英語趣味課堂：全球變暖 global warming

Todd: Christine you're from Papua New Guinea?

Christine: Yes, we're a small island in the South Pacific.

Todd: And that is near Australia?

Christine: Just above Australia.

Todd: Like how far is it from Australia?

Christine: To Brisbane it's 3 hours by plane. To the tip of Australia it's about an hour and a half by boat.

Todd: We were talking earlier about global warming and how this can be a problem for your island.

Christine: Oh, absolutely, because we're surrounded by water, obviously it creates a problem when the tides rise.

Todd: Because the tides rise, and the water...

Christine: The tides rise, and a lot of people build their homes and villages around the water....cause the ocean is where we get our food from, most of our costal villages are based there, so, yeah!

Todd: The people put their houses close to the water.

Christine: Close to the water or on the water

Todd: So what do you think about global warming? I mean, what do you think should be done?

Christine: Like we were talking about it earlier, I am very much for the Kyoto Protocol I think that industrial countries, industrialized countries need to act now before there's too much, how do you say?, before even more damage is done. Obviously being from a small country where people aren't educated about these things we don't realize what is really happening, but we are really starting to realize now and we and other small nations have spoken out about it and it's good to know that bigger countries are doing something about it, and I think thing needs to be done now, rather than waiting, which is happening with governments which are under economical stress right now...they haven't done enough..they know the situation, they know they're responsible for it. We're the ones who are suffering because of it even though we don't add to it. Yeah, so I think they should do something.

學習內容：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

just above

Papua New Guinea is just above Australia.

In this case 'just above' means a short distance north of Australia. We use the word 'just' to show a small distance or period of time and 'above' indicates an upward or northern direction. Notice the following:

Ecuador is just above us.

Argentina is just below Brazil.

about

Papua New Guinea to Australia takes about an hour and a half by boat.

You can use 'about' before a measurement of time, distance or number to show the information being given is approximate. Maybe it takes little more than an hour or maybe a little less. Notice the following:

I think he's about 60.

My new camera was about $200.

based

Most of our coastal villages are based there.

In this case, 'based' is similar in meaning to 'located.' Notice the following:

I'm based out of Colorado now.

She has been based in Asia for about five years now.

global warming

What do you think about global warming?

'Global warming' is the idea that the overall temperature on the planet is increasing every year because of pollution and negative effects that humans have on the earth. Notice the following:

The earth has changed a lot because of global warming.

Global warming has caused a lot of problems for animals in cold climates.

rather than

We need to something about it rather than wait.

We use 'rather than' to compare two options and show which one we prefer. The option that is not preferred always comes immediately after 'rather than.' Notice the following:

It's always better to tell the truth rather than lie.

Rather than go to a restaurant, I would prefer to eat at home.

1 obviously

adv.顯然;明白地

參考例句：

Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.顯然他們是在給他以嚴峻的考驗。

Obviously he was lying.顯然他是在撒謊。

2 protocol

n.議定書，草約，會談記錄，外交禮節(jié)

參考例句：

We must observe the correct protocol.我們必須遵守應有的禮儀。

The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家簽了議定書。

3 industrialized

adj.工業(yè)的，工業(yè)化的

參考例句：

Pollution is the price we pay for an overpopulated, over industrialized planet. 污染就是我們?yōu)檫@個人口過密，過度工業(yè)化的星球所付出的代價。 來自新概念英語第三冊

Industrialized countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 工業(yè)化國家必須減少二氧化碳的排放。

4 economical

adj.節(jié)約的，節(jié)儉的;經濟學的;經濟上的

參考例句：

The state has paced the whole nation in the economical reform.這個州在經濟改革中走在了全國的前列。

Coke is an economical fuel but it leaves a lot of ash.焦炭是一種很經濟的燃料,可是燃燒后剩下很多灰。

5 upward

adj.向上的，上升的;adv.向上，上升

參考例句：

The birds flew upward.鳥兒向上飛去。

Prices have an upward tendency.價格有上升的趨勢。

6 measurement

n.測量，衡量;(量得的)尺寸，大小

參考例句：

I can find the size of something by means of measurement.我可以用測量法求得某物的體積。

He has made an accurate measurement of my garden.他準確地丈量了我的花園。

7 approximate

adj.大約，大致，近似的;vi.(to)近似，接近

參考例句：

The builder gave an approximate cost for fixing the roof.房屋修建商給修理房頂粗略地估計了一個價錢。

The approximate date of his departure is next month.他大約在下個月動身。

8 coastal

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

參考例句：

The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蝕著岸邊的巖石。

This country will fortify the coastal areas.該國將加強沿海地區(qū)的防御。

9 overall

n.工作服，工裝褲;全面的，全體的

參考例句：

The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店員穿著白色的工作服。

How much will it cost overall?一共多少錢?

10 planet

n.行星

參考例句：

Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是離太陽最遠的行星。

Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我們這個星球的污染問題的一個方面。