如果海洋死去，人类还有明天吗

吴永华

At the Under Her Eye summit in London，the celebrated author Margaret Atwood said that humans future is linked to the survival of ocean ecosystems. Commenting on ocean plastic pollution，she said，“Something has to be done... If the ocean dies，end of us.”

The conference，held at the British Library，invited a range of policy makers，artists and scientists. Aimed to deal with key environmental issues “from a female point of view”， the event also heard that climate change caused women to suffer more on a global scale. In addition，their voices are “too rarely heard” in top level climate change discussions.

Why women？

Having written frequently in her novels about the effects of climate change，Ms. Atwood described womens current unfavorable conditi ons.“In a lot of the world women are in fact the food producers and the people who care for their families. But women in the natural disasters as droughts and floods are going to suffer more.” Moroccos former Minister of Environment Hakima El Haité agreed，“The link between climate change，poverty and women is very，very close.” Green Party MP Caroline Lucas highlighted womens role in grassroots climate activism. “Women are on the front line of climate change. Women are an essential part of the solution. But its not enough to challenge an old story... you have to replace it with a better one.”

A seat at the table

Christiana Figueres，a former UN diplomat who played a key role in the 2015 Paris agreement，noted that “there are not enough women” around the table in top level climate negotiations. Yet she feels they have a vital role to play in policy making.“The women who are there are fantastic... I think the cooperative nature of the Paris agreement was very much led by the group of women.” For Hakima El Haité， the solutions to the gender（性別） imbalance are several folds.“We first have to increase women negotiators... This is still a male field.”

Plastic problems

Also on the agenda were solutions to climate change and environmental issues that women are uniquely equipped to face. On the subject of plastic pollution in the oceans，Margaret Atwood described herself as “all in favour” of banning plastic drinking straws. “Something has to be done about plastic going into the ocean and it has to be done pretty quick... Thats where 60%～80% of the oxygen than we breathe comes from，” she said.“We need that ocean to remain alive if were going to have any hope at all.”

1. The following are the themes of the Under Her Eye summit except _______.

A. womens views on major problems concerning environment

B. womens suffering situation caused by climate change globally

C. womens insufficient appearance at top environment conferences

D. womens contributions to families and in defeating natural disasters

2. How many representatives opinions are quoted in the passage？

A. Three        B. Four        C. Five       D. Six

3. What does Caroline Lucas mean by saying “you have to replace it with a better one”？

A. Womens conditions should be improved while contributions appreciated.

B. Womens stories of climate activism are not attractive enough.

C. Women are unable to shoulder the environmental responsibility.

D. Men rather than women should protect the environment.

4. According to the passage，Christiana Figueres and Hakima El Haité probably agree that _______.

A. women are better speakers than men at top level negotiations

B. women should lead the process of reaching enviromental agreements

C. womens participation in top climate discussions should be increased

D. women should turn the climate negotiations into a female field

5. From the last paragraph，we can know that Margaret Atwood _______.

A. urges that plastic waste in oceans be reduced and cleaned

B. agrees that plastic products be forbidden from being used

C. wishes that human beings would stay away from oceans

D. thinks that oceans are human beings future homes

答案與解析

1.答案为D。主旨大意题。根据第二段的第二、三句可知，会议的主要议题有三：女性视角下的主要环境问题、气候变化导致的女性苦难、女性意见在顶级环境会议中的缺失。而D选项不是主要议题，只是一个过渡话题，过渡到“贡献巨大的女性在气候恶化中却遭受更多苦难”。

2.答案为B。细节理解题。总共有Margaret Atwood、Hakima El Haité、Caroline Lucas和Christiana Figueres四位代表的发言被引用。

3.答案为A。句意推断题。第三段Caroline Lucas认为：女性作为环保运动中的草根阶层，在对抗气候变化的战斗中处于最前线。她的意思是：女性的贡献应被承认而受苦的状况也应被改变。

4.答案为C。细节理解题。第四段主要通过引用Christiana Figueres和Hakima El Haité的发言，讲述女性意见在顶级环境会议中的缺失。她们的发言都提到应增加女性在世界顶级气候谈判中的席位。

5.答案为A。推理判断题。最后一段Margaret Atwood的发言，她完全赞成塑料吸管的禁用，而对于海洋塑料污染，她认为应该尽快采取行动。

长难句解析

Also on the agenda were solutions to climate change and environmental issues that women are uniquely equipped to face.

分析：本句的介宾短语Also on the agenda前置，句子完全例装，谓语动词是were，主语solutions to... face放到了句尾。主语的中心词是名词solutions，带有介宾短语to climate change and environmental issues，该短语作后置定语;其后又附带一个定语从句that women are uniquely equipped to face，修饰名词environmental issues。

（责任编校 周丹）