现代大学英语 第三册 Unit5 Silent Spring

1、,Silent Spring Rachel Carson,Unit 5,Work in pairs to name environmental problems that are threatening our world.,sand storm,desertification,soil erosion,deforestation,salinization,Environmental Problems,Air-related environmental problems Greenhouse effect Ozone depletion Air pollution water-related

2、environmental problems Acid rain Wastewater Water crisis Marine pollution and acidification,Land-related environmental problems Problems arising from inefficient land use (urban sprawl, habitat fragmentation, habitat destruction) Problems arising from land pollution and degradation (desertification,

3、 land pollution, soil pollution) Other environmental problems The use of pesticides Inefficient use of resources and energy crisis Non-recyclable waste (plastic and electronic waste) Genetic engineering (genetically modified foods) Nuclear development,We are faced with all kinds of environmental pro

4、blems nowadays. But what is the one that Rachel Carson dealt with in her book Silent Spring? Does Carson mean that insecticides should never be used in agriculture? How do you see the environmental problems in your city? How should our government do? and how should we citizens of this city do?,Previ

5、ew Questions,1. Content promising; (of plants) growing well The town lay among booming (or well growing) farms. In spring, flowers floated above the green fields just like clouds.,set up: to cause, produce, raise: a wall a blaze of color: an impressive and noticeable show of colors 色彩斑斓 Para:In autu

6、mn, the oak, maple and birch trees turned yellow, red or brown, thus making a beautiful show of colors against the dark green of pine trees. Pay attention to Carsons use of color in describing the town before its environment was contaminated,3. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of co

7、lor that flamed and flickered across .,flicker v./n. a. to move with small quick movements 摇曳 b. (of a light or a flame) to keep going on and off as it shines or burns 忽明忽暗 e.g: shadows flickering on the wall leaves flickering in the wind The candle flickered in the wind. A smile flickered across hi

8、s face. flame: a.burn with a brighter flame b. glow or shine like (the colour of) flames e.g. The autumn woods flamed with color.,4. The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety,abundance: n a large quantity of sth China has an abundance of natural resource. In abundance 大量，充足

9、Abundant adj This area is abundant in petroleum deposit. abound V The stream abounds with fish. Migrant: n (1) 候鸟，迁徙动物 （2）移民，移居者 Immigrants/migrate/migration,-Then, as if by some evil power, disaster fell on the community: Strange diseases quickly struck down large numbers of chicken; the cattle and

10、 sheep became ill and died. Spell: words that make magical things happen Note the use of unit words in English: a flock of chicken/sheep/tourists; a herd of cattle/elephants,5. Then some evil spell settled on the community: mysterious diseases swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sicke

11、ned and died.,-No birds came to feed on what was there at the feeding stations. Deserted: forsaken; visited by nobody (here birds) A street /island,6. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted.(-4),7. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of scores of bird voices ther

12、e was now no sound;(-4),- The morning air used to vibrate with the singing of birds, but there was now no sound. Throb: v (1) (of a part of the body) to feel a series of regular painful movements 抽动，抽筋； （2）to beat or sound with a strong, regular rhythm 跳动，搏动；(3) (of a place) to have a lot of life, e

13、nergy地方充满了活力 Our campus is throbbing with life.,Contrast: a town before to a certain extent/degree Mold: v to strongly influence the way sbs character, attitude and etc 对影响重大，塑造成 Parents are responsible for molding childrens physical and psychological health.,10. Considering the whole span of earthl

14、y time, the opposite effect, in which life actually modifies its surroundings, has been relatively slight.(-10),-When we think of the long history of life on earth, the degree (or extent) that living things affect their environment has been insignificant as compared with the effect of the environmen

15、t on plant and animal life.,11. but it has changed in character.(-11),but the nature of this power to alter the environment has changed. In the past, to survive humans made use of what nature offered, for example, by cutting down trees, damming rivers; now they create things that did not exist, such

