VOA标准英语2012--Volunteers Clean Up Los Angeles River

Volunteers Clean Up Los Angeles River

Flood control channels encase the Los Angeles River, which is dry for most of the year but springs to life forcefully when the winter rains begin in November and December. Each April, as the waters subside¹, volunteers like Sigita Saliklis clean up the trash caught in the vegetation during the winter.

"It is probably 99 percent plastic bags," said Saliklis. "The rest is cans or plastic cups."

Larger items find their way here as well, says clean-up volunteer Julie Colomes.

"Hoses, bike parts, mattresses², clothes. I have got a couple of jeans. So it is a lot of stuff and I am glad it is getting cleaned," Colomes noted³.

The wildlife is coming back, says California State Senator Kevin de León, who supports the river revitalization.

"You see the beautiful birds that are on this river, and it is like they are not waiting for any politicians, either at the local, state or federal level. Nature is busting⁴ through this concrete," said De León.

Melanie Winter of the environmental group The River Project says the elements of this river form a watershed⁵, an ecosystem⁶ that purifies the water naturally.

"Soil matrix, plants, those all do a good job of helping⁷ to clean out water pollution, so the benefits go on and on and on," Winter said.

The L.A. River cleanup took place on a National Day of Action, called by the non-profit organization Keep America Beautiful. Paul Racs is with the Los Angeles Office of Community Beautification.

"Throughout the country, there are thousands of volunteers that are coming out and participating in community cleanup and beautification programs," said Racs.

The federal government is also supporting river restoration in many Americans cities. This project is special for Pauline Louie of the Los Angeles office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She grew up near the river.

"Not only from a professional standpoint, but from a personal standpoint, I feel vested in taking this on as a personal contribution to seeing the LA River become all that it can be," said Louie.

In Los Angeles, this day of service brings people together around the river, says the founder⁸ of the group Friends of the Los Angeles River, Lewis MacAdams.

"And instead of being a divider of the city, it becomes a gathering⁹ place, like the old gospel song goes, 'We will meet you down by the river,'" said MacAdams.

These volunteers hope to make the 80-kilometer urban waterway an important part of the Los Angeles landscape, as it was in the city's early days two centuries ago. 

1 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

2 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 busting   

打破，打碎( bust的现在分词 )； 突击搜查（或搜捕）； （使）降级，降低军阶

参考例句：

• Jim and his wife were busting up again yesterday. 吉姆和他的妻子昨天又吵架了。
• He figured she was busting his chops, but it was all true. 他以为她在捉弄他，其实完全是真的。

5 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

6 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。