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The Kyoto Protocol: Saving Our Planet 京都协议救地球

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Global warming is having a grave impact on the health of our planet. Increased heat-trapping greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are blamed for the melting of polar ice caps, which ___1___ has caused the sea level to rise. Cities like New York and Los Angeles are starting to notice their coastlines ___2___. This is the ___3___ of the greenhouse effect, something that advocates of the Kyoto Protocol hope to combat.

全球暖化正对我们星球的健康造成严重影响。极区冰帽的融化归咎于温室效应所产生的热气，例如二氧化碳；而冰帽的融化则又导致海平面上升。像是纽约和洛杉矶等城市已开始注意到其消失中的海岸线。这些就是温室效应的现况，也是京都协议拥护者们希望搏斗的对象。

The Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in Kyoto, Japan in 1997, called for all participating countries to ___4___ their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2%. The target is based on 1990 emission levels, and the countries must achieve the goal by 2012. This international accord is seen as an important step in stopping the rise in the earth’s temperature.

1997年于日本京都谈判通过的京都协议要求所有参与国降低5.2%的温室气体排放率。这项目标是根据1990年的排放标准所定，而这些国家必须在2012年前达到。这项国际性协议被认为是阻止地球温度上升的一大步。

The world’s biggest polluter, the U.S., has signed the treaty. ___5___, the U.S. government declines to adopt the treaty formally, fearing that it would be harmful to its economy. This reluctance stems from the fact that developing economies are not ___6___ the rules of the protocol.

世上最大的污染国美国已签署此项条约。遗憾地是，美国政府因害怕此条约会损害其经济而拒绝正式采纳。这样的冷漠以对源于开发中国家可不受协议条文限制的事实。

The clock is ticking, however. Owing to abnormal climate change, severe storms across the globe are shaking homes ___7___ their foundations. In addition, droughts are stealing food from the mouths of the world’s hungry. The Kyoto Protocol seems to be our only hope. If we are committed enough, we can make progress in undoing some of the damage we have done.

然而，时间仍滴滴答答地流逝。由于异常的气候变迁，全球各地的剧烈风暴将会把房子从地基上摇晃下来。除此之外，干旱也正从世界上饥饿人口的嘴里盗取食物。京都协议似乎是我们唯一的希望。如果我们够投入的话，将可大为弥补我们已造成的伤害。

−By Joe Henley

Vocabulary

advocate [ˋædvəkɪt] n. 提倡者；拥护者

combat [ˋkɑmbæt] v. 与……对抗，反对

treaty [ˋtritɪ] n. 条约，协议

stem from 起源于

committed [kəˋmɪtɪd] adj. 坚定的

More Information

grave [grev] adj. 重大的; 严重的

heat-trapping [hitˋtræpɪŋ] adj. 吸热的

carbon dioxide 二氧化碳

emission [ɪˋmɪʃən] n. 放出,排出

be based on 以…为基础,以…为根据

accord [əˋkɔrd] n.（国家之间的）协议；条约

adopt [əˋdɑpt] v. 采取；采纳

reluctance [rɪˋlʌktəns] n. 不情愿；勉强

owing to: 因为 because of; on account of

undo [ʌnˋdu] v. 消除

be subject [ˋsʌbdʒɪkt] to: 受...控制; 易受…影响的 limited to

Answer