N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E
N EWSCOPE 發行人：李枝昌責任編輯：黃惠玲創刊日 ：2007 年 4 月 2 日 出刊日：2008 年 1 月 2 日 客服專線：0800-081281 電話：(02)2299-9063 傳真：(02)2299-9069
發行所：龍騰文化事業股份有限公司 地址：248 台北縣五股鄉五權七路 1 號
Before You Read
National News
Study Shows Divorce Harmful to Environment
O
ver the past few years,environmentalistsall around the world have beendedicating themselvesnot only to looking for ways to protect the earth but also to better understanding the ways that we have been damaging our planet. While we are all aware of the direct causes, such as the burningfossil fuels, you may be surprised to learn that researchers have recently linkeddivorcetodeterioratingenvironmental conditions.According to a recent study, the rate of divorce in a number of different countries, both rich and poor, has had a considerable impact on the environment. The findings show that when divorced couples move into separatehomes, they tend toconsumemore energy andcommodities. A married couple traditionally lives together with their children in a single home,whereasdivorce causes one of thespousesto move out and find a new place to live. These single-person homes lead to the use of more land and building materials. These extra homes will require extra electric appliances such as refrigerators, TVs, air-conditioners, and ovens which use a lot of power. To be sure, two people living together canconservemore energy than two people living separately, in the same way that two people driving to work in the same car use less gas than two people in two cars. What’s worse, it was found that families in which the parents are divorced tend to produce more waste,gray water, and greenhouse gases, which are all aburdenon the environment and lead to both climate change and a decrease in thediversityofliving creatures.
Almost anyone would surely make the argument that they shouldn’t have to stick with their spouses if their marriages don’t work out. In the past, couples considering getting divorced wereurgedto stay together for thebenefitof their children. These days, however, they may be urged to remain marriedfor the sake of the environment.
According to the passage, which of the following is FALSE?
Fossil fuels are damaging our planet.
Divorced couples conserve a lot of energy.
Married couples traditionally live together.
Divorce has a negative effect on the environment.
What does the passage IMPLY?
Divorce rates around the world will continue to go up.
Divorced people should not use electric appliances.
Remaining married is good for the environment.
Divorced parents want to stay with their children.
What is meant by the word “spouse”?
Husband or wife. Sister or brother. Mother or father. Aunt or uncle.
N
新聞瞭望台EWSCOPE
第十五期 作者：洪孟萍 Angus James Bain■
■
■
■
當新娘（bride）與新郎（groom）結婚時，他們通常會在教堂裡，在牧師（minister）及親 友的見證下，說出他們的婚誓（marriage vows）。然而，並非每段婚姻都很美滿，當一對 夫妻決定他們的婚姻關係不想再繼續下去時，他們會訴請離婚（get a divorce）。在大多數 的西方國家中，夫妻所擁有的孩子的監護權（custody）通常歸母親，而父親通常需支付小 孩的撫養費（child support）。若沒有小孩的話，則夫妻其中一方常需支付另一方贍養費
（alimony）。
Vocabulary and Idioms
environmentalist [ n va r n'm nt st] n. 環保人士
dedicate oneself to sth. v. phr. 將自己奉獻給……；
致力於……
fossil fuel ['f s 'fju l] n. 化石燃料
divorce [d 'vors] n. 離婚
deteriorate [d 't r ret] v. 變壞；惡化
considerable [k n's d r b ] adj. 相當大的；相當多的
separate ['s prit] adj. 分開的；各自的
consume [k n'sjum] v. 消耗
commodity [k 'm d t ] n. 商品；日用品
whereas [hw r'æz] conj. 然而；而
spouse [spa z] n. 配偶
electric appliance [ 'l ktr k 'pla ns] n. 電器用品
conserve [k n's v] v. 保護
gray water [gre 'w t ] n. 廢水
burden ['b d ] n. 負擔
diversity [da 'v s t ] n. 多樣性
living creature ['l v 'krit ] n. 生物
urge [ d ] v. 力促；竭力推薦
benefit ['b n f t] n. 利益
for the sake of... prep. phr. 為了……起見
Patterns
Over the past few years, environmentalists all around the world have been dedicating themselves not only to looking for ways to protect the earth but also to better understanding the ways that we have been damaging our planet.
