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Part 6 Noise Pollution 噪音污染
Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today. Noise from road traffic, jet planes, jet skis, garbage trucks, construction equipment, manufacturing processes, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and boom boxes, to name a few, are among the audible litter that are routinely broadcast into the air.
Noise negatively affects human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction and lost productivity, and a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquillity.
We experience noise in a number of ways. On some occasions, we can be both the cause and the victim of noise, such as when we are operating noisy appliances or equipment. There are also instances when we experience noise generated by others just as people experience second-hand smoke. While in both instances, noises are equally damaging, second-hand noise is more troubling because it has negative impacts on us but is put into the environment by others, without our consent.
Noise pollution is not easily defined. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that in some ways it is different from other forms of pollution. Noise is transient; once the pollution stops, the environment is free of it. This is not the case for chemicals, sewage, and other pollutants introduced into the air, soil, or water.
The definition of noise itself is highly subjective. To some people the roar of an engine is satisfying or thrilling; to others it is an annoyance. Loud music may be enjoyable or a torment, depending on the listener and the circumstances. Broadly speaking, any form of unwelcome sound is noise pollution, whether it is the roar of a jet plane overhead or the sound of a barking dog a block away.
The actual loudness of a sound is only one component of the effect it has on human beings. Other factors that have to be considered are the time and place, the duration, the source of the sound, and whether the listener has any control over it. Most people would not be bothered by the sound of a 21-gun salute on a special occasion. On the other hand, the thump-thump of a neighbour's music at 2 a.m., even if barely audible, could be a major source of stress.
The decibel (dB) (分貝) is a measure of sound intensity; that is, the magnitude of the fluctuations in air pressure caused by sound waves. In fact, an increase of just 3 dB means twice as much sound, and an increase of 10 dB means ten times as much sound.
A sound pressure level of 0 dB represents the threshold of hearing in the most sensitive frequency range of a young, healthy ear, while the thresholds of tickling or painful sensations in the ear occur at about 120 to 130 dB. There is fairly consistent evidence that prolonged exposure to noise levels at or above 80 dB can cause deafness. The amount of deafness depends upon the degree of exposure.
Noise can cause annoyance and frustration as a result of interference, interruption and distraction. Exposure to noise is also associated with a range of possible physical effects including: colds, changes in blood pressure, other cardiovascular changes, increased general medical practice attendance, problems with the digestive system and general fatigue.
通常所說的噪聲污染是指人為活動而不是自然現象引起的。噪聲污染是物理性污染，本身對人無害，只是在環境中的流量過高或過低時，才會造成污染或異常。物理性污染一般是局部性的，即一個噪聲源不會影響很大的區域。
另處，物理性污染沒有后效作用，即噪聲不會殘存在環境中，噪聲停止，污染立即消失。外界噪音污染主要來自航空、公路、鐵路運輸，以及工程施工和工業生產等；而室內噪音污染則來自風扇、電腦及其它家用電器。
噪音污染不但能夠影響人的聽力，而且能夠導致高血壓、心臟病、記憶力衰退、注意力不集中及其它精神綜合征。研究表明，人聽覺最高可以接受30分貝的音量，當室內的持續噪音污染超過30分貝時，人的正常睡眠就會受到干擾，而持續生活在70分貝以上的噪音環境中，人的聽力及身體健康將會受到影響。
世界衛生組織(WHO)最近就全世界的噪音污染情況進行了分析調查，認為全球噪音污染已經成為影響人們身體健康和生活質量的嚴重問題，呼吁世界各國積極采取有效措施來控制減少噪音污染。
為此，他們建議各國政府將治理噪音污染納入國家的環保計劃，將衛生組織的指導性標準視為噪音治理的長期目標，制定和實施有關噪音管理的法律法規，支持有關減少噪音的科學研究，
制定和完善有關噪音的測量標準，鼓勵有關噪音對環境和健康影響的研究，進一步加強有關噪音污染的宣傳，讓全社會重視噪音污染的危害，減少噪音污染對人類健康的影響。
Dialogue Script 對話原文
Sarah: I can't bear the noise near my house any more!
