1、Lesson ThreeShips in the DesertCompare the following:vDesert : n. dezt wildness; waste land; waterless and treeless, often sand covered;vDesert : v. di z:t abandon; give up; go away fromvDeserts: n. di z:ts (usu.pl.) what sb. deservesvDessert: n. di z:t course of fruit, etc. at the end of a meal; (U

2、.S.A) any sweet dish (e.g. pie, pudding, ice-cream) served at the end of a meal; (Gr. Brit.) the sweetFor examplesvThe Sahara DesertvThe streets were deserted. vHe deserted his wife and children and went abroad.vThey are rewarded (punished) according to their deserts.vSome people failed to get their

3、 deserts.vHe is a man of deserts.vDessert fork knife spoon wine1. Introduction about the authorAlGorewasbornin1948inWashingtonD.C.,U.S.HehasbeenaSenator(1984-1992)representingtheStateofTennessee,andU.S.Vice-President(1992-2000)underPresidentBillClinton.HeranforthePresidencyagainstGeorgeW.Bushjr.butt

4、helatterwonthecloselytiedelectionandhasbecomethe43rdAmericanPresident.ThetextistakenfromAlGoresbookEarth in the BalancevAl Gores profound analysis of where humanity has gone wrong ranges across history, politics, science, economics, psychology, philosophy, and religion. vGore demonstrates that the q

5、uality of our air and water is urgently at risk. He clearly illustrates how problems that once were regional have now become global. Gore argues for a worldwide mobilization to save us from disaster. Why did the writer go to the Aral Sea? What did he see there?Some Proper NamesvThe Aral Sea:咸海咸海 (se

6、e Note 2)vGreat Lakes: 五大湖五大湖 (see Note 3) vTrans-Antarctic Mountains : 南極山脈南極山脈 (see Note 4) vFour Oceans: the Atlantic Pacific Indian Arctic OceanvSeven Continents: Asia; North America; Africa; Europe; Australia; Antarctica; South AmericavAntarctic Peninsula: 南極半島南極半島 ，又名，又名 Graham Land 舊名為舊名為 Pal

7、mer PeninsulaSome Proper NamesvArctic Circle:北極圈北極圈vMid-night sun: 午夜太陽午夜太陽 (see Note 8)vOzone depletion: 臭氧層空洞臭氧層空洞 (see Note 16)vOzone is an unstable, pale-blue gas, O3 with a penetrating odor.vDepletion means the gradual using up or destruction of capital asserts esp. of natural resources .vThe p

8、olar region: 南北極地區南北極地區 at the very bottom of the earth; at the other end of our planet; Antarctic as one end and Arctic as the other end. Some Proper NamesvClear Air Act: 凈化空氣法案凈化空氣法案 (see Note 5) one of the oldest environmental laws of the US as well as the most far-reaching, the costliest (the mo

9、st valuable), and the most controversial,. It was passed in 1970.vThe glacier: 冰河、冰川冰河、冰川 n. a slowly moving river or mass of ice and snow that forms in areas where the rate of snowfall constantly exceeds the rate at which the snow melts.vThe polar ice cap：極地冰帽極地冰帽vSubmarine sonar tracks: 水下聲納系統探測水下

10、聲納系統探測vNoctilucent cloud: 夜光云彩夜光云彩vTranslucent: adj. Partially transparent , as frosted glassSome Proper NamesvLatitude: 緯度緯度vIn high northern latitudes 在北緯高緯度地區（距離赤道在北緯高緯度地區（距離赤道很遠的地區）很遠的地區） High latitudes; vlow latitudes：低緯度地區（距離赤道很近的地區）：低緯度地區（距離赤道很近的地區） vWarm cold latitudes; south north latitudev

11、Equator: 赤道赤道vEquatorial: of or near the equatorvLongitude：經度：經度vAltitude: height , esp. above sea-level.vCf. attitude: the position or manner of standing of the body; a manner of feeling and behavingChlorofluorocarbons: CFC 氟里昂氟里昂vChlorine 氯氯vChlorocarbon 氯碳化合物氯碳化合物vFluorine: 氟氟vChlorofluorocarbon

12、: any of a series of gaseous or low-boiling, inert, nonflammable derivatives of methane or ethane, used as refrigerants and solvents and as propellants in aerosol products(of light) that is beyond the purple end of the range of colors (spectrum) that make up light that can be seen by human beingsult

13、raviolet rays: 紫外線紫外線 ultra-: beyond e.g. ultrared （紅外線的紅外線的）, ultrashort （超短波的超短波的）, ultrasonic （超音波超音波的的）, ultramodern（極其現代化的極其現代化的）vAxiom: n. a statement, esp. one that is short, that is generally accepted as true and doesnt need to be proved.vIt is an axiom that if equals are added to equals the

14、 result will be equal.v等量加等量和相等，這是一條公理。等量加等量和相等，這是一條公理。vCf. maxim: n. a rule for good and sensible behavior, esp. when expressed in a short well-known saying 格言，箴言格言，箴言 , 例如：例如：Time and tide waits for no man.NOAA=national oceanic and aeronautic administration 國家海洋和大氣局China has set up two scientific

