雅思词汇课文（20）· The Circular Economy 循环经济
环境与经济主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。
🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）
📖 课文 Text
The Circular Economy
The traditional economy has always followed a simple linear model: extract raw materials, manufacture products, sell them, and throw them away. This model worked when resources seemed unlimited and landfills were empty. Today, with eight billion people on the planet, it is collapsing. The circular economy proposes a different approach: design products so that they can be repaired, reused, and ultimately recycled, turning waste into a resource rather than a problem.
The benefits are substantial. Mining and logging cause deforestation, soil erosion and habitat destruction. Manufacturing consumes enormous amounts of energy and water. Waste, particularly plastic and electronic waste, accumulates in oceans, rivers and landfills. A circular model would reduce all three simultaneously.
Already, the shift has begun. Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, repairs customers' jackets for a nominal fee. Philips now sells "light as a service", maintaining the lighting in offices rather than selling bulbs. Supermarkets in Germany and France allow customers to refill containers with grain, oil and detergent. Start-ups refurbish used smartphones and sell them with warranties.
Yet challenges remain. Many products are deliberately designed to be unrepairable, a practice known as planned obsolescence. Standardising components across brands would make recycling easier but is resisted by manufacturers who profit from replacement sales. Recycling itself is energy-intensive, and not all materials can be recycled indefinitely.
Governments are beginning to legislate. The European Union's Right to Repair directive, adopted in 2024, requires manufacturers to make spare parts available for up to ten years. Norway has introduced a deposit scheme for electronic products. China bans the import of foreign waste.
The circular economy is not a utopian dream. It requires changes in design, law, consumer behaviour and business models. But as resources become scarcer and waste piles higher, it is becoming an economic necessity rather than an environmental luxury.
📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions
| Word | 音标 | 词性 | 中文 | 课文例句 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| circular | /ˈsɜːkjələ/ | adj. | 循环的 | the circular economy |
| linear | /ˈlɪniə/ | adj. | 线性的 | linear model |
| extract | /ɪkˈstrækt/ | v. | 开采、提取 | extract raw materials |
| manufacture | /ˌmænjuˈfæktʃə/ | v. | 制造 | manufacture products |
| landfill | /ˈlændfɪl/ | n. | 垃圾填埋场 | landfills were empty |
| collapse | /kəˈlæps/ | v. | 崩溃、瓦解 | it is collapsing |
| reuse | /ˌriːˈjuːz/ | v. | 重复使用 | repaired, reused |
| recycle | /ˌriːˈsaɪkl/ | v. | 回收 | ultimately recycled |
| waste | /weɪst/ | n. | 废物 | turning waste into |
| substantial | /səbˈstænʃl/ | adj. | 巨大的 | substantial benefits |
| mining | /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/ | n. | 采矿 | Mining and logging |
| deforestation | /diːˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃn/ | n. | 森林砍伐 | cause deforestation |
| erosion | /ɪˈrəʊʒn/ | n. | 侵蚀 | soil erosion |
| habitat | /ˈhæbɪtæt/ | n. | 栖息地 | habitat destruction |
| accumulate | /əˈkjuːmjəleɪt/ | v. | 积累 | accumulates in oceans |
| nominal | /ˈnɒmɪnl/ | adj. | 象征性的、微不足道的 | a nominal fee |
| service | /ˈsɜːvɪs/ | n. | 服务 | "light as a service" |
| refill | /ˌriːˈfɪl/ | v. | 重新装满 | refill containers |
| detergent | /dɪˈtɜːdʒənt/ | n. | 洗涤剂 | oil and detergent |
| refurbish | /ˌriːˈfɜːbɪʃ/ | v. | 翻新 | refurbish used phones |
| warranty | /ˈwɒrənti/ | n. | 保修 | with warranties |
| obsolescence | /ˌɒbsəˈlesns/ | n. | 过时、淘汰 | planned obsolescence |
| standardise | /ˈstændədaɪz/ | v. | 标准化 | Standardising components |
| component | /kəmˈpəʊnənt/ | n. | 部件、组件 | components |
| indefinitely | /ɪnˈdefɪnətli/ | adv. | 无限期地 | recycled indefinitely |
| legislate | /ˈledʒɪsleɪt/ | v. | 立法 | beginning to legislate |
| directive | /dəˈrektɪv/ | n. | 指令、指令性规定 | Right to Repair directive |
| spare part | /speə pɑːt/ | n. | 备件 | spare parts |
| utopian | /juːˈtəʊpiən/ | adj. | 乌托邦式的 | not a utopian dream |
| necessity | /nəˈsesəti/ | n. | 必需品、必要 | economic necessity |
🧠 课文理解 Comprehension
1. The traditional linear model involves...
- A. reusing products forever
- B. extract → manufacture → sell → throw away
- C. recycling all waste
- D. repairing products
2. Patagonia is mentioned as a company that...
- A. sells cheap disposable clothing
- B. repairs customers' jackets for a small fee
- C. bans all repairs
- D. only sells online
3. "Planned obsolescence" means...
- A. designing products to last forever
- B. designing products to become unusable quickly
- C. recycling products
- D. repairing products
4. The EU's Right to Repair directive requires manufacturers to...
- A. stop making electronics
- B. make spare parts available for up to 10 years
- C. sell products only online
- D. recycle all old products
5. The circular economy is described as...
- A. an environmental luxury
- B. becoming an economic necessity
- C. already fully implemented
- D. impossible to achieve
✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.
| extract / accumulate / nominal / refurbish / component / indefinitely / legislate / necessity |
- The factory uses advanced machinery to ______ oil from deep wells.
- Dust tends to ______ on shelves if not cleaned regularly.
- He charged only a ______ sum for the extra work.
- The old office building was ______ and turned into apartments.
- The most important ______ in the engine is the piston.
- The meeting has been postponed ______ due to the strike.
- Parliament will ______ against dangerous products.
- In many remote areas, a car is a practical ______.
✅ 答案 Answers
Comprehension
- B 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. B
Vocabulary
- extract 2. accumulate 3. nominal 4. refurbished 5. component 6. indefinitely 7. legislate 8. necessity
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