August 2 turned out to bea significant day in the year 2023. It was the day the Earth ran out ofits annualresource budget, also known as Earth Overshoot Day or EcologicalDebt Day. In less than eight months, humans used up all the natural resources the planet can regenerate within one year.
To calculateEarth Overshoot Day each year, an organization called the Global FootprintNetwork collects data from the UN that includes the ecologicalfootprint of each country as well as the biocapacityof the planet. Biocapacity refers tothe planet’s ability to produce renewable resources and absorbwaste. When the overshoot day passes each year, it means any natural resources used after the day cannot be replenished, and any extra carbon dioxide♦ produced will just accumulatein the atmosphere.
While Earth Overshoot Day 2023 is months earlier than December 25, the date of the first recorded Earth Overshoot Day in 1971, it is five days later than the previous year. This indicates that the rate at which we use our resources is gradually starting to slow down. However, many things still need to be done to move Earth Overshoot Day to the end of the year.
The Global Footprint Network has stated that increasing the shareof low-carbonenergy sources to 75% could push the date back by 26 days. Other things, such as halvingfood waste and reforesting land, could move the date back as well. If steps like these aren’t takenand overshoot days
continue to move up, natural disasterslike heat waves♦, droughts♦, forest fires, and floods will only worsen.
What does biocapacityrefer to?
(A) The size of each country’s ecologicalfootprint.
(B) The number of days it takes for the planet to generate resources.
(C) The planet’s consumption of resources and release of greenhouse gases.
(D) The Earth’s ability to produce sustainableresources and soak upwaste
2. According to the passage, how has Earth Overshoot Day changed over the years?
(A) The data used is different.
(B) It has moved back significantly.
(C) It has moved forward dramatically.
(D) The way it is calculated has changed.
Which of the following is NOT listed as an action that can delay Earth Overshoot Day?
(A) Raising the percentage of energy sources with low-carbonemissions.
(B) Manufacturinga greater quantity of recyclable products.
(C) Reducing food waste by 50%.
(D) Restoring forests.
答案: 1.D 2.C 3.B
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
annual
[ˋænjʊəl]
a. 每年的；年度的，一年的
=
yearly
Labor Day is an annual holiday in many countries.
在許多國家，勞動節每年都有放假。
What’s your annual income?
你年收入是多少？
多益綠色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
ecological
[͵ɛkəˋlɑdʒɪkəl/͵ikəˋlɑdʒɪkəl]
a. 生態 (學) 的
The accident of Chernobyl was one of the most serious ecological disasters recorded in human history.
車諾比事故是人類史上所載最嚴重的生態浩劫之一。
高中 Level 5
●
calculate
[ˋkælkjə͵let]
.vt. 計算；估計
=
count
=
estimate
We need to calculate the overall costs beforewe make any decisions.
在做任何決定前，我們需要先計算一下全部的花費。
The committee calculated that the project would cost at least one million dollars.
委員會推估該案子至少需花費一百萬美元。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
absorb
[əbˋsɔrb]
vt. 吸收；理解
Sponges are used to absorb liquids.
海綿可用來吸收液體。
I couldn’t absorb everything I read.
所有讀過的東西我並非都能理解。
I was so absorbed in my work that I didn’t hear you calling me.
我太投入工作，因此沒聽到你在叫我。
I was so buried in my work that I didn’t hear you calling me.
我太投入工作，因此沒聽到你在叫我。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
accumulate
[əˋkjumjə͵let]
vt. & vi. . 累積
Samuel quickly accumulated a large fortune by
investing in the stock market.
薩姆爾藉由投資股票市場而累積了一大筆財富。
A thick layer of dust accumulated on my desk
because I hadn’t cleaned it for a year.
一層厚厚的灰塵積在我桌上，因為我已一年沒清理過桌子
了。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 6
●
atmosphere
[ˋætməs͵fɪr]
n. 大氣；空氣；氛圍
=
feeling
=
mood
The satellite is fixed at a point just outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
那枚衛星被安置在地球大氣層外的某個定點上。
Mildew easily forms in my room because of the damp atmosphere.
因為空氣很潮溼，我的房間很容易長黴。
I like the warm and pleasant atmosphere in that coffee shop.