15、research stations at Trans-Antarctic Mountains : Zhongshan Station in the East and Great Wall in the West.the sun glaring at midnight through a hole in the skythe sun shining at midnight through the ozone depletiona hole: ozone depletion 臭氧層空洞臭氧層空洞AmazonrainforestTheBrazilianAmazoncontainsaboutathir

16、doftheEarthsremainingtropicalforestandaveryhighportionofitsbiologicaldiversity.Onehectare公頃(2.47acres)ofAmazonianmoistforestcontainsmoreplantspeciesthanallofEurope.Yetstillitisbeingdestroyedjustlikeotherrainforestsaroundtheworld.v What does the writer call “ghosts in the sky”?“noctilucent clouds” Th

17、is “luminous cloud” occasionally appears when the earth is first hidden in the evening darkness; shining unsteadily above us with a partially transparent whiteness, these clouds dont seem natural.termiteBiomass：the total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental areaSummary of para

18、1-7Paraplaceproblemcauseseriousnesseffect1Aral sea desertification Ill-considered irrigation plan Size, speed Sea becoming desert 2South Pole Air pollution, ozone depletion Burning skin 3South PoleRising level of CO2s, temperature rising Industrial Revolution Steep lines on the chat, picking up spee

19、dGlobal warming 4North Pole thinning of polar capGlobal warming Disastrous consequences, tsunami, changing weather system,5North Polethinning of polar capGlobal warming Scientists report, rate: 2% in 10 years Rising temperature6Brazildeforestation Raising cowsAreas burnt each yearExtinction of rare

20、birds 7Near North Pole Shining clouds Increase of methane gasesAppearing more often Loss of ecological balanceClassification of environmental threats into three categoriesLocal regional Strategic/globalwater pollution acid rain chlorine increaseair pollutioncontamination of aquifers global warmingwa

21、ste dumping oil spillSummaryv1.Theme: By presenting examples of the deterioration in the global ecological system, the author succeeds in creating a sense of urgency on the part of readers that something must be done to save our environment. He also makes it clear that the most important thing for m

22、an to do is to discard his obsolete ideas and to adopt new ways of thinking about the relationship between man and nature.Summaryv2. three developing lines (the author does the following three things):v1). Presenting facts (paras 1-15);v2). Examining causes (paras 16-20);v3). Finding a solution (par

23、as 21-end).vSo the passage can roughly be divided into three parts according to the above frameworkv Summaryv3. methods of development:vIllustrationthinning of ice cap, global warming, strange clouds vClassificationlocal, regional, strategic vDefinitionmethane gas, pressure ridge, noctilucent cloud

24、vCause and effect population surge, advancement of science and technology vComparison and contrast past and present of the Aral Sea vAnalogy military systemunderstatement: (a statement that expresses an idea too weakly), because with sand all around, there was no hope, no chance of catching any fish

25、, let alone catching a lot of fish. Comparing understatement and euphemism: They are similar in functions. While euphemism is often a set phrase used for glorifying an unpleasant or tabooed subject, understatement covers a much wider range without set forms. Euphemism is the substitution of an agree

26、able or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest sth unpleasant. Its function is to give better sounding name to elevate sth unpleasant or imperfect, to soften the shock of reality or to cover up dreadful facts. Understatement is used to express an idea too weakly to replace strong

27、word with weak terms such as: using a bit, rather or pretty instead of very. It can sometimes create humorous or ironic effect.vExamples:vGeneral statement: vWe can solve this problem.vUnderstatement: vThis problem is not above us.v這個問題難不住我們。vSome of the items are good, others might be better. (are

28、not good enough) v有些不那么精彩。vHe is a man not without ambition. (having some ambition)v他不是一個沒有抱負的人。Writing features:1. a formal writing of exposition2. using transitional expressions to link sentences and paras3. using technical terms4. using figures 5. using military examples6. using synonyms7. using

29、rhetorical devices4.LanguageappreciationvTheauthordevelopedthisexpositionbythecauseandeffectmethod.vHechosetypicalexamplestosupporthisideas.vTomakehiswritingclear,vividandforceful,heusedfiguresofspeechsuchasunderstatement,alliteration,metaphor,rhetoricalquestionandmetonymy.LanguageappreciationvHisfo

30、rmalstyle,serioustoneaswellasmilitarymetaphorsindicatedthatenvironmentalprotectionisakindofwar.vAlthoughthiswritingisaboutascientificresearchontheenvironment,thewriterusesveryfewtechnicaltermssothatordinarypeoplecanunderstanditeasily.5.Summaryofthewordsandphrases:Words of general useagoodcatchdivert

31、comparabletodockatrestunderlyingcause,dominantcausevsamplevremotestandleastaccessibleplacevinexorablechangevinsuchquantities,insuchvolumevthreat,threaten,vbuildup,increase,accelerationofvaccelerateexponentiallyvatstakevtransform,reshape,vpervasive,spreading,prevailing,prevalentvdiscardvassumptionvyardstickWordsofAreavTheAralvAntarcticavfrigidArcticOceanvNorthandSouthPolesvTheequatorvAmazonrainforestvlocal,regional,global(context)WordsofEnvironmentalcri