人教版英语选修第三册 unit 3 Reading and Writing

SMALL WASTE, BIG PROBLEM

小小垃圾，巨大隐患

Many of us might not give a second thought to dropping a small piece of litter.

我们很多人随手丢弃一点垃圾时，根本不会多加思索。

After all, if it is so small, it cannot possibly be that harmful, can it?

毕竟，东西这么小，应该不会有多大危害，对吧？

In today’s world, the answer is certainly “Yes it can!”

在当今世界，答案无疑是：它的确危害巨大！

With the growing use of plastic bags and the rising number of smokers, there is more litter being produced than ever before.

随着塑料袋使用量增加、烟民数量上升，垃圾的产生量达到了前所未有的水平。

Although cigarette butts are small, they are bad for the environment.

烟头虽小，却会对环境造成危害。

Worldwide, about 4.3 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year.

全球每年大约有4.3万亿个烟头被随意丢弃。

As well as spoiling the beauty of the environment, they contain toxic chemicals.

它们不仅破坏环境美观，还含有有毒化学物质。

These find their way into the water supply where they affect water quality and endanger plants and animals.

这些有毒物质会渗入水源，污染水质，威胁动植物的生存。

Cigarette butts can take up to 25 years to break down, and the toxic chemicals add up to a large amount with so many littered.

烟头最长需要25年才能降解，大量丢弃的烟头会不断累积大量有毒物质。

So, if people want to smoke, they should dispose of the butts properly in a rubbish bin.

因此，如果人们要吸烟，应当把烟头妥善扔进垃圾桶。

Plastic bags are another common form of litter that is dangerous to the environment.

塑料袋是另一种常见垃圾，对环境十分危险。

They are easily blown by wind and float in water, so they can travel long distances.

塑料袋容易被风吹走、在水中漂浮，可以扩散到很远的地方。

They find their way to rivers, parks, beaches, and oceans, killing many birds, mammals, fish, and sea animals each year worldwide.

它们流入河流、公园、海滩与海洋，每年致使全球大量鸟类、哺乳动物、鱼类以及海洋生物死亡。

They can last for hundreds of years in the environment.

塑料袋可以在环境中留存数百年之久。

We should not let plastic bags become litter.

我们不能让塑料袋成为垃圾。

We should use fewer plastic bags, and reuse and recycle what we have already used.

我们应当减少塑料袋的使用，并对用过的塑料袋进行重复利用与回收。

One way to reduce the use of plastic bags is to charge for them.

减少塑料袋使用的一种方法是对塑料袋收费。

Shops used to give plastic bags for free.

商店过去会免费提供塑料袋。

But in some countries, including China, customers are now charged for each bag.

但在包括中国在内的一些国家，顾客现在购买塑料袋需要付费。

Some shops also have a “bag-for-life” scheme.

一些商店还推出了“长效环保袋”方案。

They sell stronger bags that can be reused, and they replace them for free if the bags ever break.

商店售卖更加结实、可以重复使用的袋子，如果袋子破损，还能免费更换。

Waste is a big problem for the environment, so we need to do something.

垃圾给环境带来巨大难题，因此我们必须采取行动。

Not littering at all or cleaning up “small waste” saves money spent on disposing of litter properly.

不乱扔垃圾，或者清理这些“小型废弃物”，能够节约规范处理垃圾所需的开销。

However, it would be better not to smoke or use plastic bags at all.

不过，如果能够做到不吸烟、完全不使用塑料袋，那就更好了。

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