VOA名师答疑2023--Climate vs. Environment

Climate vs. Environment

Hi there. This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "environment" and "climate."

Question:

Hello, VOA learning¹ English,

My name is Sukhwant, and I am from India. I have a question about the difference between "environment" and "climate."

Thank you so much,

Sukhwant

Answer:

Thank you, Sukhwant, for this important question!

"Climate" is part of the "environment." Let's look at the meanings of each.

Let's start with "environment."

Environment

"Environment" has many meanings.

Your "environment" can be everything that surrounds you. Different conditions and objects make up your environment.

My home environment is a peaceful place that includes my husband and my pets.

"Environment" can also be social and cultural elements that contribute to your life or a community.

The phrase "nature or nurture²" describes the debate about whether your biology or your environment shapes you.

When we are talking about science, the "environment" is all the physical, biological and chemical conditions around you. The "environment" includes things like climate, geography, diversity of plants and animals and many other things. The environment affects the condition and survival³ of the things within it. And those things, likewise⁴, affect the environment.

Deserts are environments with land features like sand or dry ground and extreme temperatures of hot and cold.

We must protect our environment.

Note that the word "environment" can be used in specific professions like computer science and linguistics⁵, or the study of language.

Let's move onto "climate."

Climate

"Climate" has several different meanings. In science, "climate" is the overall⁶ weather pattern for an area over time. Climate includes amounts of rain and snow, temperatures and other weather conditions. Climate is part of the environment.

"Climate" also can describe an area that has a certain kind of climate.

She moved to the southern US last year for the warmer climate.

And lastly, "climate" can mean a general atmosphere or situation in a place or period.

The political climate of 1950s in the United States was marked by fears about the spread of communism.

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Sukhwant.

Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at [email protected].

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

nurture – v. to take care of, feed and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants

diversity – adj. characteristics or qualities that are different

pattern – n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 nurture   

n.养育，照顾，教育；滋养，营养品；vt.养育，给与营养物，教养，扶持

参考例句：

• The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
• The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。

3 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

4 likewise   

adv.同样地，照样地；也，又

参考例句：

• The explorers had to undergo much suffering.探险者不得不忍受很多困苦。
• The planes have to undergo rigorous safety checks.飞机必须经过严密的安全检查。

5 linguistics   

n.语言学

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• Linguistics is a scientific study of the property of language.语言学是指对语言的性质所作的系统研究。

6 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？