人教高中英语高二上UNIT9-2

The future of our planet¹ is at stake². If we do not act now, We may never be able to save the earth. There is good news too: we can make a difference. We may think that what we do in our everyday life has no effect on big problems, such as environmental³ pollution. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is exactly what we do -- you and I -- that changes the world. It is important to have big meetings like the Earth Summit⁴ to educate people and make them aware of the situation, but nothing will be improved until ordinary people like you and me start acting⁵ differently. One person who learnt about the importance of taking action is Liao Mingyu from Shenzhen. In 2002, the then 11-year-old Mingyu went on a journey that she would never forget. After having been chosen to represent⁶ all children in the world by the United⁷ Nations Environment Programme, she travelled to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
       Together with four other children, Mingyu appeared on the stage at the opening ceremony. They expressed both hopes and fears about the future. Mingyu and two other children made a speech in which they asked the governments of the world to do more to provide access to clean drinking water and to take action to reduce pollution and improve health care.
       When asked about the experience in an interview with China Daily, Mingyu said that she hopes that adults will listen to what young people have to say. The leaders at the summit applauded⁸ the speech, but for Mingyu, that is not enough: "I don't know if they will listen and take action. They probably will."
       Mingyu's journey to Johannesburg is only a small part of the action she is taking. Ever since she entered primary school, she has been a true activist⁹. Her school has made environmental protection¹⁰ part of what the students have to learn. She and her classmates look for ways to improve the environment and they remind their parents and other adults of the danger of keeping environmentally¹¹ unfriendly habits.
       If we change our habits, if we refuse to buy products from companies that harm the environment, and if we learn more and take action, we can save the planet. For Mingyu, her journey was only a beginning. The real work, she says, starts when she goes back to her normal life: "One thing I have learnt from this experience is that environmental protection is really important. When I get back, I am going to tell my classmates of ways to protect the environment."
 

1 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

2 stake   

n.木柱；赌注，奖金；v.打赌，下赌注

参考例句：

• A wooden stake was driven firmly into the ground.木桩被牢牢钉进土地里。
• He put up a stake to support the newly planted tree.他竖了一根桩支撑新种的树。

3 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

4 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 represent   

vt.表现，表示；描绘，讲述；代表，象征；回忆；再赠送，再上演；vi.提出异议

参考例句：

• I'll represent to him the risk he is running.我要向他指出他所面临的险境。
• We selected her to represent us.我们选她作为我们的代表。

7 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

8 applauded   

v.鼓掌( applaud的过去式和过去分词 )；称赞，赞许

参考例句：

• The audience warmly applauded when the performance came to the end. 当演出接近尾声时，观众热烈鼓掌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The audience applauded after the soprano sang the aria so beautifully. 女高音将咏叹调唱得十分优美，观众爆发出热烈的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。

11 environmentally   

adv.有关环境方面

参考例句：

• an environmentally sustainable society 保持生态环境平衡的社会
• Building the proposed new road would be environmentally damaging. 修筑那条拟建的新公路会对环境造成破坏。 来自《简明英汉词典》