VOA标准英语2020--水污染引起的健康危机

The World Health Organization says unclean water, poor hygiene¹, and bad sanitation² are linked to four percent of deaths in the world,

and six percent of debilitating³ illnesses including cholera⁴, dysentery, and typhoid.

Many charities are helping⁵, including one group of volunteers based in California.

This is one of the drill bits.

It’s about four inches.

This is a clay cutter.

Employing local drillers water wells for Africa has dug 230 wells in villages in Malawi,a landlocked country in Southeast Africa.

The group has identified 30 other sites for future wells.

Dahlan was working for a faith-based organization in 1994,when he saw how rural Africans got their water.

Even if you have a local river nearby,its polluted by wild animals, livestock⁶.

They wash in it, they drink it, they bathe in it, you know, it’s their only point of water, so every open water source is contaminated.

Malawi is one of Africa’s poorest nations.

But Dahlan says its people are known as warm-hearted.

In fact, their slogan is were the warm heart of Africa.

And they really live up to that.

We found the most hospitable⁷ people you can imagine.

He says local people form committees to keep the wells operating,a crucial component⁸ for each community plan.

So we get five key leaders, male leaders and five female leaders, you know, for not only equality purposes,

but we all know the power of women, and they’re the primary water collectors,

so this thing breaks down, they’re gonna make sure that it gets fixed⁹.

He says after more than 20 years, most of the earliest wells still work.

Dahlans group is one of many organizations providing clean water to local communities,

addressing the worlds other major health crisis. 

1 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

2 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

3 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

4 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

5 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。

6 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

7 hospitable   

adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的

参考例句：

• The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客，无论是他的朋友还是同事，他都盛情接待。
• The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。

8 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。