VOA标准英语2010年-Californians Debate Fate of Official S

California has an official animal, the grizzly¹ bear, and a state bird, the California quail².  It has an official grass, purple needle grass, and a state reptile³, the desert tortoise.  It even has an official song, a century-old tune⁴ called "I Love You, California." 

In 1965, California became the first state to name an official rock, a greenish or bluish mineral called serpentine⁵.

But California state senator Gloria Romero was disturbed when she learned that the rock often contains asbestos, which has been linked to a dangerous form of cancer called mesothelioma. "I further learned that serpentine is the state rock for California.  As a member of the health committee for the state of California, I believe that that was an inconsistent message," she said.

Romero is sponsoring the bill to revoke⁶ serpentine's status as the state rock.     

Critics like George Rossman say that is a waste of time.  A mineralogist at the California Institute of Technology, Rossman says serpentine is only dangerous if you grind it up and inhale⁷ the particles. 

He says the type of asbestos contained in the rock, called chrysotile, is dangerous through long-term exposure, but he notes it is not the most hazardous⁸ type of asbestos.  And he says the risk from chrysotile is low when the asbestos is contained. 

He says serpentine, which is also called serpentinite, is formed under the ocean floor and is common in coastal⁹ areas like California. "It represents very important things going on in the geological history of California.  And although the rock itself very occasionally contains asbestos, which formerly¹⁰ was mined commercially in California, the fact is, the rock still remains¹¹ interesting and pretty.  And why are we wasting our time doing this?," he asked.

Today, serpentine has ornamental¹² uses in polished jewelry¹³.  It is widely found in California, with deposits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and in 42 of the state's 58 counties.

Rossman asks what other rocks could replace it as state rock, and for the sake of argument, suggests granite¹⁴. "But if you look at it carefully, you find that granite contains quartz¹⁵, and quartz when its ground to a fine powder and inhaled¹⁶, can cause silicosis," he said.

What about limestone¹⁷ or dolomite, he asks, which are useful in making cement?  He notes that they can contain lead, which is dangerous in high concentrations.

Critics are also suspicious of the one of the bill's endorsers¹⁸.   The group Consumer Attorneys of California is backing Romero's bill, and skeptical¹⁹ opponents say trial lawyers are hoping to publicize and expand their asbestos-related lawsuits²⁰.

Romero admits trial lawyers are among the bill's supporters, but says victims of asbestos-related cancer are at the forefront of the effort. "And we are getting support from the California labor²¹ federation²² as well because many people, especially construction workers, and actually, believe it or not, teachers working in old buildings are often-times exposed to asbestos.  So those who represent workers on the job have come out in support," she said.

George Rossman points to a string of e-mails from American and international colleagues who call the bill misguided, and see it as an example of California foolishness.  Several news editorials have said the state could better spend its time healing a crippled economy.

Senator Romero says her measure highlights a concern for victims of asbestos, while critics like George Rossman say it maligns²³ a fine rock and is based on bad science.  The bill to drop the rock will come up for a vote in early August.
 

1 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。

2 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

3 reptile   

n.爬行动物；两栖动物

参考例句：

• The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
• So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以，你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。

4 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

5 serpentine   

adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• One part of the Serpentine is kept for swimmers.蜿蜒河的一段划为游泳区。
• Tremolite laths and serpentine minerals are present in places.有的地方出现透闪石板条及蛇纹石。

6 revoke   

v.废除，取消，撤回

参考例句：

• The university may revoke my diploma.大学可能吊销我的毕业证书。
• The government revoked her husband's license to operate migrant labor crews.政府撤销了她丈夫管理外来打工人群的许可证。

7 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

8 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

9 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

10 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 ornamental   

adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物

参考例句：

• The stream was dammed up to form ornamental lakes.溪流用水坝拦挡起来,形成了装饰性的湖泊。
• The ornamental ironwork lends a touch of elegance to the house.铁艺饰件为房子略添雅致。

13 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

14 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

15 quartz   

n.石英

参考例句：

• There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
• The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

16 inhaled   

v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。
• Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 limestone   

n.石灰石

参考例句：

• Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。
• Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

18 endorsers   

n.背书人，转让人( endorser的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We hereby agree with the drawers, endorsers and bona fide holders of drafts. 我行在此向汇票的出票人，背书人及合法持有人表示同意。 来自辞典例句
• Marketing experts say celebrity endorsers can increase sales, and improve the company's image. 销售专家说名人支持者能为公司增加销售量，并改善公司的形象。 来自互联网

19 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

20 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

21 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

22 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

23 maligns   

vt.污蔑，诽谤（malign的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：