16、 as chemicals and unnatural radiation.,Assault: v./n the act of attacking some place in order to control it On the early morning of Dec 7th, 1941, Japanese navy launched an assault on Pearl Harbor. Contamination: the state of being polluted Contaminate v 污染 contaminant n 污染物 Lethal: causing or able

17、to cause death (deadly, fatal) A lethal nuclear weapon,12. This pollution is for the most part irrecoverable.(-11),-In most cases, the polluted air, soil, and rivers and the sea cannot be restored to their original natural state. Irrecoverable: sth you cannot get back无法挽回的 irreparable (not reparable

18、); incurable; irremediable,13. Chemicals sprayed on croplands or forests or gardens lie long in soil, entering into living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death.(-11),lie long in soil: they stay in soil for a long time because they dont break down chemically there

19、entering into living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death: the chemicals that insecticides contain are likely to enter birds and animals in food, and then pass out in waste matter from their bodies, get into the soil and are absorbed by the plants that grow on it.

20、 When birds and animals and people eat the plants, these substances again are taken into their bodies. This process goes on and on endlessly, poisoning plant and animal life alike. In short, the chemicals tend to be endlessly recycled in the food chains.,14. Given time-time not in years but in mille

21、nnia-life adjusts, and a balance has been reached.(-12),-When the environment changes, living things can adapt to their new surroundings, but it is a long process and it takes millennia of years for life to be in harmony with their modified world again. millennia of years: thousands of years,15. But

22、 in the modern world there is no time.(-12) -But in the modern world, life has no time to adjust itself to the change of environment, for mans power to temper with nature has become too great. (Man is so eager to change nature for short-term benefits, he does not think of the long-term interest of h

23、is own species.),16. The rapidity of change follows the impetuous pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature.(-13) The environment no longer changes slowly according to the laws of nature. Rather, it is rapidly changed by shortsighted, profit-seeking mankind. Therefore adjustment can neve

24、r keep up with change, and a new balance between living things and their environment can hardly be reached.,1. Impetuous: (impulsive) (1) characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; (2) marked by violent force; Youngsters are usually more impetuous than old people. Dont make im

25、petuous promises. 2. deliberate: adj (1) done on purpose (2) done slowly and carefully v. to think carefully deliberate on/ upon 仔细研究，考虑 The old man spoke in a slow and deliberate way. He deliberated on whether to buy the villa. Cf: deliberate/reflect/meditate/ponder,17. Radiation is now the unnatur

26、al creation of mans tampering with the atom.(-13) Tamper with: to meddle or interfere with 任意破坏，损害，篡改，瞎搞 .The machine will self-destruct if you tamper with it . . Please do not tamper with my feelings. In the past, radiation was only sent out from radioactive substances in certain rock; today man cr

27、eates such harmful rays by splitting the nucleus of the atom of such substance as radium.,18. The chemicals are the synthetic creations of mans inventive mind, having no counterparts in nature.(-13) -Nature does not produce such things as chemicals. They are man-made, i.e. the result of mans creativ

28、e power. Synthetic: artificial,1. Why are pesticides not a good solution? (3 reasons) They kill indiscriminately, reducing biodiversity. (para. 16) They contaminate the entire environment. (para. 16) residual effect They couldnt solve the pest problem. (para. 17) resistance to chemicals resurgence i

29、nduced by pesticides,Text Analysis,Detailed Analysis,Part IV: Discussion (15-18),2. What does the “endless spiral” refer to? (para. 17) 3. What does the author mean by saying “all life is caught up in its violent crossfire”? (para. 17) 4. What is the authors attitude towards mans use of chemicals? H

30、ow is it implied? Rhetorical questions: “Can anyone believe it is ?”(para. 16) “How could intelligent beings?” (para. 18),Text Analysis,Detailed Analysis,Part IV: Discussion,19. These chemicals are now applied almost universally to farms, gardens, forests, and homes(-16) apply sth to: （1）应用于，实践于；适合，

