1) T
2) T
【原文】
Israel and Jordan recently announced that they would work together to help save the Dead
Sea from shrinking. Government officials said the joint project would help the sea, protect the area's unusual wildlife and increase the number of visitors to the area. The announcement was made during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development earlier this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Dead Sea is on the border between Israel and Jordan. It is 365 meters below sea level.
That is the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea is the saltiest large body of water in the world.
The area around the Dead Sea has ancient places that are important to Jews, Christians and
Muslims. Minerals in the Dead Sea are used for health treatments. The strange beauty of the sea brings many visitors to the area.
But the Dead Sea is shrinking by almost one meter each year. Most of the water that flows
into the Dead Sea comes from the Jordan River. However, water flowing from the Jordan River has been redirected for other uses in the area. Officials say within the next 50 years, the Dead Sea could shrink to less than half of its current size.
To prevent that, Israel and Jordan plan to build a pipeline more than 300 kilometers long. The
pipeline would pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea. After the pipeline is built, the officials hope to build a canal and a salt removal System that will provide fresh water to Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians.
The pipeline will take at least three years to build. The project will cost as much as 1,000
很全的听力答案,还有听力原文
million dollars. Israel and Jordan hope to pay for it with help from other countries. The project is expected to begin after a nine-month study is completed.
Israel and Jordan had hoped to cooperate closely on a number of issues after they signed a
peace agreement in 1994. However, tensions have increased between them since the current Palestinian uprising began two years ago.
Officials from Israel and Jordan described the water project as a major step forward. Experts
say the agreement sends a message that the environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts.
Task 5:
【答案】
A.
1) 27 percent, higher ocean temperatures，activities by people，60 percent
2) developing countries，off the coast of northeastern Australia，off the Philippines，the Caribbean islands，South America
B.
Coral reefs support many kinds of sea life.
Coral reefs also protect coastal communities in storms.
Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways.
Coral reefs also have become popular stops for travelers.
Corals are even important for medical research.
C.
1) F
2) T
3) T
【原文】
Environmental experts are concerned about the world's coral reefs. A recent study found that
twenty-seven percent of all coral reef systems have been destroyed. Experts believe higher ocean temperatures and activities by people are to blame. The study warns that sixty percent of the reef systems could be permanently lost if nothing is done to stop the problem.
Corals are groups of small organisms called polyps. These polyps live within a skeleton made
of a substance called limestone.
Corals are found in warm waters. Millions of corals grow together to form coral reefs. Coral
reefs are some of the oldest natural systems in the world. The reefs support many kinds of sea life. They can be to important to local and national economies. The reefs also protect coastal
communities in storms.
The World Wildlife Fund paid for the independent report. The group warns that the
destruction of coral reefs will result in severe losses to the world economy. Peter Bryant works with the Endangered Seas Program of the World Wildlife Fund. Mister Bryant notes that most of the reef systems are in developing countries. He says the presence of coral reefs produces money for many economies.
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Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. They also have become
popular stops for travelers. Many people like to swim underwater to see coral reefs. Mister Bryant estimates that the world's coral reefs are worth thirty-thousand-million dollars a year.
The largest in the world is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of northeastern Australia.
Coral reefs also are found in waters off the Philippines, Indonesia, the Caribbean islands, the
United States and South America.
Corals are even important for medical research. Mister Bryant says more than half of all new
cancer drug studies involve sea creatures. For example, he notes there is a reef in the Caribbean with organisms that form the basis of the AIDS drug A-Z-T.
The World Wildlife Fund say coral reefs should be declared protected areas. That way,