Crop-growing skyscrapers
site: Crop-growing skyscrapers
If successfully implemented, proponents claim, vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.
proponent /prəˈpoʊ.nənt/ none. 倡导者
sustainable /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ adjective. 能维持的; 可持续性的 +3
Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts.
despoil /dɪˈspɔɪl/ verb. 抢劫; 掠夺
verdant /ˈvɝː.dənt/ adjecitve. 碧绿的
semi-arid /ˌsem.iˈer.ɪd/ adjective. 半干旱的
Massive floods, long droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops.
monsoon /mɑːnˈsuːn/ noun. 雨季
toll /toʊl/ noun. 通行费; 伤亡人数; 毁坏; 长途电话费
- to pay a tall 缴纳通行费
- the death toll 死亡人数
- to take its toll on 产生恶果
A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial light.
drawback /ˈdrɑː.bæk/ noun. 缺点
Generating enough light could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap, renewable energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future aspiration than a likelihood for the near future.
prohibitively /proʊˈhɪb.ə.t̬ɪv.li/ adverb. 使人望而却步的
At the moment, though, more needs to be done to reduce the detrimental impact it would have on the environment, particularly as regards the use of energy.
detrimental /ˌdet.rəˈmen.t̬əl/ adjective. 有害的 +1
The Falkirk Wheel
site: The Falkirk Wheel
When the project was launched in 1994, the British Waterways authority were keen to create a dramatic twenty-first-century landmark which would not only be a fitting commemoration of the Millennium, but also a lasting symbol of the economic regeneration of the region.
commemoration /kəˌmem.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ noun. 纪念
- in commemoration of 为纪念
The unique shape of the structure is claimed to have been inspired by various sources, both manmade and natural, most notably a Celtic double headed axe, but also the vast turning propeller of a ship, the ribcage of a whale or the spine of a fish.
notably /ˈnoʊ.t̬ə.bli/ adverb. 尤其
propeller /prəˈpel.ɚ/ noun. 螺旋桨
ribcage /ˈrɪbˌkeɪdʒ/ noun. 胸廓
A team there carefully assembled the 1,200 tonnes of steel, painstakingly fitting the pieces together to an accuracy of just 10 mm to ensure a perfect final fit.
painstakingly /ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ.kɪŋ.li/ adverb. 细心地
In the summer of 2001, the structure was then dismantled and transported on 35 lorries to Falkirk, before all being bolted back together again on the ground, and finally lifted into position in five large sections by crane.
dismantle /dɪˈsmæn.t̬əl/ verb. 拆除; 逐步废除
lorry /ˈlɔːr.i/ noun. 卡车
crane /kreɪn/ noun. 起重机; 伸长
- to crane one’s neck 伸长脖子
The Wheel would need to withstand immense and constantly changing stresses as it rotated, so to make the structure more robust, the steel sections were bolted rather than welded together.
withstand /wɪðˈstænd/ verb. 承受住
immense /ɪˈmens/ adjective. 巨大的; 无限的; 严重的 +1
weld /weld/ verb. 焊接
Two diametrically opposed water-filled ‘gondolas’, each with a capacity of 360,000 litres, are fitted between the ends of the arms.
diametrically /ˌdaɪ.əˈmet.rɪ.kəl.i/ adverb. 完全的; 在直径上 +1
- to be diametrically opposed to 与…完全相反
gondola /ˈɡɑːn.dəl.ə/ noun. 吊舱; 货架
Reducing the Effects of Climate Change
site: Reducing the Effects of Climate Change
Consequently, an increasing number of scientists are beginning to explore the alternative of geo-engineering — a term which generally refers to the intentional large-scale manipulation of the environment.
alternative /ɑːlˈtɝː.nə.t̬ɪv/ adjective. 可供替代的
- alternatively /ɑːlˈtɝː.nə.t̬ɪv.li/ adverb. 或
manipulation /məˌnɪp.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ noun. 操作; 操控
The majority of geo-engineering projects so far carried out — which include planting forests in deserts and depositing iron in the ocean to stimulate the growth of algae - have focused on achieving a general cooling of the Earth.
deposit /dɪˈpɑː.zɪt/ verb. 放下
stimulate /ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/ verb. 刺激; 激励 +1
- to stimulate sb. to do sth. 激励某人做某事
algae /ˈæl.dʒiː/ noun. 水藻
The reasoning is that if you replenish the ice sheets and frozen waters of the high latitudes, more light will be reflected back into space, so reducing the warming of the oceans and atmosphere.
replenish /rɪˈplen.ɪʃ/ verb. 再装满; 补充
Scientists have also scrutinised whether it’s possible to preserve the ice sheets of Greenland with reinforced high-tension cables, preventing icebergs from moving into the sea.
scrutinize /ˈskruː.t̬ən.aɪz/ verb. 仔细观察 +1
- scrutiny /ˈskruː.t̬ən.i/ noun. 仔细观察 +1
Angel says that his plan is ‘no substitute for developing renewable energy: the only permanent solution’.
substitute /ˈsʌb.stə.tuːt/ verb. 替代者 +1
Even leading conservation organisations see the value of investigating the potential of geo-engineering.
conservation /ˌkɑːn.sɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ noun. 保护; 节约 +1