Tim: Why? Is it that bad?
Sarah: The road near my house has been mended for more then half a year, and it is still not completed.
Tim: Is the noise very loud?
Sarah: Absolutely! I'm nearly becoming deaf if the situation won't be changed in a few days, I'm afraid.
Tim: It's really terrible, but you can prosecute them for doing harm to the residence nearby.
Sarah: That's right! But I haven't got so much time and money.
Tim: Do the other people from your neighborhood complain about it?
Sarah: Yes, most of them do.
Tim: Why not hold a meeting? I'm sure you can come up with some solutions.
講解：
1. 對話中Sarah和Tim在討論她家附近噪音污染的問題。Sarah抱怨說她再也忍受不了家附近的噪音了。這里bear做動詞表示“忍受，承受”，也可以用stand替換。例如：I can't bear his complaining.我無法忍受他總是抱怨。那么短語bear with someone就表示“容忍，耐心忍受某人”，例如：Bear with me while I explain it.請耐心聽我的解釋。
2. Tim很關心地問，is it that bad?有那么糟糕嗎？這里的that修飾bad，這也是口語當中很常見的現象，表示“那么，那樣”，The problem is not that complicated. 這個問題沒有那么復雜。和that相對的this也可以這么用，就表示“這么，這樣”，例如：I never stayed out this late.我從來沒在外面待到這么晚。
3. Sarah家附近為什么會有噪音呢？原來她家旁邊的那條路已經修了大半年了，到現在也沒有修好，整天機器轟鳴，不吵才怪。再這樣下去，耳朵都要震聾了。
4. 真是太糟糕了。Tim建議Sarah可以起訴他們干擾了附近居民的正常生活。prosecute是一個法律術語，表示“對…提起公訴，對…提起民法或刑法訴訟行為”。更口語化一點的詞呢是sue，像我昨天看的電影里就有一句臺詞是Sue me if you want. 意思就是“想告我就盡管去”。
5. Sarah也覺得這是一個好主意，但是她怕耗不起那些錢和精力。的確，如果想起訴的話，就要陪上很多金錢和精力，這對一個普通的人來說并不是一件容易的事情。Tim問Sarah她的鄰居們是否也有這樣的抱怨。complain about這個詞組表示“抱怨，埋怨”，例如：Jenny is always complaining about something. Jenny總是滿腹牢騷。They complained about the food. 他們抱怨這糟糕的食物。
6. complain后面還可以加that從句，例如：They complained that the wages were far too low. 他們抱怨說工資太低了。Sarah的鄰居們也都在抱怨這件事情，Tim就建議他們召集居民會議，看看能不能想出什么解決辦法。come up with something表示“想出，提出某事”，例如：He came up with a new idea for increasing sales. 他想出了一個增加銷售量的新辦法。
Part 7 Global Warming 全球暖化
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Earth's surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.
Human activities have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed although uncertainties exist about exactly how earth’s climate responds to them.
Energy from the sun drives the earth's weather and climate, and heats the earth's surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.
Without this natural "greenhouse effect," temperatures would be much lower than they are now, and life as known today would not be possible. Instead, thanks to greenhouse gases, the earth's average temperature is a more hospitable 60°F.
However, problems may arise when the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases increases. Once, all climate changes occurred naturally. However, during the Industrial Revolution, we began altering our climate and environment through changing agricultural and industrial practices.
Before the Industrial Revolution, human activity released very few gases into the atmosphere, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuel and wood products are burned. Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock. Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea level, and change precipitation and other local climate conditions. Changing regional climate could alter forests, crop yields, and water supplies. It could also affect human health, animals, and many types of ecosystems and deserts may expand into existing rangelands. Unless we act now, our children will inherit a hotter world, dirtier air and water, more severe floods and droughts, and more wildfires.
But solutions are in sight. We know where most heat-trapping gases come from: power plants and vehicles. And we know how to curb their emissions: modern technologies and stronger laws. By shifting the perception of global warming from abstract threat to pressing reality, and promoting online activism. By pressing businesses to use less energy and build more efficient products. And by fighting for laws that will speed these advances.