31、符合 （2）涂抹，擦上 （3）apply oneself to 专心于，投身于 （4）apply for 寻求工作，职位 e.g: We should apply what we have learned to practice. She never goes out without applying sun cream to/on her face and neck. My son is applying himself to the new toy truck. Im writing to apply for a position of a manager. Words: applicat

32、ion, applicant,20. to still the song of birds and the leaping of fish, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in soil(-16) to kill the birds and fish, to cover the leaves with a thin layer of death-causing chemicals and stay in soil for a long time Linger on: (1) stay or remain for

33、a long time (1)继续残留 （2）留恋往返，意犹未尽 （3）苟延残喘 Though I am back from Paris, yet my memories linger on. The delicious taste can linger on the plate a long time. Though desperately ill he could linger on for months,21. The whole process of spraying seems caught up in an endless spiral.(-17) be caught up in:

34、 to become involved in, often against your wishes, e.g. Many innocent people was caught up in the dispute. an endless spiral: a never-ending, continuous upward movement, Paraphrase: The more insecticides are sprayed, the less effective they will become in destroying the “pests”. Then more deadly che

35、micals will be developed to kill them. This process will go on endlessly.,22. Darwins principle of the survival of the fittest(-17) In his On the Origin of Species (1859), Darwin developed his theory of evolution. According to this theory, plants and animals that can best adapt themselves to their e

36、nvironment will continue to live and develop, while plants and animals that do not have these qualities gradually disappear. This process is called natural selection. “Survival of the fittest” is a quote from “Principles of Biology” by the English philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820-1903). Today the p

37、hrase is often used to refer to any situation in which unsuccessful competitors are quickly destroyed or defeated.,1. What principles should we follow to solve the pest problem? (para. 19) 2. How did the pest problem come into being? intensification of agriculture (para. 20) invasion of imported spe

38、cies (paras. 21-23) 3. Does spreading of organisms to new places happen in nature? How does it happen? What is the primary factor in this natural process? geological element, i.e. separating and rejoining of lands which took millions of years to complete (para. 21),Text Analysis,Detailed Analysis,Pa

39、rt V: Discussion,24. Natureholds the species within bounds by the built-in checks and balances. (-20) Nature keeps living things in proportion, regulating their number through the check and balance mechanisms of itself. In other words, when the population of one species is too big/small, Nature has

40、a way of leveling it off.,Para 20: words and phrases,Within bounds Built-in checks and balance 内在的制约与平衡 Habitat:生活习性 Set the stage for: pave the way for Build up: increase, strengthen Be intermingled with: be mixed with,out of bounds a. If a place is out of bounds, people are not allowed to go there

41、. b. If something is out of bounds, people are not allowed to do it, use it, see it, or know about it. Examples: All our trading activities are within the bounds of the law. This area is out of bounds to unconcerned persons.,within bounds （para 20） being under legal or moral obligation,50,Nature has

42、 introduced great variety into the landscape and holds the species within bounds by the built-in checks and balances.(para20),a mechanism of controlling or preventing from sth and keeping them in a stable position,paraphrase,Nature keeps living things in an appropriate percentage/proportion/scale an

43、d regulates their number through the check-balance mechanisms of itself.,51,immune to (para17),adj. a. not affected by a given influence b. not subject to an obligation imposed on others be immune to sth : be not affected by be immune from sth: avoid being affected Be immune to persuasion Be immune

44、from taxation Be immune from criminal prosecution 免于刑事诉讼 Be immune to disease 对疾病有免疫力的 Be not immune to the influence around us,不能不受周围环境的影响,不能被说服的,免于纳税,52,Intensify （para20） v. make intense or more intense,intensified image The press has intensified its scrutiny of his background.,放大像 新闻界已增强了对他 背景的调

