环球英语 13 Reduce Your Footprint

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for Spotlight¹, I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
When I moved to a new home, I planted a garden. In my garden I planted many colorful flowers and vegetables. I cared for my garden. I poured water on it and pulled out all the bad plants. My garden grew very well. But one day, I saw some children near my beautiful garden. I went to the window and saw that they were stepping on the plants. I went outside and told them to leave. When I looked at my garden, I saw their footprints³ in the soil. I saw the marks of their feet. They crushed⁴ my flowers. They ruined my garden.
Voice 2
Footprints can have a big effect. Footprints affected⁵ Josh’s small garden. But our eco-footprints can have an even larger effect on the earth. Today’s Spotlight is on eco-footprints.
Voice 1
An ecological⁶ footprint², or eco-footprint, is not an actual mark on the ground. Instead, it is an idea to understand a person’s effect on the earth. Every person on the earth uses resources⁷ to live. We use the earth to grow food. We cut down trees to build houses. And we use coal to create electricity and heat. We use these resources to support ourselves.
Voice 2
People need land to produce natural resources. They also need land to break down waste into smaller parts. A person’s eco-footprint measures how much land a person needs to do this. Many people in the world would need more land than we have on the earth. We are using too much of the earth’s natural resources. Our eco-footprints are too big.
Voice 1
Some groups of people try to make their eco-footprint smaller by living differently. These people grow all the plants they eat. They raise their own animals for food. They make their own clothes and build their own houses. Perhaps you grow some of your own food. This way of living greatly reduces a person’s effect on the earth.
Voice 2
But many people in the world do not live this way. It is a difficult thing to do. Not everyone knows how to raise animals or build houses. Many people do not have enough land to grow all of their own food. And some people just do not want to change the way they live. So are there other ways to reduce our effect on the environment? Well, some people and businesses are trying to make a difference.
Voice 1
Cars, airplanes, and boats produces carbon⁸ dioxide⁹ gas. Too much carbon dioxide harms the environment. An average car produces over four tonnes of carbon dioxide gas a year. An airplane produces about 1 tonne of carbon dioxide with just a single trip over the ocean. Many people travel a lot for work. Their travel produces much more carbon dioxide than an average person.
Voice 2
So, some businesses, and individuals who travel a lot have decided¹⁰ to purchase carbon offsets¹². a carbon offset¹¹ is an amount of money. People give this money to a special group. This group uses the money to balance the damage done by activities that harm the environment. The money could go to a group that plant trees. Or it could go to businesses that make electricity from wind. The money goes to groups who do good things for the environment. They believe this fights the environmental¹³ damage.
Voice 1
But this is not he only way to balance out your eco-footprint. There are things you can do in your your own home! Here are ten ways that you can make your eco-footprint smaller.
Voice 2
First: You can eat less meat. Animals use a lot of land and resources. Eating plants uses less resources than eating meat.
Voice 1
Second: You can reduce the amount of fuel you use. Ride in a car with other people. Ride a bicycle, walk, or take the public bus or train. Use less fuel in your home for cooking and heating¹⁴.
Voice 2
Third: You can avoid purchasing things with a lot of plastic or paper covering them. Producing and using plastic and paper coverings produces a lot of waste. Less coverings means¹⁵ less waste.
Voice 1
Fourth: You can compost food waste. Composting means putting food waste in a special place. There, it can turn into soil. When the food breaks down, you can mix it with the soil to help other plants grow.
Voice 2
Fifth: You can plant native plants and plants that do not need a lot of water. Plants that need less water to grow help save water.
Voice 1
Sixth: You can purchase products that do not cause harm to the environment. Buy lights that save energy. Buy paper that is remade from old paper. And purchase clothes made from natural materials like cotton and wool.
Voice 2
Seventh: You can buy reusable¹⁶ products. Purchase things that can be used again and again. Reusing¹⁷ things, keeps them from becoming waste.
Voice 1
Eighth: You can share newspapers, books and magazines. Most people only read things once. So when you are finished, give your newspaper, book, or magazine to a friend so they can also use it. This will save paper!
Voice 2
Ninth: You can turn off the water when you are not using it. When you wash your hands, clean your teeth, or clean things in the sink, do not keep the water flowing. This will save water.
Voice 1
Tenth: You can use less electricity. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. And do not leave the television or radio on if you are not listening to it.
Voice 2
These are all good things for people to do. It is important to preserve¹⁸ the natural resources of the earth. And it is good to take a part in helping¹⁹ the environment. Talk to your friends. Let them know how they can make their eco-footprints smaller. You can also write to your government officials. Encourage them to reduce the size of your country’s eco-footprint.
Voice 1
Each person has a part in keeping the earth healthy. When one person reduces their effect on the earth, other people may follow. Christians²⁰ believe that God put humans in charge of caring for the earth, his creation²¹. God wants people to live in balance with the earth and not harm it. He wants all people to enjoy his creation for all time.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 footprint   

