高二2019-2020学年度第33-38期总第787-791期

Nature’s recovery (P16)
辽宁省 抚顺一中    姚成飞

Lead-in
Questions before reading
No 1. What can we conclude from the first paragraph?
No 2. Why was Antarctica likely a rainforest 90 million years ago, according to the text?
No 3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?
Reading 
 
Questions
1. What can we conclude from the first paragraph?
A. Major cities are to blame for most of the air pollution.
B. Reduced human activity has been good for the environment.
C. The novel coronavirus outbreak resulted from human activity.
D. The novel coronavirus outbreak has warned humans to protect nature.
      While the human world is suffering from the novel coronavirus outbreak, our planet is actually showing certain signs of “recovery” from the damage caused by human activity. According to the BBC, new satellite images released by the European Space Agency showed that levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gases have “fallen sharply” in major cities in Europe and the United States ever since the lockdown started.
2. Why was Antarctica likely a rainforest 90 million years ago, according to the text?
A. Its Cretaceous greenhouse climate was found to be unextreme.
B. Proof of high greenhouse gas concentrations were discovered there.
C. Typical products of a rainforest were found underground.
D. Traces of dinosaurs living in rainforests were found underground.
 
….. A team of scientists drilled (钻) a hole into the seafloor in west Antarctica and extracted (提取) material from underground, in which they found traces of roots, spores and pollen – typical products of a rainforest – that dated back 90 million years ago.u In other words, Antarctica was very likely a rainforest back when the dinosaurs walked on Earth.
3. Which of the following would the author probably agree with?
A. Human activity doesn’t pose much of a threat to Antarctica. 
B. Little can be done to stop extreme change in Antarctica.
C. The lockdown can be used to slow down global warming.
D. We should reduce carbon dioxide emissions for our own sake.

       Ice or no ice, Antarctica will be – and has always been – fine with extreme changes. The human world, however, may not be.
      Now, during the coronavirus lockdown, we’ve seen the changes resulting from less human activity. Hopefully, we’ll hold on to those changes – not for Antarctica or the planet, but for ourselves.           
Word learning
1.Release  [ri'li:s]
Let go
To allow sth to be shown or bought publicly
To let sb or sth to come out of a location

1) 别松开绳子。
Don’t release the rope.
2) 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere.
2.Melt
To cause sth solid to become liquid

覆盖南极的冰已经开始融化了。
The ice covering the Antarctic has begun to melt.

3.concentration
complete attention
concentrate vi.
1. 外面的噪杂声让我走神了。
I lost concentration because of the noise outside.

2. 外面的嘈杂声让我难以集中注意力。
The noise outside made it difficult for me to concentrate.

1.Co-author
co-  
together; with:
co-ownership
a co-writer/co-author
Appalling poverty and great wealth coexist in the city.
2.Overnight
over-     prefix      across:
Of course, the overland route is much slower than going by air.
over-     more than:
A club for over-50s
over-    too much or more than usual:
The children got rather over-excited (too excited).
3.Outbreak
out- 1  
used to add the meaning 'not central' to nouns and adjectives:
the outskirts of town (the areas that form the edge of the town) 
out- 2  
add the meaning of 'going beyond' or 'being better than' to verbs:
She doesn't drink or smoke and I'm sure she'll outlive (live longer than) us all.
out- 3  
add the meaning 'out of' or 'away from' to nouns and adjectives:
She turned away from their outstretched hands (hands held out).
Collect key phrases
1.Suffer from 
2.recover from 
3.date back  to
4.result from
5.hold on to
 
      While the human world is suffering from (to experience physical or mental pain
) the novel coronavirus outbreak, our planet is showing certain signs of “recovery” from (to get back something lost, especially health, ability, possessions, etc.
) the damage caused by human activity.
A team of scientists drilled (钻) a hole into the seafloor in west Antarctica and extracted (提取) material from underground, in which they found traces of roots, spores and pollen – typical products of a rainforest – that dated back (To have lasted since the date of building or origin) 90 million years ago. In other words, Antarctica was very likely a rainforest back when the dinosaurs walked on Earth.
Now, during the coronavirus lockdown, we’ve seen the changes resulting from (To be the result of; happen because of) less human activity. Hopefully, we’ll hold on to (To keep) those changes – not for Antarctica or the planet, but for ourselves.

Challenge the sentence
 
 
Structure of the article
 
Think deeply
Why did the writer write this article?
Writing purpose
Why did the writer write this article?
Homework
Please write a short article about what you should do to protect the environment.