CNN 2009-12-08

“ We certainly will go into the whole lot ,and then as I said will take a position on it, so we certainly don’t want to brush anything under the carpet, we don’t really sweep under the carpet, this is a serious issue and we certainly will look into it in detail.”

This UN probe is in addition to an investigation¹ under way at the University of East Anglia which says it is looking to see if there is any evidence that scientific data was manipulated or suppressed. Phil Jones, the head of the university's Climate Research Unit has stepped down temporarily. Those who questioned the effects of human activity on climate change have seized on the emails, accusing scientists of conspiring² to hide evidence and trying to destroy data. Among them, Republican senator James Inhofe, who's called global warming 'a hoax³', this week he called for hearings, no decisions yet. And the emails were raised at a house hearing this week.

"Anyone who thinks that those emails are insignificant⁴, that they don't damage the credibility of the entire movement is naive⁵. "

But at that hearing a top government scientist said the emails do nothing to change the science.

" Emails really…um… do nothing to undermine the very strong scientific consensus⁶ and the independent scientific analysis of thousands of scientists around the world. that tell us that …the earth is warming um…and that the warming is largely a result of um… human activities.

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

3 hoax   

v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧

参考例句：

• They were the victims of a cruel hoax.他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
• They hoax him out of his money.他们骗去他的钱。

4 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

5 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？