二氧化碳以鲜为人知的方式影响气候变化

50 二氧化碳以鲜为人知的方式影响气候变化

DATE=7-27-01
TITLE=ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Carbon Dioxide
BYLINE=Mario Ritter

（Start at 59" ）This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Environment Report.
(1)Carbon dioxide makes up less than one percent of the Earth's atmosphere. But the gas is very important to life on Earth. Scientists are finding¹ that processes involving carbon dioxide affect our climate in ways that are difficult to understand.
Last month, a committee of the National Academy² of Sciences in Washington (2)released⁴ a report. It confirmed that world temperatures increased about six-tenths of a degree (3)Celsius in the last one-hundred years. The report also confirmed evidence that the level of carbon dioxide is increasing.
 The best information about (4)climate in the past comes from tests of ice many kilometers deep in Antarctica and (5)Greenland. The tests show changes in temperature during the past four-hundred-thousand years.  These tests show that levels of carbon dioxide today are the highest ever measured. These findings⁵ have led scientists to believe that carbon dioxide is a major cause of climate warming.
Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when (6)fuel is burned. Oil, coal and wood are all fuels that release³ the gas.  When biological waste breaks down, it also releases⁶ carbon dioxide.
However, plants use carbon dioxide in the process called (7)photosynthesis. This process provides food for almost all life on Earth.  Some groups that support burning oil and coal want to increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. They oppose international efforts to control carbon dioxide. 
Some scientists believe that forests and trees are able to (8)capture large amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. Some groups even suggest that an increase in carbon dioxide could cause plants to grow faster. 
A recent study in North Carolina found that more carbon dioxide in the air can cause trees to grow faster. But the researchers found the effect appears to last for only three years.  Another study showed that much of the carbon dioxide that is taken in by trees is released within three years. The study noted⁷ that leaves release carbon dioxide when they fall from trees and break down in the soil. Plants also naturally release carbon dioxide through the process of (9)respiration.
The natural balance of gases in the atmosphere is a (10)complex scientific (11)issue. The (12)debate over carbon dioxide is only one part of efforts to understand world climate change. 
This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Mario Ritter. This is Bill White. 

(1)carbon dioxide n.[化]二氧化碳
(2)release [ ri5li:s ] vt.发表
(3)Celsius [ 5selsjEs ]adj.摄氏的
(4)climate [ 5klaimit ]n.气候
(5)Greenland [ 5^ri:nlEnd ]n.格陵兰(岛名,位于北美洲的东北部,属丹麦)
(6)fuel [ fjuEl ]n.燃料
(7)photosynthesis [ 7fEutEu5sinWEsis ]n.光合作用
(8)capture [ 5kAptFE ]vt.捕获
(9)respiration [ 7respi5reiFEn ]n.呼吸, 呼吸作用
(10)complex [ 5kCmpleks ]adj.复杂的
(11)issue [ 5isju: ]n.论点, 问题
(12)debate [ di5beit ] n.争论, 辩论

1 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

2 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

3 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

4 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

5 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

6 releases   

v.释放( release的第三人称单数 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• Nuclear fission releases tremendous amounts of energy. 核裂变释放出巨大的能量。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Zemel says that when calcium levels are low, the body releases a hormone that helps squeeze the most out of every available milligram of the mineral. 泽莫尔博士说，当人体中的钙含量偏低时，身体里就会产生一种荷尔蒙，它能帮助肌体最大限度地吸收所摄入的钙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。