我們?cè)谙匆路r(shí)，從衣物上脫落并排入外界環(huán)境中的人造微纖維總量是一個(gè)驚人的數(shù)字。美國(guó)科學(xué)家估計(jì)，自20世紀(jì)50年代我們開始大量穿戴滌綸和尼龍服飾以來，排入自然環(huán)境中的人造微纖維總量達(dá)560萬噸。

Over the course of the past 65 years or so, our collection of clothing has ballooned, and so is our desire to keep these garments clean. But as our shirts and trousers tumble through a wash cycle, they're losing lots of minuscule threads that drain away with the waste water.

在過去大約65年的時(shí)間里，我們的衣物擁有量激增，而我們想保持這些衣物清潔的愿望也變得十分強(qiáng)烈。但當(dāng)我們的襯衫和褲子在洗滌過程中不停地翻滾時(shí)，衣物上的細(xì)線會(huì)大量脫落，隨廢水排走。

The research team from the University of California, Santa Barbara, estimates a total of 5.6 million tonnes has been shed in this way, just over half of which has gone into water bodies. That's like putting seven billion fleece jackets in the world's rivers and oceans.

來自加利福尼亞大學(xué)圣塔芭芭拉分校的研究小組估計(jì)，經(jīng)洗滌從衣物上脫落的細(xì)線總量達(dá)560萬噸，其中略多于一半被排入水體。這相當(dāng)于把70億件羊毛外套放到全世界的河流和海洋里。

But increasingly, says the team, this synthetic fluff is affecting the land. Waste water treatment works now catch most of the fibre lost in the sludge, that's then spread on croplands or buried in landfill.

但研究小組稱，這種絨毛狀人造微纖維正對(duì)陸地造成日益嚴(yán)重的影響。污水處理廠現(xiàn)在可以收集排入污泥中的大部分微纖維，這些微纖維隨后會(huì)擴(kuò)散到農(nóng)田里或掩埋在垃圾填埋場(chǎng)。

詞匯

ballooned 激增
garments 衣物，衣服
tumble 翻滾
minuscule 細(xì)小的，微小的
threads 線
drain away 排走，流出
shed 使脫落，使掉落
water bodies 水體
fleece 羊毛
synthetic 人造的，合成的
fluff 絨毛
sludge 爛泥，淤泥
croplands 農(nóng)田，耕地

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. True or false? Our desire to keep our clothes clean over the past 65 years or so has decreased.

2. What are shed as we wash our shirts and trousers?

3. Based on the research, of all the microfibres lost in the wash, how much has gone into water bodies?

4. How is this synthetic fluff affecting the land?

答案

1. True or false? Our desire to keep our clothes clean over the past 65 years or so has decreased.
True. According to the article, our desire to keep our clothes clean has increased, and so has our clothing collection.

2. What are shed as we wash our shirts and trousers?
As we wash our shirts and trousers, minuscule threads are shed from the garments.

3. Based on the research, of all the microfibres lost in the wash, how much has gone into water bodies?
Around 5.6 million tonnes of microfibres are lost in the wash, just over half of which has gone into water bodies.

4. How is this synthetic fluff affecting the land?
Waste water treatment works now catch most of the fibre lost in the sludge, that's then spread on croplands or buried in landfill.