Plastic threatens coral reefs 海洋塑料垃圾威胁珊瑚礁的生存

Plastic threatens coral reefs 海洋塑料垃圾威胁珊瑚礁的生存

一组科学家称，继海洋变暖后，塑料已成为危及珊瑚礁生存最大的威胁之一。研究人员发现亚太海域中有三分之一的珊瑚礁被超过110亿件塑料垃圾所覆盖。

Discarded plastic bags, water bottles and food wrappers: researchers say they were saddened to find so much plastic tangled around delicate corals.

（海洋中有）被人们丢弃的塑料袋、水瓶和食品包装：研究人员们说，他们非常伤心地发现，在脆弱的珊瑚周围竟缠结了这么多塑料。

After surveying 159 coral reefs across the Asia Pacific region, they estimated that 11 billion items of plastic are polluting coral reefs and this could reach more than 15 billion by 2025.

在对亚太地区的159座珊瑚礁进行检测后，研究人员估计现已有110亿件塑料垃圾对此地珊瑚礁的生态环境带来了严重的污染，而且这些塑料垃圾的数量有可能在2025年前升至150亿件。

The scientists say there's a link with diseases that can kill coral. Outbreaks are 20 times more likely when plastic is present.

这些科学家还表示，该状况与可导致珊瑚死亡的一系列疾病之间有关联。当珊瑚附近有塑料存在时，疾病暴发的可能性要高于无塑料环境的20倍。

1. 词汇表 discarded 被丢弃的

saddened 伤心的，使…难过的

tangled 缠绕、缠结着的

delicate 脆弱的

estimated 估计（了），估算（了）

polluting（正在）污染

link（二者间的）关联，联系

outbreaks（疾病的）暴发

2. 阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题 。 1. Which words used in the report emphasise that there is a lot of plastic tangled around the coral?

2. How many more billions of plastic items are expected to pollute the coral reefs by 2025?

3. What have scientists found occurs more when there is plastic in the ocean?

4. True or false?  The scientist's findings were the result of surveying all the coral reefs in the Asia Pacific region.

3. 答案 1. Which words used in the report emphasise that there is a lot of plastic tangled around the coral?

'So much' – "researchers say they were saddened to find so much plastic tangledaround delicate corals."

2. How many more billions of plastic items are expected to pollute the coral reefs by 2025?

Four billion more. Scientists estimated that 11 billion items of plastic are polluting coral reefs and this could reach more than 15 billion by 2025.

3. What have scientists found occurs more when there is plastic in the ocean?

They say outbreaks of diseases are 20 times more likely when plastic is present.

4. True or false?  The scientist's findings were the result of surveying all the coral reefs in the Asia Pacific region.

False. The scientists surveyed 159 coral reefs across the Asia Pacific region.