n. 废物，废品，废料

dump v. 倾倒

mushroom v. 迅速增长

decade n. 十年

 

Garbage is a necessary evil.

垃圾令人讨厌，却又无法避免。

garbage n.垃圾

evil n. 坏事，祸害

 

More and more plastic bags are used in everyday life, which is very harmful to the environment.

越来越多的塑料袋在日常生活中使用，对环境十分有害。

plastic a. 塑胶的，塑料的

harmful a. 有害的

be harmful to“对…有害处”

 

People should take measures to combat the deforestation.

人们应该采取措施与乱砍乱伐作斗争。

combat v. 反对，与…战斗

deforestation n. 砍伐森林

take measures“采取措施”

 

We can reduce the pollution by living a simple life.

我们可以过一种简单的生活来减少污染。

reduce v. 降低，减少，缩小

 

2.实用对话

 

On The Environment谈论环境

 

Lucy:  Dad, what's that thick black foam on the river?

露西：爸爸，河上那层厚厚的黑色泡沫是什么？

Father:  That's the waste from some factories.

父亲：那是工厂排出来的废料。

Lucy:  I thought it was against the law to dump directly into the river.

露西：我原以为直接排放到河里是违法的呢。

Father:  It is. But a lot of companies just ignore the law.

父亲：是违法的。可是许多公司简直就无视法律。

Lucy:  Why do they run such a risk?

露西：他们为什么要冒这个险呢？

Father:  They can save a lot of money by doing this.

父亲：这样做可以省很多钱。

Lucy:  But they make the river polluted and it smells bad too.

露西：可是他们污染了河流，气味也变得难闻了。

Father:  Not just the river, they also pollute the air and the soil.

父亲：不仅仅是河流，还污染了空气和土壤呢。

Lucy:  The air is also polluted? They should stop contaminating the air.

露西：空气也受到污染了吗？他们应该停止污染空气。

Father: You've seen many people coughing all the time, and even your own eyes start to sting and get all watery just by going too near a factory.

父亲：你看到好多人老是咳嗽，就因为太接近工厂，你自己的眼睛也开始刺痛、流泪。

Lucy:  Yeah. I've noticed those things, but l never really thought about why it happens.

露西：是啊。我已经注意到这些事情了，可我从来没想过是为什么。

Father:  It's because there's too much sulfur dioxide in the air.

父亲：这是因为空气中含有大量的二氧化硫。

Lucy:  What should we do?

露西：我们该怎么办呢？

Father: Maybe if we ever come to the river again, we'll have to wear masks. We'd better call the police and report what's happening.

父亲：也许下次再来这个小河边我们得戴上口罩了。我们打电话给警察，告诉他们这里发生的一切吧。

 

3.详细解说

 

1.“run a risk”表示“冒险，冒着危险，有危险”；“run a risk of doing sth.”表示“冒险做某事”。例如：Anyone travelling without a　passport runs the risk of being arrested.（任何不带护照旅行的人都有被捕的危险。）另外，“take a/the risk (of doing sth.)”表示“决定冒险（做某事）”，例知：Isn't he taking a risk in coming here?（他来这里不是在冒险吗？）I couldn't take the risk of leaving him alone　even for a short time.（我不能冒险留下他单独一个人，哪怕是一小会儿。）Many people are willing to take the risk in order to protect their　families.（很多人为了保护自己的家人都愿意冒这个风险。）

2.“sulfur dioxide”的意思是“二氧化硫”。

 

4.文化洗礼

 

美国人的环保观

 

美国人环境意识很强，能够做到自觉爱护环境、保护环境。他们牢牢的树立了一种信念：保护环境就是保护自身的生存空间；保护环境人人有责。他们自觉地保持自然生态的平衡，积极美化自己的家园。

美国人住房的前后院都由自己设计布置、铺设草坪、种植花卉果树等。用于出租的公寓则由房主负责管理，对花草定期浇灌、施肥、修剪。也有少数家庭用彩色石头或鹅卵石铺设院子里的地面或小径，很少有土壤裸露的现象。

美国人常常带着自己的宠物狗到公园散步，一般在公园的人口处都设有一个小木箱，里面放着免费的专用塑料袋，用来戴在手上捡取狗粪。木箱子旁边往往有一个牌子。牌子上写着“DOG OWNERS ARE REQUIRED TO CLEAN UPAFTER DOGS, USE SCOOPERS PROVIDED AND DEPOSIT WASTE IN GARBAGE CONTAINER. THANK YOU.”，意思是要求狗的主人用所提供的塑料袋将狗的粪便放人垃圾箱中，保持公园清洁干净。

许多生活社区里，家家门前绿树成排，青草如茵。节假日时，市民们常常喜欢全家老小在公园里“BBQ”（barbecue的缩写，意为“烧烤”）。他们边呓边喝、边唱边聊，但事后大家总是将饮料瓶及其他废物捡起来，按垃圾分类要求分别放入垃圾桶并将周围环境清扫干净。