VOA慢速英语2015 2015年地球日:骑自行车、徒步旅行和植树

AS IT IS 2015-04-23 Earth Day 2015: Biking, Hiking and Planting Trees 2015年地球日:骑自行车、徒步旅行和植树

April 22 is the 45th anniversary¹ of Earth Day. This year’s theme is “It’s Our Turn to Lead.” The organization, Earth Day Network, says a huge number of people have joined the environmental movement since the first Earth Day in 1970.

Back then, about 20 million people around the world were mobilized³. This year, more than one billion people are planning to take action to protect the planet⁴. And the events will be large and small.

In Plant City, Florida, a community garden is holding its first Earth Day fundraiser. The Plant City Commons Community Garden celebration will be held outdoors. The event will include food, music and workshops on gardening. But visitors can also shop for plants, gardening tools and local farm goods. Artists and artisans will also display their goods for sale. Proceeds⁵ from the event will help support the garden.

Garden President Karen Elizabeth told the Plant City newspaper that the group always wanted to organize a family-fun day.

In Washington, D.C., the Earth Day celebration will be out of this world. NASA is hosting a series of events on the National Mall and at Union Station.

NASA is also celebrating an environmental anniversary. Twenty years ago the American space agency⁶ and the National Science Foundation⁷ established the science and education program known as GLOBE. That stands for Global Learning⁸ and Observations to Benefit the Environment.

The program connects students, teachers, and professional and citizen scientists. They participate in science data collection by conducting real, hands-on science in their local communities.

Some GLOBE students from West Virginia will celebrate Earth Day at Union Station in Washington. They are to present results from their research on water health at a West Virginia creek⁹. In Thailand, participants will hold a workshop on the use of GLOBE research to control mosquito populations.

Other activities are more physical.

In Beijing, a hiking group will clean up and carry away trash along part of the Great Wall. An environmental group in Singapore will also do some cleanup although its focus is the island’s coasts.

Africa is getting into Earth Day with events including tree-planting projects in Cameroon and Uganda. In Lagos, participants will work on an educational campaign to teach the city about the need to cut carbon emissions¹⁰.

In Peru, celebrants can take part in a biking event. Others can attend a ceremony to start up a new wind turbine¹¹ and bring a renewable energy source to a rural¹² community.

There are hundreds of Earth Day events taking place around the world. Many will continue beyond a single day.

Are you doing anything for Earth Day? We want to hear about it. You can post your answer in the comments section.

Words in This Story

mobilize² – v. to bring (people) together for action

fundraiser – n. a social event held to collect money for a political party, charity, school, etc.

hike – v. to walk a long distance especially for pleasure or exercise

focus – n. a main purpose or interest

wind turbine – n. a tall structure that has large blades attached to an engine and that is used to produce electricity

1 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

2 mobilize   

vt.动员，调动，鼓动起；vi.动员起来

参考例句：

• The troops received orders to mobilize.部队接到动员令。
• He is trying to mobilize all the supporters.他正在竭力把所有的支持者动员起来。

3 mobilized   

动员起来，调动，鼓动起( mobilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The unions mobilized thousands of workers in a protest against the cuts. 各级工会组织了数千名工人抗议削减工资。
• Faced with crisis, people mobilized. 面对危机，民众动员起来了。

4 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

5 proceeds   

n.（pl）收益

参考例句：

• She sold her car and bought a piano with the proceeds. 她卖掉了汽车，然后用这笔收入买了一架钢琴。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction. 他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

6 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

7 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

8 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。

9 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

10 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

11 turbine   

n.涡轮机，叶轮机，透平机

参考例句：

• A disadvantage of the turbine is that it is not reversible.涡轮机的一个缺点就是它不可以反转。
• Before the air enters the turbine，fuel is sprayed into it.在空气进入涡轮之前，燃料就喷进了。

12 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。