Topic 4: Nature, the environment and energy

Contamination / Tainted

Foul up, spoil the environment

The local river suffered from severe water ___________ after the factory nearby accidentally leaked chemicals, making it impossible for residents to use the water for daily needs.

Sự ô nhiễm / Bị nhiễm độc

The biosphere

Living system, ecological zone

Any major damage to the rainforest can disrupt the entire ___________, as all living things on the planet are interconnected in a delicate balance.

Sinh quyển

Emissions

Spew out, give off

Environmentalists are urging the government to strictly regulate carbon ___________ from factories that continue to spew out thick black smoke into the atmosphere.

Khí thải

Pollutant particles

Toxic substances, airborne contaminants

Wearing masks in the city center is essential because ___________ from heavy traffic can easily enter our lungs and cause long-term respiratory issues.

Các hạt gây ô nhiễm

Run-off

Flow away, wash away

During heavy rain, agricultural ___________ containing pesticides often flows away from the fields and enters nearby streams, killing various aquatic species.

Nước chảy tràn (kèm theo chất ô nhiễm)

The water cycle

Natural circulation, hydrological process

Global warming is significantly altering the ___________, causing some regions to have excessive rain while others dry up completely.

Chu trình nước

Aquifers / Water table

Underground reservoir, water level

Farmers in this arid region rely heavily on deep ___________ to provide a steady supply of water for their crops during the long summer months.

Tầng ngậm nước / Mạch nước ngầm

Filtration

Sift through, screen out

The city invested in a high-tech ___________ system to screen out impurities from the reservoir, ensuring that the drinking water provided to citizens is safe.

Sự lọc

Soil erosion

Wear away, wash away

Without the roots of trees to hold the earth together, ___________ became a serious problem in the valley, leading to frequent landslides during the monsoon.

Sự xói mòn đất

Logging

Chop down, clear-cut forest

Massive ___________ operations in the Amazon have led to the destruction of ancient trees, as companies continue to clear-cut the forest for timber.

Việc khai thác gỗ

Dumping / Landfills

Dispose of, get rid of

The illegal ___________ of industrial waste in the forest is a criminal offence that can lead to heavy fines for companies trying to get rid of their trash cheaply.

Việc đổ rác thải / Bãi rác

Waste processing

Recycling plants, rubbish treatment

Developing modern ___________ facilities is crucial for cities to manage the mountain of trash they produce and turn it into manageable forms or energy.

Xử lý rác thải

Poaching

Illegal hunting, take part in trophy hunting

Despite strict laws, elephant ___________ continues to rise because some people are willing to take part in trophy hunting for the sake of ivory.

Săn trộm

Habitat loss

Wipe out home, clear the land

The main cause of extinction is ___________, which occurs when humans clear the land for agriculture and leave animals with no place to live.

Mất môi trường sống

Food chain

Natural order, hierarchical cycle

When a top predator is removed from the ___________, it creates a ripple effect that disrupts the natural order and leads to the overpopulation of certain prey.

Chuỗi thức ăn

Dwindling numbers / Extinction

Fall off, die out

Biologists are deeply concerned about the ___________ of the Asian tiger, warning that the species might die out within the next decade if we do not act.

Số lượng sụt giảm / Sự tuyệt chủng

Famine / Drought

Run out of food, prolonged dry spell

The region is facing a severe ___________ because the prolonged dry spell has destroyed all the crops, leaving millions of people to run out of food. Nạn đói / Hạn hán

Irrigation

Supply water, pipe in

To combat the dry weather, farmers installed an advanced ___________ system to pipe in water from the distant lake directly to their thirsty fields.

Hệ thống tưới tiêu

Catastrophe

Wreak havoc, natural disaster

The massive oil spill was a global ___________ that wreaked havoc on the marine ecosystem for hundreds of miles along the coast.

Thảm họa

Exacerbated

Make matters worse, add fuel to the fire

The environmental crisis was ___________ by the government's refusal to cut carbon output, which effectively added fuel to the fire of the global warming debate. Làm trầm trọng thêm