如果海洋死去，人類還有明天嗎

吳永華

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.答案為D。主旨大意題。根據第二段的第二、三句可知，會議的主要議題有三：女性視角下的主要環境問題、氣候變化導致的女性苦難、女性意見在頂級環境會議中的缺失。而D選項不是主要議題，只是一個過渡話題，過渡到“貢獻巨大的女性在氣候惡化中卻遭受更多苦難”。

2.答案為B。細節理解題。總共有Margaret Atwood、Hakima El Haité、Caroline Lucas和Christiana Figueres四位代表的發言被引用。

3.答案為A。句意推斷題。第三段Caroline Lucas認為：女性作為環保運動中的草根階層，在對抗氣候變化的戰斗中處于最前線。她的意思是：女性的貢獻應被承認而受苦的狀況也應被改變。

4.答案為C。細節理解題。第四段主要通過引用Christiana Figueres和Hakima El Haité的發言，講述女性意見在頂級環境會議中的缺失。她們的發言都提到應增加女性在世界頂級氣候談判中的席位。

5.答案為A。推理判斷題。最后一段Margaret Atwood的發言，她完全贊成塑料吸管的禁用，而對于海洋塑料污染，她認為應該盡快采取行動。

長難句解析

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

分析：本句的介賓短語Also on the agenda前置，句子完全例裝，謂語動詞是were，主語solutions to... face放到了句尾。主語的中心詞是名詞solutions，帶有介賓短語to climate change and environmental issues，該短語作后置定語;其后又附帶一個定語從句that women are uniquely equipped to face，修飾名詞environmental issues。

（責任編校 周丹）