雅思词汇课文（25）· Ocean Conservation 海洋保护

环境主题，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

Ocean Conservation

The ocean covers 71 per cent of the Earth's surface and produces at least half of the oxygen we breathe. It absorbs roughly 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide humans emit. It regulates the climate, feeds billions of people, and contains the largest living structures on the planet — coral reefs. Yet it is under unprecedented pressure.

Overfishing is the most visible threat. Industrial trawlers scrape the seabed with nets that weigh tonnes, destroying habitats that took centuries to grow. Stocks of cod, tuna and sharks have collapsed by over 70 per cent since 1950. Bycatch — the accidental capture of dolphins, turtles and seabirds — kills an estimated 300,000 whales and dolphins each year.

Plastic pollution is no less severe. Eight million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually. Microplastics, fragments smaller than five millimetres, have been found in the deepest ocean trenches, in Arctic ice, and in the blood of humans. The North Pacific garbage patch, a floating concentration of debris, is twice the size of Texas.

Climate change adds a third stress. Warmer waters cause coral bleaching, turning reefs white and often killing them. Ocean acidification, caused by absorbed CO2, makes it harder for shellfish and plankton to build skeletons. Since plankton produces half our oxygen, its decline threatens the entire marine food web.

Solutions exist but require urgent action. Marine protected areas, where fishing is banned or restricted, have been shown to allow stocks to recover rapidly. Consumers can choose sustainably certified seafood. Governments can ban destructive trawling and single-use plastics.

The ocean is not infinite. It is a living system, finite and fragile. Its health is inseparable from ours.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. What percentage of oxygen does the ocean produce?

• A. 10 per cent
• B. 30 per cent
• C. at least 50 per cent
• D. 90 per cent

2. Since 1950, stocks of cod, tuna and sharks have fallen by...

• A. 20 per cent
• B. over 70 per cent
• C. 40 per cent
• D. 5 per cent

3. The North Pacific garbage patch is...

• A. smaller than Texas
• B. twice the size of Texas
• C. in the Arctic
• D. made of glass

4. Coral bleaching is caused by...

• A. plastic pollution
• B. warmer waters
• C. overfishing
• D. noise

5. Marine protected areas...

• A. have no effect
• B. allow stocks to recover rapidly
• C. ban all tourism
• D. increase bycatch

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| absorb / unprecedented / collapse / accidental / debris / sustainable / finite / fragile |

1. The sponge ______ water quickly.
2. The team faced ______ success after winning every match.
3. The bridge began to ______ after the earthquake.
4. The fire was caused by an ______ spark from faulty wiring.
5. The beach was covered in plastic ______.
6. We need to adopt more ______ farming practices.
7. The Earth's resources are ______.
8. The vase is beautifully decorated but extremely ______.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. C　2. B　3. B　4. B　5. B

Vocabulary

1. absorbs　2. unprecedented　3. collapse　4. accidental　5. debris　6. sustainable　7. finite　8. fragile