题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
广西南宁三中2017—2018学年度上学期英语高一上学期11月段考试卷(暂无听力音频)
It has been found that plastic that finds itself into UK's waters can find its way to the Arctic within just two years. UK researchers have used a current-tracking tool to follow the waste as it was carried by the waters of the northern hemisphere.
The team at Imperial College London used PlasticAdrift.org to track ocean currents(洋流) and follow the trail of plastic north to the freezing Arctic waters. Their study revealed that the majority of plastic waste which didn't end up on the UK's coastline, or sink to the ocean floor, was carried through the Barents Sea, north of Norway, before being carried into the Arctic Ocean.
Large pockets of the world's oceans are now choked with a soup of discarded plastics, made up of everything from shopping bags to old children's toys, brought to these trash “islands” by the currents. Over time larger chunks (厚块,大块) are broken down by the sun's ultraviolet rays (紫外线) and the saltwater, leaving plenty of micro plastics which can kill fish and other wildlife.
Dr. Erik Van Sebille, a lecturer in oceanography (海洋学) and climate change at Imperial, said, “We're only just beginning to understand the effect that plastic waste has on the weak Arctic ecosystem(生态系统), but we know enough about the damage done by oceanic plastic pollution to act and reduce its impact on our oceans and coastlines. From seabirds caught in loops of plastic packaging to polystyrene particles(聚苯乙烯粒子) blocking the digestive(消化的) systems of fish, plastic causes a continuous path of destruction from surface to seafloor. This analysis shows how in the UK we're part of the problem.”
Dr. Erik continued, “It would be impossible to ban plastic, and undesirable as it is, it's a useful material that offers many benefits. We should instead have a holistic (整体的) approach to improving the situation, including social and behavioral, chemical and engineering solutions. Our aim is to have the least amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans and make sure it degrades (降解) quickly and safely if it does. ”
试题篮