ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Jordan and Israel Seek to Help Dead Sea

ENVIRONMENT REPORT - September 20, 2002: Jordan and Israel Seek to Help Dead Sea

By Cynthia Kirk

This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

Israel and Jordan recently announced that they would work together to help save the Dead Sea from shrinking².
Government officials said the joint³ project would help the sea, protect the area’s unusual wildlife and increase
the number of visitors to the area. The announcement was made during the United Nations World Summit⁴ on
Sustainable Development earlier this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Dead Sea is on the border between Israel and Jordan. It is three-hundred-sixtyfive meters below sea level. That is the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea is the
saltiest large body of water in the world.

The area around the Dead Sea has ancient places that are important to Jews,
Christians⁵ and Muslims. Minerals in the Dead Sea are used for health treatments.
The strange beauty of the sea brings many visitors to the area.

But the Dead Sea is shrinking by almost one meter each year. Most of the water that flows into the Dead Sea
comes from the Jordan River. However, water flowing from the Jordan River has been redirected for other uses
in the area. Officials say within the next fifty years, the Dead Sea could shrink¹ to less than half of its current size.

To prevent that, Israel and Jordan plan to build a pipeline⁶ more than three-hundred kilometers long. The pipeline
would pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea. After the pipeline is built, the
officials hope to build a canal and a salt removal⁷ system that will provide fresh water to Jordanians, Israelis and
Palestinians.

The pipeline will take at least three years to build. The project will cost as much as one-thousand-million dollars.
Israel and Jordan hope to pay for it with help from other countries. The project is expected to begin after a nine-
month study is completed.

Israel and Jordan had hoped to cooperate⁸ closely⁹ on a number of issues after they signed a peace agreement in
nineteen-ninety-four. However, tensions¹⁰ have increased between them since the current Palestinian uprising
began two years ago.

Officials from Israel and Jordan described the water project as a major step forward. Experts say the agreement
sends a message that the environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 shrink   

n.收缩，萎缩；vi.收缩，退缩，萎缩；vt.使收缩

参考例句：

• Washing wool in hot water will shrink it.在热水中洗毛织品会使其缩水。
• This cloth won't shrink when it's washed.这种布下水不缩。

2 shrinking   

a.畏缩的，犹豫不决的

参考例句：

• She purposely made the dress larger to allow for shrinking when it was washed. 她故意把衣服做大一些，以防洗时缩水。
• I can't imagine why a dynamic young woman like her is marrying a shrinking violet like him. 我不能想像，像她这样一个充满活力的年轻女子为什么会嫁给他这样一个胆怯害羞的人。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

5 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。

6 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

7 removal   

n.去除，消除；挪走，移走，搬迁

参考例句：

• After the removal of the soup,fish was served.汤撤去后，鱼就上来了。
• The factory announced its removal to another town.这家工厂宣布迁往另一座城镇。

8 cooperate   

vi.合作，协作，相配合

参考例句：

• We hope we can cooperate even more closely in the future.希望我们今后能更加密切地合作。
• I hope you can cooperate on this matter.我希望你在这件事上能给予合作。

9 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

10 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。