VOA慢速英语 2008 0318b

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - An International Appeal to Cut Smoking Rates Through Six Policies
Also: An effort to find evidence of climate change in plants. And researchers develop a kind of rubber that can repair itself. Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
17 March 2008

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty².

VOICE TWO:
　

The WHO says tobacco causes more than five million deaths a year

And I'm Barbara Klein. On our program this week, we will tell about an international appeal to reduce smoking rates. We will also tell about an American effort to find signs of climate change in spring flowers. And, we will report on a product that can repair itself after breaking.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The World Health Organization is urging countries to follow six policies to prevent millions of deaths linked to tobacco use. The six policies are known as MPOWER, spelled M-P-O-W-E-R.

The letter M means monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies. The P is for protecting people by establishing smoke-free areas. O is for offering services to help people stop smoking. The letter W means warning people about the dangers of tobacco. E is for enforcing bans on tobacco advertising³ and other forms of marketing⁴. And R is for raising taxes on tobacco.

VOICE TWO:

A World Health Organization report says raising taxes is the single most effective way to reduce tobacco use. A study found that governments now collect an average of five hundred times more money in tobacco taxes each year than they spend on control efforts.

The report says tobacco now causes more than five million deaths a year. It predicts this number will rise to more than eight million by the year two thousand thirty. By the end of the century, it says, tobacco could kill one billion people -- ten times as many as in the twentieth century.

The large majority of these deaths will take place in developing countries. More than twenty-five percent of all smokers⁵ in the world are Chinese. India, Indonesia, Russia and the United States, in that order, follow China in tobacco use.

VOICE ONE:

The W.H.O. found that only five percent of all people live in countries with protections like national legislation⁶ on smoke-free areas or bans on tobacco marketing. Forty percent of countries still permit smoking in hospitals and schools.

An international treaty on tobacco control came into force in two thousand five.

Tobacco companies face increasingly restrictive marketplaces in many wealthier countries. The industry is now aiming at the developing world, especially young women. The report says large numbers of people do not yet know the dangers of smoking.

VOICE TWO:

W.H.O. Director General Margaret Chan notes that tobacco hurts economies in two ways. One is through reduced productivity⁷ among workers who get lung cancer or other diseases linked to tobacco use. The other way is through high health care costs for treating those diseases.

The W.H.O. report was released in New York City. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has worked hard to restrict smoking in America's largest city. His aid group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, helped pay for the study.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

You are listening to the VOA Special English program SCIENCE IN THE NEWS. With Barbara Klein, I'm Bob Doughty in Washington.

(MUSIC)

Volunteers across the United States have begun searching for clues about rising temperatures on Earth. A nationwide study is seeking volunteers to look for changes in flowers and flowering plants. They are being asked to keep records of their observations in a database⁸ on the Internet. Study organizers say the information will give scientists a better understanding of climate change.

VOICE TWO:

The study, called Project Budburst, is to continue all year. This will permit the observation of all plants in different parts of the country. Plant lovers, students and other people in every state are welcome to take part.

The goal of the study is to help people of all ages understand the changing link between climate, seasons and plants. It also gives them a way to share their findings with others through the Internet.

The University Corporation of Atmospheric¹⁰ Research is supervising¹¹ Project Budburst. The group says thousands of people in twenty-six states recorded their observations during the project’s first launch last year. Scientists received information about hundreds of different kinds of plants. Volunteers provided details about the appearance of their plant’s first bursts of growth for the season.

VOICE ONE:

This is how Project BudBurst works. Each volunteer agrees to watch one or more plants, usually a flower, plant or tree. Volunteers can get help from the project’s Web site. It suggests more than sixty trees and flowers with information about each of them. Volunteers can also add their own choices.

Next, they begin examining their plants at least one week before the usual time when the new flower, or bud⁹, bursts and leaves begin to form. This is known as budburst. Volunteers continue to observe their plant or flower for events following budburst. They look for the first leaf, first flower and later, the spreading of seeds. When volunteers record their findings on the Web site, they can see maps of other results across the United States.

