英语听力：自然百科 海水侵蚀日益严重

 Climate change is hitting hard in this village in Senegal on Africa's west coast. Houses along this stretch of beach have been abandoned and left to the waters.

 

 "The advance of the water is damaging many houses around and the cabanas. At one time there was no water here, only sand, and we used to play football here."

 

 But now the sea reaches right up to erode¹ houses, destroyed over time by the waves. Scientists in Senegal say the average coastline erosion² is three to six feet per year, with some areas much worse.

 

"Along the Senegalese coastline, the mean (meaning the average) range of coastal³ erosion is between one and two meters per year, but in some parts it can be much more than that. We have measured, for example, along the southern coast some speed rates of about 180 meters per year."

 

In another village, closer to the Senegalese capital of Dakar, the Senegalese government has built a wall for protection from the seawater.

 

"The sea has destroyed many things. Before, the sea was one kilometer away from the village; now the sea has taken everything."

 

But environmentalists see the seawall as only a short-term⁴ solution.

 

"There is no viable⁵ long-term solution. For me, building a wall is not a long-term solution. The sea will not be stopped by a seawall. We talk about climate change. For that, we need global response."

 

Climate scientists this week are discussing coastline erosion and other data on global warming at a Copenhagen conference. The data could lead to a new global agreement on greenhouse⁶ gases when politicians meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations climate talks in December of this year.

1 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

2 erosion   

n.腐蚀，侵蚀，磨损，削弱，减少

参考例句：

• The erosion of beach here is serious.这里海岸的腐蚀很严重。
• Drought and soil erosion had long been a major problem.干旱和水土流失一直是个老大难问题。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 short-term   

adj.短期的

参考例句：

• The short-term training class has been run three times.短训班办了三期。
• For this they are running short-term courses and evening classes.为此，他们办了短训班和夜校。

5 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

6 greenhouse   

n.花房，温室，玻璃暖房

参考例句：

• Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
• The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。