我喜歡那家咖啡廳溫暖又愉快的氣氛。
多益綠色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
halve
[hæv]
vt. 減半
To reduce waste, they decided to halve the amount of paper they used in the office.
為了減少浪費，他們決定將辦公室使用的紙張減半。
●
disaster
[dɪˋzæstɚ]
n. 災害，災難（尤指天災）；大失敗
=
catastrophe
That country is often hit by natural disasters.
該國常遭天災襲擊。
The party last night was really a disaster.
昨晚的派對真是一團亂。
The party last night was really disastrous.
昨晚的派對真是一團亂。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
worsen
[ˋwɝsn]
vi. 惡化
Gary’s economic situation worsened after he was laid off from work.
蓋瑞被公司資遣後，經濟狀況走下坡。
英檢中高
●
sustainable
[səˋstenəb!]
a. 可維持的；可持續的
Experts doubted that the rapid increase in the stock market was sustainable and warned values would likely decline soon.
專家懷疑股市快速上漲是否能維持，並警告股價可能很快會下跌。
Solar and wind power are two examples of sustainable energy resources that have become more common over the years.
太陽能和風能是兩個這幾年來越見普遍的永續能源例子。
高中 Level 5
●
manufacture
[͵mænjəˋfæktʃɚ]
vt. & n. （用機器大量）生產，製造
=
produce
The manufacture of newspapers requires a lot of wood pulp. 製造報紙需要許多木漿。
Our company manufactures electronic devices.
我們公司生產電子儀器。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
●
overshoot
[ˋovɚˋʃut]
n. 超越／超出（某種限制或目標的現象）
●
footprint
[ˋfʊt͵prɪnt]
n. 腳印,足跡
●
biocapacity
[ˌbɑɪəkəˈpæsətɪ]
n. 生態承載力
●
share
[ʃɛr]
n. 一份
vt. & vi. 分享；分擔
Jenny doesn’t want to share her toys with her twin sister.
珍妮不願與她的雙胞胎妹妹分享玩具。
There are not enough rooms, so we have to share.
房間不夠多，所以我們必須合住。
Jason didn’t give us his share of the bill.
傑森沒給我們他該分擔的那份費用。
多益棕色
英檢初級
高中 Level 1
●
low-carbon
[ˌloˈkɑrbən]
a. 低碳的
●
heatwave
[ˋhitwev]
n. 熱浪
●
drought
[draʊt]
n. 乾旱
The change of climate has resulted in the most severe drought in one hundred years.
氣候變遷造成百年來最嚴重的一次乾旱。
多益金色
英檢中級
高中 Level 5
●
emission
[ɪˋmɪʃən]
n. （氣體、光線等）排放
The politicians asked people to stop driving their cars in order to limit carbon emissions.
政客們請大眾停止開車以限制碳排放。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
Practical Phrases
●
turn out to be
結果／竟然是⋯⋯
All of townspeople believed in Tony,but he turned out to be a thief.
所有的鎮民都信任東尼，但他竟然是個小偷。
●
run out of sth
用盡某物
Our car was running out of gas.
我們的車子快沒汽油了。
●
refer to...
提到，言及…… 指的是⋯⋯
Cybercrime refers toany crime committed through the internet.
網路犯罪指的是任何透過網路所犯下的罪行。
●
slow down... / slow... down
減緩／慢⋯⋯（的速度）
Your presentation is good, but remember to slow down the speed of your speech so that everyone can understand what you're saying.
你的報告很棒，但要記得放慢語速，這樣大家才能理解你在說什麼。
●
take steps to V
採取措施做⋯⋯
The social media platform has taken steps to crack down on misinformation.
該社群媒體平臺已採取措施制裁不實資訊。
●
take steps
採取措施
= take measures
We must take steps to expand our customer base.
我們必須採取措施以拓展客戶群。
●
soak up... / soak... up
吸乾某物 / 吸收某事
Young children are like sponges because they can soak up information incredibly quickly.
幼童就像海綿，吸收資訊的速度快得驚人。
●
carbon dioxide
二氧化碳
●
carbon dioxide
二氧化碳
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
植物吸收二氧化碳並且製造氧氣。