VOICE TWO:

Sandra Henderson is project coordinator¹² for Project BudBurst. She says climate change may be affecting our communities in ways that we do not notice.

Many different kinds of plants and animals are affected¹³ by climate change. Rising temperatures cause some plants to extend their growing periods. Many insects reproduce¹⁴ and develop because of increasing sunlight instead of temperature. This can cause a difference between the behavior of insects like bees and flowers that open much earlier than the insects expect. This problem has already been reported across many parts of the world.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Broken rubber bands and flat tires requiring replacement¹⁵ could soon be a thing of the past.

French researchers have developed a new kind of rubber that can repair itself when broken. The new rubber is made from widely available materials including vegetable oil and a common industrial chemical. All the materials are considered safe to the environment and can be easily reused.

The best part is the new rubber can be repaired and used again and again without losing its strength or ability to stretch. When cut, the rubber can be made new again, simply by pressing the two broken ends back together.

The product can be repaired at room temperature, around twenty degrees Celsius¹⁶. Other self-healing materials require higher temperatures for repair.

VOICE TWO:

Traditionally, rubber substances are made from huge molecules¹⁸ connected by strong chemical links, or bonds. The new rubber is made of smaller molecules. The molecules are linked together using hydrogen bonds. When connected in this way, the molecules act like one long molecule¹⁷, forming what is called supramolecular networks. When the rubber is cut or breaks, the molecules attempt to connect with whatever molecule is near them. When pressed together, the molecules are able to repair themselves at the molecular¹⁹ level, making the repaired rubber like new.

However, time is an important element in the process. If the broken ends are not brought together quickly, a repair is not possible. This is because molecules will form bonds with molecules on their own side. The inventors say the surfaces of the rubber can be repaired within a week of being separated.

VOICE ONE:

The rubber is the creation²⁰ of scientists at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Education Institution in Paris. The organization is part of France's National Center for Scientific Research. The new material is described in greater detail in the research publication Nature.

The possibilities for the new rubber seem endless. It could lead to clothing that fixes its own tears and children's toys that can be repaired. It also could lead to inflatable products that do not leak, at least not for long. A chemical company, Arkema, is already working on using the new rubber in its products. Products made with the rubber could be available within one or two years.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Brianna Blake, Lawan Davis and Caty Weaver²¹. Brianna Blake was also our producer. I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Read and listen to our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

6 legislation   

n.立法，法律的制定；法规，法律

参考例句：

• They began to draft legislation.他们开始起草法规。
• The liberals band together against the new legislation.自由党员联合一致反对新的立法。

7 productivity   

n.生产力，生产率，多产

参考例句：

• Farmers are introducing in novations which increase the productivity.农民们正引进提高生产力的新方法。
• The workers try to put up productivity.工人设法提高生产率。

8 database   

n.数据库 （=databank）

参考例句：

• I discovered some new information in the database.我在资料库里发现了一些新信息。
• We planned to build an online database.我们计划建一个联机数据库。

9 bud   

vi.发芽，萌芽；n.芽，花蕾

参考例句：

• Some flowers bud their leaves very early in spring.有些花在春季里很早发出叶来。
• A bad habit in a child should be nipped in the bud.应该尽早把孩子的坏习惯改过来。

10 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

11 supervising   

v.监督，管理( supervise的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She had something to do in the house, supervising that native. 她待在家里，究竟还有点儿事情可以做做，可以监视那个土人。 来自辞典例句
• In addition, nuisance law fails to provide a systematic mechanism for supervising emissions. 另外，妨害法不能提供一个监督排放的系统性机制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

13 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。

14 reproduce   

v.生育，繁殖，复制，重做

参考例句：

• The machine can reproduce a key in two minutes.这机器能在两分钟内复制一把钥匙。
• The picture will reproduce well.这照片会印得很清楚。

15 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

16 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

17 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

18 molecules   

分子( molecule的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

19 molecular   

adj.分子的；克分子的

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
• For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。

20 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。

21 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。