含有“over/for/in/during the past...” 的句子，通常用以表示「從過去繼續到現在的動作或狀態」，需用現在 完成式或現在完成進行式。
While we are all aware of the direct causes, such as the burning fossil fuels, you may be surprised to learn that researchers have recently linked divorce to deteriorating environmental conditions.
而含有“recently/lately（最近）” 的句子，表「現在剛剛完成的動作」，也需用現在完成式。
Translation
研究顯示離婚對環境有害
過
去這幾年以來，全世界的環保人士，不僅致力於找尋保護地球的方法，也致力於更了解我們破壞這個星球的 方式。雖然我們都了解像是燃燒化石燃料這樣直接的肇因，然而，當得知研究者最近把離婚和日益惡化的環 境條件牽上關係，你可能會非常驚訝。根據一項最近的研究，在許多不同的國家，包括富國及貧國，離婚率已經對環境造成相當大的影響。研究發現顯 示出，當離了婚的夫妻搬到各自的家，他們往往會消耗更多的能源及日用品。一對結了婚的夫妻，根據傳統會和他們 的孩子們住在同一個屋子裡。而離婚導致夫妻中一方必須搬出去，另找一個新的住處。這些一個人住的家導致更多土 地及建材的使用。這些額外多出的家，將需要額外的、耗電量大的家電用品，像是冰箱、電視、冷氣、及烤箱。無可 否認的，兩個人住在一起，比起兩個人分開住，可以節省更多能源。相同地，兩個人開同一台車上班，比起兩個人開 兩台車上班，會使用較少的汽油。更糟的是，我們發現，父母離異的家庭往往產出更多廢棄物、廢水、及溫室氣體。
這些對環境都是負擔，且會導致氣候改變及生物種類的減少。
幾乎任何人都會提出理由反駁，認為如果他們的婚姻行不通，他們不應該要和配偶勉強住在一起。在過去，考慮 離婚的夫妻會被規勸為了孩子的利益而在一起。而現在，人們可能會勸他們為環境起見，而保持婚姻關係。
Answer
B C A
龍騰文化全球資訊網：http://www.lungteng.com.tw（本刊物同步刊載於龍騰文化全球資訊網，歡迎教師、同學下載）
N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E N E W S C O P E
■
International News
U.S. Confirms Suspension of Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program
T
o the surprise of the international community, the United States governmentdeclared last month that Iran had given up trying to developnuclear weaponsback in 2003. Thisassertionwas a completeturnaround from what American government anddiplomaticofficials had been saying for the past five years—that Iran had been actively trying to develop nuclear weapons and, by doing so, poseda gravethreat to peace in the Middle East. However, it also warned that Iran may be able to restart the program and if they were to do so, could possibly develop a nuclear weapon in less than ten years.Since then, the United States has considered Iran to be a dangerous andunpredictablecountry that supportsterrorismand tries to harm American interests around the globe, particularly in the Middle East.
American President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney indicated on manyoccasionsthat they would consider attacking Iran if the leaders of that country did not stop trying to develop nuclear weapons.
However, it has also maintained that its atomic research in recent years has been for peaceful purposes and that its only goal is to develop nuclear power plants.
Discourse Structure
Since the U.S.invasionof Iraq in 2003, there has been much discussion in America about how to deal with Iran.
It seems they were being truthful and there may now be one less problem for a very troubled region of the world.
The Americanintelligencecommunity, led by the CIA,informedPresident Bush in November that it was confident Iranhaltedits program in 2003.
