科技英语文章

1、科技英语文章ArcticMeltEarth'sNorthandSouthPolesarefamousforbeingcoldandicy.Lastyear,however,theamountoficeintheArcticOceanfelltoarecordlow1.Normally,icebuildsinArcticwatersaroundtheNorthPoleeachwinterandshrinksduringthesummer.Butformanyyears,theamountoficeleftbytheendofsummerhasbeendeclining.Since1979

2、,eachdecadehasseenanpercentdropinend-of-summericecover2.Between1981and2000,iceintheArcticlost22percentofitsthickness-becomingmetersthinner.Lastsummer,Arcticseaicereacheditsskimpiestlevelsyet.Bytheendofsummer2007,theicehadshrunktocoverjustmillionsquarekilometers.That's38percentlessareathantheaver

3、agecoveratthattimeofyear.Andit'saverylarge23percentbelowthepreviousrecordlow,whichwassetjust2yearsago.ThiscontinuingtrendhasscientistsconcernedTheremaybeseveralreasonsfortheicemelt,saysJinlunZhang,anoceanographerattheUniversityofWashington3inSeattle.UnusuallystrongwindsblewthroughtheArcticlastsu

4、mmer.ThewindspushedmuchoftheiceoutofthecentralArctic,leavingalargeareaofthiniceandopenwater4.ScientistsalsosuspectthatfewercloudscovertheArcticnowthaninthepast.Clearerskiesallowmoresunlighttoreachtheocean.Theextraheatwarmsboththewaterandtheatmosphere.InpartsoftheArcticOceanlastyear,surfacetemperatur

5、eswere3.5°CCelsiuswarmerthanaverageand1.5Cwarmerthanthepreviousrecordhigh5.Withbothairandwatergettingwarmer,theiceismeltingfrombothaboveandbelow.InsomepartsoftheBeaufortSea6,northofAlaskaandwesternCanada,icethatmeasured3.3mthickatthebeginningofthesummermeasuredjust50centimetersbyseason'send

6、.Thenewmeasurementssuggestthatmeltingisfarmoreseverethanscientistshaveseenbyjustlookingaticecoverfromabove,saysDonaldK.Perovich,ageophysicistattheU.S.ArmyColdRegionsResearchandEngineeringLaboratoryinHanover,SomescientistsfearthattheArcticisstuckinawarmingtrendfromwhichitmayneverrecover.练习：1. Whichof

7、thefollowingisclosestinmeaningtotheword"build"inthefirstsentenceofthesecondparagraphA) Construct.B)Extend.C)Create.D)Expand.2. WhatistheicecoverintheArcticbytheendof2007summerA) millionsquarekilometers.B)millionsquarekilometers.C)millionsquarekilometers.D)38millionsquarekilometers.3. Whata

8、rethereasonsfortheicemeltaccordingtothescientistsA)Strongwindsandclearskies.B)Longsummerandshortwinter.C)Openwaterandthinice.D)Lightcloudsandlightwinds.4. WhyistheicemeltingfrombothaboveandbelowA)Becauseextraheatwarmstheair.B) Becauseextraheatwarmsthewater.C) Becausethetemperatureabovethewaterishigh

9、er.D) BothAandB.5. WhatcanbeapossibletitleforthepassageA)WhatarescientistslookingforintheArcticOceanB) WhatarescientistsdoingintheArcticOceanC) WhyarescientistsworryingabouttheArcticOceanD) WhyarescientistsinterestedintheArcticOceanExpertsCallforLocalandRegionalControlofSitesforRadioactiveWasteThewi

10、thdrawalofNevada'sYuccaMountainasapotentialnuclearwasterepository1hasreopenedthedebateoverhowandwheretodisposeofspentnuclearfuelandhigh-levelnuclearwaste.InanarticleintheJuly10issueofScience,UniversityofMichigan2geologistRodneyEwingandPrincetonUniversity3nuclearphysicistFrankvonHippelarguethat,a

11、lthoughfederalagenciesshouldsetstandardsandissuelicensesfortheapprovalofnuclearfacilities,localcommunitiesandstatesshouldhavethefinalapprovalonthesitingofthesefacilities.Theauthorsproposethedevelopmentofmultiplesitesthatwouldservicetheregionswherenuclearreactorsarelocated."Themaingoal，shouldbet

