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1、专业外语阅读材料ContentsSection1Environment1Section2AirPollution17Section3Combustion25Section4WaterPollution28Section5NoisePollution35Section6ThermalPollution38Section7HazardousWastes41Section1EnvironmentLIntroductionEnvironment,alloftheexternalfactorsaffectinganorganism.Thesefactorsmaybeot
2、herlivingorganisms(bioticfactors)ornonlivingvariables(abioticfactors),suchastemperature,rainfall,daylength,wind,andoceancurrents-Theinteractionsoforganismswithbioticandabioticfactorsformanecosystem.Evenminutechangesinanyonefactorinanecosystemcaninfluencewhetherornotaparticularplanto
3、ranimalspecieswillbesuccessfulinitsenvironment.Organismsandtheirenvironmentconstantlyinteract,andbotharechangedbythisinteraction.Likeallotherlivingcreatures,humanshaveclearlychangedtheirenvironment,buttheyhavedonesogenerallyonagranderscalethanhaveallotherspecies.Someofthesehuman-ind
4、ucedchanges一suchasthedestructionoftheworld'stropicalrainforeststocreatefarmsorgrazinglandforcattle——haveledtoalteredclimatepatterns(seeGlobalWarming).Inturn,alteredclimatepatternshavechangedthewayanimalsandplantsaredistributedindifferentecosystems.Scientistsstudythelong-termconseque
5、ncesofhumanactionsontheenvironment,whileenvironmentalists一professionalsinvariousfields,aswellasconcernedcitizens一advocatewaystolessentheimpactofhumanactivityonthenaturalworld.ILUnderstandingtheEnvironmentThescienceofecologyattemptstoexplainwhyplantsandanimalslivewheretheydoandwhythe
6、irpopulationsarethesizestheyare.Understandingthedistributionandpopulationsizeoforganismshelpsscientistsevaluatethehealthoftheenvironment.In1840GermanchemistJustusvonLiebigfirstproposedthatpopulationscannotgrowindefinitely,abasicprinciplenowknownastheLawoftheMinimum.Bioticandabioticf
7、actors,singlyorincombination,ultimatelylimitthesizethatanypopulationmayattain.Thissizelimit,knownasapopulation'scarryingcapacity,occurswhenneededresources,suchasfood,breedingsites,andwater,areinshortsupply.Forexample,theamountofnutrientsinsoilinfluencestheamountofwheatthatgrowsonafa
8、rm.Ifjustonesoilnut
