第一个应对塑料污染的全球条约

格桑珍嘎

联合国成员国已同意制定一项具有法律约束力的全球条约，该条约将涵盖塑料的整个“生命周期”，包括塑料的生产、设计和处置。

1The United Nations countries have agreed to create atreaty that deals with plastic pollution in the worldsoceans， rivers and land. The UN Environment Assemblyvoted Wednesday at its meeting in Kenyas capital Nairobifor a resolution“to end plastic pollution”. It is the beginningof international negotiations designed to produce a treaty by 2024.

“Today we wrote history. Plastic pollution has grown into a big threat，”said EspenBarth Eide. He is Norways Minister of Climate and the Environment and the assemblyspresident.“With todays resolution we are officially on track for a cure，”he added.

3Negotiators debated on the resolution for a week. Plans presented by Peru， RwandaIndia and Japan were used as the basis of the global plan to prevent and reduce plastic pol⁃lution. The treaty would cover the production， design and removal of plastic.

4“It is not always that you get such a major environmental deal，”said Inger Andersen，executive director of the UN Environment Programme. Andersen called the agreement byrepresentatives of 175 member countries“the most significant global environmental gover⁃nance decision since The Paris Agreement in 2015”.

5A recent study by the Pew Research Center said that the worldwide plastic industryis valued at $522.6 billion. The study also reported that 11 million metric tons of plasticend up in the oceans every year.

6The environmental group Greenpeace said the UN decision is a“big， bold step to endplastic pollution”

7Graham Forbes is head of the global plastic project at Greenpeace USA. He said thatuntil a strong international treaty is signed， the organization and its allies will keep workingtoward a world free of plastic pollution.

“This is a big step that will keep the pressure on Big Oil and Big Brands to reducetheir plastic footprint and switch their business models to refill and reuse，”Forbes said.

Detail

1. What do we know about the treaty？

A. It was produced in Paris.

B. It will be finished by 2024.

C. It involves four countries.

D. Its aim is to limit plastic production.

Inference

2. What did Espen Barth Eide think of plastic pollution？

A. Its a big trouble.

B. Its under control at present.

C. Its impossible to solve it now.

D. Its beyond peoples imagination.

Vocabulary

3. What does the underlined word“bold”in paragraph 6 mean？

A. Unique. B. Cautions.

C. Different. D. Brave.

Inference

4. In which part of a newspaper can we read the text？

A. Environment. B. Education.

C. Travel. D. Life.

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

The United Nations countries have agreed to create a treaty that deals with plastic pol⁃lution in the worlds oceans， rivers and land. 聯合国成员国已同意制定一项处理世界海洋、河流和陆地塑料污染的条约。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。句中，that引导定语从句，修饰先行词atreaty。

Ⅱ. Text⁃centered chunks

agree to do 同意做……;赞成做……

deal with 处理;应付

on track 走上正轨

end up 最终;结果