TEXT II  An Ugly New Footprint in the Sand

I. Key Points of the Text Paragraph 1 come by: come across; discover by chance; pass by How do you interpret the title of the article “An Ugly Fo

otprint in the Sand”? Is it related to the “new footprint” referred to in the second sentence of the first paragraph?

Paragraph 1 SA: The strange footprint is a symbol of environmental

pollution; and the author’s attitude to this new intrusion --- one of strong dislikes --- is made clear by the word “ugly”.

Paragraph 2 legions of: also a legion of, meaning “a large group

of” or “large groups of” blight: to infect or spoil with a disease of plants tha

t results in the drying up and dying of the diseased parts 使（植物）染上枯萎病 ; here it means “pose a threat to the existence of”

delicate: finely made; delightful精美的，精致的 E.g.: porcelains of delicate workmanship 工艺精致的瓷器

whorl: a ring, especially of leaves on a stem （植物）轮；（软体动物的）壳阶，螺纹

goo: sticky material 粘性物质 congeal: to become or cause (a liquid) to become thick or s

olid 凝固；冻结 While environmental pollution is often blamed on populatio

n explosion on our globe, Whipple has identified another cause. What is it? How does he support his argument?

SA: The need to fuel the technology which mankind has developed to enable it to survive on this planet. Concrete examples are given notably in Paragraphs 2, 9, 10, and 11.

 Paragraph 4 despoil: to steal from using forces, especially, in time of wa

r; plunder 抢夺；掠夺 E.g.: despoil somebody of his right 剥夺某人的权利

as it were: as we might say; so to speak 可以这么说；在某种程度上

E.g.: He became, as it were, a man without a country. 在某种程度上，他成了一个无国籍的人。

    I’m a sort of unpaid adviser, as it were, to the committee. 可以说，我是委员会的义务顾问。

How do you understand the first sentence of Paragraph 4 “It is still early here”? Is it echoed or contradicted near the end of the article?

SA: Environmental pollution here has just begun; it is not very serious yet. This is contradicted by the sentence in Paragraph 11 --- The lesson of our fouled beach is that we may not even have realized how late it is already. (continued on the next slide)

    The author’s message is “Don’t you think that it will be some time before pollution gets really serious here; when the beach is found to be fouled, it is already too late to keep pollution away from the island.”

Paragraph 5 How do you justify Whipple’s inclusion of tho

se paragraphs dealing with man’s inefficiency in adapting himself to his environment?

SA: As man is not so well adapted to his living environment as, say, a bird, he has to resort to artificial aids, which have eventually given rise to pollution.

Paragraph 9 belie: give a false idea of; show (hope, etc.)

to be false or mistaken 给人以错觉；掩饰

E.g.: features that belied the years 掩盖真实年龄的相貌

    His appearance belied his quick mind. 从他的外貌人们看不出他的机智。

    The facts belie your story. 事实证明你的说法谬误。

    His actions belie his words. 他言行不一。 residue: what is left, especially after chemical treat

ment 残余物，残渣 E.g.: Residue of pesticides can build up in the soil. 杀虫剂的残余会在土壤中积淀。

    use crop residues as fuel 利用农作物的残根做燃料

    residue of the war 战争后遗症

Paragraph 10 dispense with: to do without or manage to exist wit

hout 免除；无需 obnoxious: very unpleasant or offensive; extremel

y disagreeable 使人讨厌的；可憎的 E.g.: an obnoxious habit 招人厌的习惯     The very thought of them was obnoxious to her. 她一想到他们就厌恶。

privy: a toilet, especially an outdoor one 厕所 slick: (of oil) floating on the water shroud: n. also winding sheet, the cloth for coverin

g a dead body at burial 裹尸布     v. to cover and hide 遮蔽，覆盖 E.g.: hills shrouded in mist

Paragraph 11 pinch off: also pinch back, pinch out, to rem

ove with one’s fingers 掐掉 E.g.: If you regularly pinch back the dead flo

wer heads, new ones will grow. Is Whipple’s concern about pollution confine

d to the island only? SA: No. He is concerned about pollution of

mankind’s environment in general.

II. SA to Questions for Discussion, P. 25, Student’s Book

         1. The strange footprint is a symbol of environmental pollution; and the author’s attitude to this new intrusion --- one of strong dislikes --- is made clear by the word “ugly”.

          2. The need to fuel the technology which mankind has developed to enable it to survive on this planet. Concrete examples are given notably in Paragraphs 2, 9, 10, and 11.

3. As man is not so well adapted to his living environment as, say, a bird, he has to resort to artificial aids, which have eventually given rise to pollution.

 4. Environmental pollution here has just begun; it is not very serious yet. This is contradicted by the sentence in Paragraph 11 --- The lesson of our fouled beach is that we may not even have realized how late it is already. (continued on the next slide)

  5. No. He is concerned about pollution of mankind’s environment in general.

    6. Open to discussion.