大学体验英语综合教程3 Passage原文.doc

Unit 1 Passage A Care for Our Mother Earth ?(Dr. McKinley?of?Awareness Magazine?interviews a group of?experts?on environmental issues.)?? ??Aman Motwane: The biggest threat to our environment today is the way we, as human beings, see our environment. How we see our environment shapes our whole world.　???Most of us see everything as independent from one another. But the reality is that everything is part of one interconnected, interrelated whole. For example, a tree may appear?isolated, but in fact it affects and is affected by everything in its environment — sunshine, rain, wind, birds, minerals, other plants and trees, you, me. The tree shapes the wind that blows around it; it is also shaped by that wind. Look at the relationship between the tree and its environment and you will see the future of the tree.　???Most of us?are blind to?this interconnectedness of everything. This is why we dont see the?consequences?of our actions. It is time for each of us to open our eyes and see the world as it really is — one complete whole where every cause has an effect.　???Dr. McKinley:?Hello Dr. Semkiw. In your research, what environmental issues do you find most pressing?????Walter Semkiw: Two environmental issues that we find most pressing are?deforesting?and?global?warming. Mankind has now cut down half of the trees that existed 10,000 years ago. The loss of trees upsets the?ecosystemas trees are necessary to build topsoil, maintain rainfall in dry climates,?purify?underground water and to convert carbon?dioxide?to?oxygen. Trees bring water up from the ground, allowing water to?evaporate?into the?atmosphere. The evaporated water then returns as rain, which is vital to areas that are naturally dry. Areas?downwind?of deforested lands lose this?source?of rainfall and are transformed into deserts.? ??Global warming?results from?the burning of?fossil?fuels, such as?petroleum?products,?resulting in?the?release?of greenhouse?gasses into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and oth