America and Iran, once close allies, have considered each other enemies since 1979 when Iranian revolutionariestook over the country and held 50 American citizenshostagefor over a year.
Iran, on the other hand, has always claimed that it has the right to develop nuclear weapons.
■
■
■
■
CIA（Central Intelligence Agency）：中央情報局
目前世界上擁有核子武器的國家有：美國（America），英國（U.K.），法國（France），
中 國（China），俄 國（Russia），印 度（India），巴 基 斯 坦（Pakistan），以 色 列
（Israel）等。
Vocabulary and Idioms
suspension [s 'sp n n] n. 暫停；延後
declare [d 'kl r] v. 正式宣布；表明
nuclear weapon ['njukl 'w p n] n. 核子武器
assertion [ 's n] n. 斷言；（聲稱某事物屬實的）
強硬陳詞
turnaround ['t n ra nd] n. 徹底的改變
diplomatic [ d pl 'mæt k] adj. 外交的
pose [poz] v. 引起；造成
grave [grev] adj. 嚴重的
intelligence [ n't l d ns] n. 情報團體
inform [ n'f rm] v. 通知；告知
halt [h lt] v. 暫停；停頓
ally [ 'la ] n. 同盟國
revolutionary [ r v 'lu n r ] n. 革命者；革命活動家
hostage ['h st d ] v. 人質
unpredictable [ npr 'd kt b ] adj. 無法預測的；不穩 定的
terrorism ['t r r z m] n. 恐怖主義
invasion [ n've n] n. 侵略
occasion [ 'ke n] n. 場合；機會
maintain [men'ten] v. 斷言；堅持
atomic [ 't m k] adj. 原子的
Patterns
America and Iran, once close allies, have considered each other enemies since 1979 when Iranian revolutionaries took over the country and held 50 American citizens hostage for over a year.
Since then, the United States has considered Iran to be a dangerous and unpredictable country that supports terrorism and tries to harm American interests around the globe, particularly in the Middle East.
consider A (to be) B 視 A 為 B
類似的用法還有：regard/view/see/look upon A as B
American President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney indicated on many occasions that they would consider attacking Iran if the leaders of that country did not stop trying to develop nuclear weapons.
consider ＋ N/V-ing ＝ think about ＋ N/V-ing 考慮
Translation
美國證實伊朗暫停核武計畫
美
國政府上個月宣布伊朗已經在2003 年放棄發展核子武器計畫，這項消息震驚了國際社會。這項陳詞與美國政 府及外交官員在過去5 年來的說辭──伊朗一直積極地在嘗試發展核武，並藉此在中東和平上造成威脅──是個完全的大逆轉。中央情報局所領導的美國情報團體，在11 月告知布希總統，伊朗確定在 2003 年暫停此計畫。然 而，它也警告伊朗有能力重新開始這項計畫，而且如果伊朗這麼做，有可能在不到10 年內發展出核子武器。
美國和伊朗曾是關係密切的同盟國。自1979 年伊朗的革命者接掌這個國家，並扣留了 50 名美國人質為期超過一 年之後，它們就視彼此為敵人。自那時起，美國一直認為伊朗是個危險且不穩定的國家，它支持恐怖主義，並試著在 全世界各地傷害美國的利益，尤其在中東。自從美國在2003 年入侵伊拉克後，在美國一直有一股如何對付伊朗的熱 烈討論。美國總統喬治．布希及副總統迪克．切尼，在許多場合中指出，如果伊朗的領導者不停止嘗試發展核子武器 的話，他們將考慮攻擊伊朗。而在另一方面，伊朗總是聲稱他們有發展核武的權利。然而，伊朗也堅持它們近年來的 原子研究是為了和平的目的，而且他們主要的目標是發展核能發電廠。他們所說的似乎是實話。而對於世界上一個麻 煩不斷的地區而言，問題也可能因此又少了一個。
Answer
C D A E B
新聞瞭望台 第十五期
Before You Read
