Unit 3 Reading

The world is in danger
世界正处于危险之中
Our world is in danger. We must do something to protect the environment. But, what are the main problems we face?
我们的世界正处于危险之中，我们必须做些什么来保护环境。但是，什么是我们面临的主要问题呢？
The greenhouse effect
温室效应
The atmosphere around the Earth is necessary for all living things.
围绕着地球的空气对一切生物来说，是不可或缺的。
It is like the glass of a greenhouse, letting sunlight in and keeping heat from getting out.
它像一个玻璃温室，让阳光照进来并保持热量流失。
Without it, the Earth would be the same as the Moon-cold and lifeless.
离了它，地球将会像月亮一样冷冰冰的。
When we burn fuels such as petrol and coal, we produce a gas called carbon dioxide.
当我们燃烧燃料时，如汽油和煤炭，会产生一种叫做二氧化碳的气体。
Too much of this gas pollutes the atmosphere, and causes it to keep in too much heat.
这种气体如果太多，就会对空气造成污染，并使其保持过多的热量。
As a result of the greenhouse effect, the Earth's temperature is increasing.
温室效应结果，就是地球的温度增加。
This causes sea level to rise, and in the future may cause cities to disappear.
这将导致海平面上升，并且未来可能会导致城市的消失。
Cutting down forests
砍伐森林
Every year, we destroy nature by cutting down huge areas of forests.
每年，我们都乱砍乱伐毁掉大面积的自然森林。
This makes the greenhouse effect worse because trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
这导致温室效应更加糟糕，因为树木能吸收二氧化碳产生氧气。
Cutting down trees also destroys the homes of the animals that live in our forests, and causes the surface of the soil to be easily destroyed by rain.
乱砍乱伐还破坏了生活在森林的动物的家园，并造成土壤表面水土流失。
This can result in floods and even more damage to the environment.
这可能导致洪水泛滥，对环境造成更大的危害。
Bad habits
陋习
Many of our habits cause pollution. People often use things once and then throw them away, or leave them on the ground as litter.
我们的很多（坏）习惯造成污染。人们经常使用一次性的东西，或者把它们扔在地上形成垃圾。
This creates mountains of rubbish and pollutes our land and seas.
这将导致垃圾堆积如山，污染我们的土地和海洋。
In order to protect the environment, we need to take proper action.
为了保护环境，我们必须采取适当的措施。
We should be different from many consumers and become “green consumers”.
我们应该有别于某些消费者，而成为“绿色消费者”。
This means that we should only buy and use products friendly to the environment.
这意味着，我们应该只购买和使用对环境无害的产品。
We should also recycle as many things as we can. We can reuse things for the same purpose as before, or we can use them for new purposes.
很多东西我们还应该尽我们所能进行回收，可以再重复使用，或者将其用于新用途。
If we just learn to live in new and different ways, we can make a difference.
只要我们学会以一种新的方式生活，我们是可以有所作为的。