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Dispute Over Water Levels Along the Missouri River

时间:2005-06-03 16:00来源:互联网 提供网友:vipnoble   字体: [ ]
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By Caty Weaver1
Broadcast: August 1, 2003
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Environment Report.
Last month a judge ordered the United States Army Corps2 of Engineers to begin to lower water levels along the Missouri River. The federal judge threatened hundreds of thousands of dollars of fines each day the corps did not obey. Environmental groups want the water lowered by 1)dams to protect some kinds of birds and fish.
But the army engineers, who operate the dams, say they must keep the water deep enough for shipping3. A judge in Nebraska late last year ordered them to do that. The engineers say the 2)ruling last month to lower the river or face huge fines conflicts with that order.
Last week, still another judge blocked the fines temporarily. That judge is to decide all the current legal actions concerning water levels on the Missouri River.
The Missouri is the longest river in the United States, at a little more than four-thousand-kilometers. It begins in Montana and flows through North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. It ends in Missouri, where the waters enter the Mississippi River.
For many years, the Army Corp of Engineers has operated major dams along the Missouri. Environmental groups want the engineers to change the way they operate the dams.
Two kinds of birds on the federal list of endangered species4 live on small islands of sand in the river. These 3)sandbars are underwater during 4)nesting season under the current rules for the dams. The corps established these guidelines5 in nineteen-seventy-nine. At that time, the birds and a species of fish also at issue were not yet on the endangered list.
Last year the National Research Council said the dam system has hurt the 5)ecosystem6. The council is a private group that advises Congress. Scientists called for some natural river flow to be re-established to help repair damage. But their report also called for a balance between environmental and economic goals.
Critics of lowered water levels include shipping companies and farmers. These critics say the first job of the Army Corps of Engineers is to support shipping on the Missouri. They say changes could lead to flooded crops and homes.
The army engineers have been working on a new water-control plan for fourteen years. They say the plan will be ready next year.
This VOA Special English Environment Report was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

注释:
1) dam [dAm] n.水坝,障碍
2) ruling [5ru:liN] n.(用尺的)划线(量度);划出的线
3) sandbar [5sAndbB:(r)] n.沙洲
4) nesting [5nestiN] n.嵌套
5) ecosystem [i:kE5sistEm] n.生态系统


 


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1 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
2 corps pzzxv     
n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组
参考例句:
  • The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
3 shipping WESyg     
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船)
参考例句:
  • We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
  • There's a shipping charge of £5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。
4 species FTizN     
n.物种,种群
参考例句:
  • Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗?
  • This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。
5 guidelines 0rtzk5     
n.指导方针,准则
参考例句:
  • The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
  • Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。
6 ecosystem Wq4xz     
n.生态系统
参考例句:
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
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TAG标签:   voa  环境与健康  dispute  water  river  voa  dispute  water  river
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