n.足迹

参考例句：

• I was standing inside a footprint!我刚才站在一个脚印里！
• She was staring at the footprint,full of fear.她盯着脚印，内心充满了恐惧。

3 footprints   

n.（尤指软地上的）脚印( footprint的名词复数 )；（地板上的）脚印；（建筑物或设备，尤指计算机）占用的空间；（尤指来自卫星的）广播信号覆盖区

参考例句：

• footprints in the sand 沙地足迹
• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 crushed   

a.压碎的，倒碎的

参考例句：

• The car was completely crushed under the truck. 小轿车被卡车压得完全变形了。
• The box was crushed when the car ran over it. 汽车辗过箱子时把它给压碎了。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

7 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

8 carbon   

n.碳元素

参考例句：

• Diamonds are pure carbon.钻石是纯净的碳。
• Carbon is an element,while carbon dioxide is a compound.碳是一种(化学)元素，而二氧化碳则是一种化合物。

9 dioxide   

n.二氧化物

参考例句：

• The oxygen and the carbon combine to form carbon dioxide.氧和碳化合，形成二氧化碳。
• Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect.二氧化碳太多是道致温室效应的最主要原因。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

12 offsets   

n.开端( offset的名词复数 )；出发v.抵消( offset的第三人称单数 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管

参考例句：

• The following paragraphs deal with intra-source offsets and the so-called \"bubble\" concept. 下面讨论污染源内部的补偿和所谓的“泡泡”概念。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The preceding paragraphs were concerned with inter-source offsets. 前文牵涉到污染源之间的补偿。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

13 environmental   

adj.环境的

参考例句：

• A global environmental meeting is going to be held here.一个全球环境会议将在这里举行。
• We need to cure our environmental problems.我们需要解决环境问题。

14 heating   

n.加热，供暖，暖气装置；adj.加热的，供暖的

参考例句：

• They will install a heating and lighting system in our house.他们将在我们家装上供热供电系统。
• If the pressure is too low,the heating system will act up.如果压力太低，供暖系统就会出毛病。

15 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

16 reusable   

adj.可以再度使用的

参考例句：

• Waste treatment by ion exchange produces a reusable water.用离子交换处理废水可产生回用水。
• It became the first reusable vehicle in space.它成为第一个能重复使用的宇宙交通工具。

17 reusing   

v.再用，重新使用( reuse的现在分词 )；重用

参考例句：

• Great programmers are masters at recognizing and reusing common patterns. 优秀的程序员精通于对通用的模式的识别和重用。 来自互联网
• Build on the classes you have developed,thereby reusing them. 建立在你开发的类上，从而重用他们。 来自互联网

18 preserve   

vt.保护，保持，保存，保藏；vi.做蜜饯，禁猎；n.蜜饯，果酱，禁猎地，禁区，防护物

参考例句：

• What can we do to preserve the company from ruin? 我们怎么做才能保护这家公司不破产？
• It is the duty of the police to preserve public order.维护公共秩序是警察的职责。

19 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

20 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

21 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。