媒體英語(yǔ)
Ozone hole: Why Antarctic wildlife is being 'sunburnt' 臭氧層空洞：為什么南極動(dòng)植物被 “曬傷” 了？
科學(xué)家們說(shuō)，近年來(lái)，南極野生動(dòng)植物暴露在紫外線輻射中的時(shí)間有所增加，原因是臭氧層空洞在南極地區(qū)上空的時(shí)間更長(zhǎng)了。臭氧層是地球上層大氣中的氣體保護(hù)屏障。
The ozone layer is healing, but it'll take until about the end of the century to restore completely. In Antarctica, the ozone layer is broken down by chemical reactions in very cold, high atmospheric clouds.
臭氧層正在 “愈合”，但大約要到本世紀(jì)末才能完全恢復(fù)到之前的水平。在南極地區(qū)上空非常寒冷的高空大氣云層的作用下，臭氧層被消耗，導(dǎo)致 “破洞”。
That loss of protective gas and resulting hole used to peak in September or October when plants and animals are tucked under winter snow and marine animals are protected by sea ice. But it's now lingering well into the Antarctic summer.
保護(hù)氣體的流失和由此產(chǎn)生的 “破洞” 曾在9月或10月期間最為嚴(yán)重，不過(guò)那時(shí)動(dòng)植物被冬雪覆蓋，海洋動(dòng)物也有海冰遮蓋受到保護(hù)。但現(xiàn)在，臭氧層出現(xiàn)最大面積空洞這一現(xiàn)象已經(jīng)持續(xù)到了南極的夏季。
Researchers say that's been driven in part by smoke from the Australian wildfires in 2019 and 2020, which were themselves fuelled by climate change.
研究人員們說(shuō)，這在一定程度上是由 2019 年和 2020 年澳大利亞野火產(chǎn)生的煙霧造成的，而這兩場(chǎng)野火本身就是氣候變化的產(chǎn)物。
They found evidence of Antarctic plants putting more effort into synthesising protective sunscreen compounds and krill, marine crustaceans that are the foundation of the food chain in Antarctica, moving deeper into the ocean to avoid ultraviolet rays. While seals and penguins are covered by protective fur and feathers, the scientists say exposure to harmful rays could damage their eyesight.
他們發(fā)現(xiàn)有證據(jù)表明，南極植物正在把更多的能量用于合成起保護(hù)作用的防曬化合物，而磷蝦，即南極洲食物鏈基層的海洋甲殼類(lèi)動(dòng)物，正在向海洋深處移動(dòng)，以躲避紫外線照射。雖然海豹和企鵝的身上覆蓋著起保護(hù)作用的皮毛和羽毛，但科學(xué)家們表示，陽(yáng)光中的紫外線可能會(huì)損害它們的視力。
詞匯表
peak 達(dá)到峰值，達(dá)到最高水平
tucked under 藏在…之下
lingering 遲遲不去的，停留
well into 直到…很久
synthesising 合成
krill 磷蝦
crustaceans 甲殼動(dòng)物
ultraviolet rays 紫外線
2. 閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問(wèn)題。
1. How is the ozone layer broken down in Antarctica?
2. True or False? The hole in the ozone layer is lasting longer than it used to.
3. What do scientists think is partly responsible for the lingering hole in the ozone layer?
4. What evidence is there that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to the change?
3. 答案
1. How is the ozone layer broken down in Antarctica?
The ozone layer in Antarctica is broken down by chemical reactions occurring in very cold, high atmospheric clouds.
2. True or False? The hole in the ozone layer is lasting longer than it used to.
True. The hole in the ozone layer used to peak in September or October, but it's now lingering well into the Antarctic summer.
3. What do scientists think is partly responsible for the lingering hole in the ozone layer?
Scientists believe that the lingering hole in the ozone layer has been driven by smoke from the Australian wildfires in 2019 and 2020.
4. What evidence is there that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to the change?
Evidence that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to change includes Antarctic plants putting more effort into synthesising protective sunscreen compounds, and krill moving deeper into the ocean to avoid ultraviolet rays.
