VOA标准英语2010-Week-long Earth Celebration Culminates wi

A week-long Earth Day celebration has ended in Washington, D.C.  The Earth Day Network hosted performances and information sessions to show people how to conserve¹ natural resources and keep their communities clean. 

For the past week people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC to take part in Earth Day activities.  Usually a one-day event, the celebration continued for several days around the actual holiday.

In its 40th year, Earth Day is intended to bring awareness² about what people can do in their everyday lives to contribute to a cleaner more sustainable planet.   An organization devoted³ to promoting a variety of environmental issues, the Earth Day Network, hosted events around the world to bring awareness to waste management, climate change, energy conservation, and other earth-driven agendas.

Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers says everyone can contribute. "People can do things in their own lives, with their children, they can do work in their communities to improve it and once you take those steps,  the next logical step is to make sure that your government officials are doing the right thing," she said.

To ensure American citizens that government officials are doing the right thing, President Barack Obama spoke⁴ about progress the government has made on environmental issues. "Since taking office we have seized that opportunity with your help.  We have made a historic investment in clean energy, which will not only create the jobs of tomorrow, but will also lay the foundation for long-term economic growth.  We have continued to invest in innovators and entrepreneurs that want to unleash⁵ the next wave of clean energy.  We have strengthened our investment in our most precious resources - the air we breathe, the water we drink, the parks and public spaces we enjoy," he said.

The final Earth Day themed event took place Sunday.  The Environmental Protection Agency, students and other organizations with ideas for a more sustainable future filled large white tents on the mall.  They sat at tables and explained their plans to make the world a better place to live.

These students from Loyola University in Chicago are demonstrating how to transform ordinary cooking oil into fuel for cars.  They're start off by frying potatoes, then put the remaining oil into this system to be converted into useable energy.  This bio-fuel is an alternative to gasoline and is less harmful to the Earth.

With the many stands available, patrons like Erin Gigliuzza say they cannot help but learn something new about the environment. "I learned you can heat chicken feathers and use it as hydrogren to replace gas in your car," she said.

The festivities concluded with performances by musicians, Sting, John Legend, The Roots and several other acts.
 

1 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。