45、查。,intense （强度，数量或程度）强烈的，剧烈的； （感情或感受）强烈的，极度的 intense emotions intense heat an intense writer,深情 酷暑 感受深刻的作者,53,intensive training research-intensive intensive care,强化训练 研究密集型的 悉心照顾,intensive 深入细致的，加强的， 强化的,set the stage for (para20) v. prepare for Examples: The presidents recent death set the stage f

46、or a military coup.军事政变 Will this agreement merely set the stage for another war?,54,An insect that lives on wheat can build up its population to much higher levels on a farm (developed to wheat) than on one in which wheat is intermingled with other crops to which the insect is not adapted.(para20),

47、depend on sth for survival,reach a point/degree,one farm,mix together,The population of an insect that lives on wheat on a farm specializing in the production of wheat is much higher than that on a farm producing multiple-crops , because the insect cannot be adjusted to it.,Paraphrase,55,confine(par

48、a21) v./n. keep within bounds, restrict,Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. The sick child was confined to bed.,restrict, limit, tie down She doesnt want children because they will tie her down. Tied down to a schedule, we can not alter time casually. I limit/confine myself to 3 cups

49、of coffee a day. Try to limit/confine your talk to ten minutes. They succeeded in confining/restricting the fire to a small area. The woods restrict/confine our vision.,56,57,In new territory, out of reach of the restraining hand of the natural enemies that kept down its numbers in its native land,

50、an invading plant or animal is able to become enormously abundant.（para23）,outside the distance to which sb. can stretch out of their hands,In new region, the number of the natural enemies in its native home decrease , the population of an introduced plant or animal are spreading colossally/ reprodu

51、ced enormously.,Paraphrase,Thus it is no accident that our most troublesome insects are introduced species. (23),It is certain, unavoidable,Thats why the most troublesome insects in our country are brought in from other places.,“it” is used as an anticipatory subject,Paraphrase,58,Question: What is

52、the difference between the natural spreading of species and the man-assisted process? And how does this process contribute to the pest problem?,The natural spreading of the species involves the restraining hand of natural enemies that keep down its numbers in its native land. An alien species is int

53、roduced by man into a new territory finds no natural enemies, thus becoming enormously abundant in number.,59,There are four factors account for the insect problems. One is the devotion of immense acreage to a single group. The other is the spreading of thousands of different kind of organisms from

54、their native lands. The former creates a good condition for the increasing of insect population. The latter is insects natural development that is based on the change of natural environment , and accelerated by mans changing environment. The third is that with new plant imported， abroad animals are

55、inevitably brought into. The last is that in new territory, introduced insects have no natural enemies, so its population increase dramatically.,What led to insect problems?,60,damp （para24）,a./v./n. a. slightly b. moisten c. restrain or check; Discourage Damp down: to control, and reduce, to supres

56、s,Examples: I dont like to sleep between damp sheets. His clothes were damped in the rain. The rain damped their spirit. His remarks damp down their enthusiasm.,61,v. a. strive in opposition or against difficulties; struggle b. compete, as in a race; maintain Examples: The armies in the two countrie

57、s are contending for control of the strategic territory. They had to contend with long lines at the airport. The defendant contended that the evidence was inadmissible. n. contention : an argument, dispute,Contend(para24),indiscriminate (para25) a. a. unselective; widespread; wholesale b. confused;

58、chaotic; unrestrained Examples: indiscriminate taste in music indiscriminate violence the indiscriminate use of pesticides the indiscriminate policies of the previous administration indiscriminate spending,无特殊音乐品味 大规模的暴力事件 杀虫剂的广泛使用 前任内阁令人困惑 的政策 无节制的挥霍,64,I do contend that we have put poisonous and b

59、iologically chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of persons largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm. (para25),Paraphrase My argument /contention is that when we put the large amount of chemicals into peoples hands, we dont distinguish poisonous chemicals from powerfully effective chemicals on living things , and people dont know completely about the potential harm of the chemicals.,subject v. a. experience b. expose c. subm