Unit 1 Environment Earth ’s Health in Sharp Decline, Massive Study Finds 大规模研究发现：地球的“健康”每况愈下The report card has arrived from the largest ever scientific Earth analysis, and many of the planet’s ecosystems are simply not making the grade . 有史以来对地球进行的最大规模的科学分析结果表明，地球上的许多生态系统都达不到标准 。The UN-backed Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report found that nearly two-thirds of Earth’s life-supporting ecosystems, including clean water, pure air, and stable climate, are being degraded by unsustainable use. 由联合国主持的 《千年生态系统评估综合报告》指出，由于不可持续的使用，地球上将近三分之二的用来维持生命的生态系统（包括干净的水源、纯净的空气以及稳定的气候）正遭受破坏。Human has caused much of this damage during the past half century. Soaring demand for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel have led to dramatic environmental changes, from deforestation to chemical pollution, the report says. The already grim situation may worsen dramatically during the first half of the 21st century, the report’s authors warn. 以上大部分的破坏都是人类在过去的半个世纪里造成的。据报告分析， 随着人类对食物、淡水、 木材、纤维以及燃料等资源的需求日趋激增，环境发生了极大的变化，引发了诸如滥伐森林、化学污染等问题。因此，该报告的作者警告说，照此下去，本已岌岌可危的生态环境将会在 21 世纪的上半叶进一步恶化。Over 1,300 governmental and private-sector contributors from 95 countries collaborated to create the landmark study. For four years they examined the plant ’s many habitats and species and the systems that bind them together. The United Nations Environment Programmecompiled the report and released the results yesterday in Beijing, China. 这项历史性的研究由来自世界95 个国家的政府部门以及民间组织的1,300 多位科学家共同完成。 四年来， 他们考察了地球上...