12、oprovidetheUniedStateswithmultipleprocessthatrequiresacceptancebyhostcommunitiesandstates,"theauthorswrite.EwingandyonHippelalsoanalyzethereasonswhyYuccaMountain,selectedbyCongress4in1987astheonlysitetobeinvestigatedforlong-termnuclearwastedisposal,finallywasshelved5aftermorethanthreedecadesofo

13、ftencontroversialdebate.Thereasonsincludethesite'sgeologicalproblems,managementproblems,importantchangesintheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency'sstandard,unreliablefundingandthefailuretoinvolvelocalcommunitiesinthedecision-makingprocess.Goingforward,effortsshouldbedirectedatlocatingstoragefacilit

14、iesinthenation'snortheastern,southeastern,midwesternandwesternregions,andstateswithinagivenregionshouldberesponsiblefordevelopingsolutionsthatsuittheirparticularcircumstances.Transportationofnuclearwasteoverlongdistances,whichwasaconcernwiththeYuccaMountainsite,wouldbelessofaproblembecausetempor

15、arystorageorgeologicaldisposalsitescouldbelocatedclosertoreactors."ThisregionalapproachwouldbesimilartothecurrentapproachinEurope,wherespentnuclearfuel6andhigh-levelnuclearwaste7fromabout150reactorsandreprocessingplantsistobemovedtoanumberofgeologicalrepositoriesinavarietyofrocktypes8,"sai

16、dRodneyEwing,whohaswrittenextensivelyabouttheimpactofnuclearwastemanagementontheenvironmentandwhohasanalyzedsafetyassessmentcriteriaforthecontroversialYuccaMountainnuclearwasterepository.词汇：radioactiveadj.放射性的shelvev.搁置repositoryn.储藏地，储藏室controversialadj.有争议的geologistn.地质学家reactorn.反应堆，反应器geological

17、adj.地质的注释：1. ThewithdrawalofNevada'sYuccaMountainasapotentialnuclearwasterepository:Nevada'sYuccaMountain:美国境内的内华达州尤卡山。nuclearwasterepository：核废物处理库。美国能源部部长朱棣文2009年3月5日表示，拟在内华达州尤卡山建设的核废物最终处理库将不再是美国储存高放废物的一个选项。2. UniversityofMichigan：美国密歇根大学，建于1817年。3. PrincetonUniversity：美国普林斯顿大学，建于1746年。4.

18、Congress:美国国会，美国最高立法机关，由参议院(Senate)和众议院(HouseofRepresentatives)组成。5. wasshelved：被束之高阁。6. spentnuclearfuel:也叫做usednuclearfuel，一般译为"乏核燃料”。7.high-levelnuclearwaste：高（强度）放（射性）核废物。8.geologicalrepositoriesinavarietyofrocktypes：各种不同岩层中的地质处置库。geologicalrepositories指的是地表以下3001500米的稳定的地质体中建造的用于最终处置高放废物和乏

19、核燃料的工程设施。处置库是一个多重屏障系统，工程屏障由废物体、废物罐、外包装和缓冲回填材料组成，而天然屏障则是能有效阻滞放射性核素迁移的地质体，包括花岗岩、粘土岩、凝灰岩和岩盐等。许多专家认为地质处置是安全的，技术上是可行的，对环境是无害的。练习：1. Whichofthefollowingwordscanbestsubstitutetheword"withdrawali"nthefirstparagraphARetirement.BCanceling.CReplaced.DDisposal.2. AccordingtoRodneyEwingandFrandvonHippe

20、l,wheretolocatenuclearfacilitiesAshouldbeapprovedbythefederalgovernment.Bshouldbeapprovedbylocalpeopleandstates.CshouldbeapprovedbyCongress.Disnotanimportantissue.3. WhatisNOTtrueaboutthe1987decisionbyCongressconcerningsitingofnuclearwastedisposalAYuccaMountainwasselectedastheonlysiteforanuclearwasterepository.BTheselectionofYuccaMountainfornuclearwastedisposalcausedmuchcontroversy.CThedecisionbyCongresswasputasideduetoanumberofproblems.DThedecisionbyCongresswasacceptedbylocalcommunities.4. Whatdoestheauth