【考研阅读】英语一外刊阅读 01 建筑行业的新转向
全文约1700字+，预计阅读5mins
原文选自 Scientific American
文章主要描述了建筑行业的新转向
即在建造有关建筑时，关注材料的环保性
本文难度主要体现在专业性词汇比较多
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Constructing Buildings That Have a Positive Impact on Climate and Biodiversity
建造对气候和生物多样性有积极影响的建筑
Part
1
Our built environment — from houses to offices, schools and shops — is not environmentally benign. Buildings and the construction industry are, in fact, the world’s biggest consumer of raw materials and contribute 25–40% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Making buildings part of a circular economy that minimizes the waste of materials could therefore yield huge environmental rewards. Conversely, failure on this front could have dire consequences.
我们的建筑环境，从房屋到办公室、学校和商店，都不是环境友好的。事实上，建筑和建筑业是最大的原材料消耗领域，占全球二氧化碳排放量的25%至40%。因此，使建筑成为循环经济的一部分，最大限度地减少材料浪费，可能会带来巨大的环境回报。相反，这方面的失败可能会带来极其严重的后果。
【注解】
built environment 建筑环境、人造环境，与natural environment（自然环境）相对
environmentally benign 对环境友好的，benign表示“温和的、善良的”，发音是/bɪˈnaɪn/，这个词组可与environmentally friendly互换
construction industry 建筑产业
raw materials 原材料，其中raw表示“生的、未经加工的”，比如“生肉”指的就是没有经过翻译的字幕
carbon dioxide 二氧化碳
emission [iˈmɪʃn] n. 排放
circular economy 循环经济
minimize [ˈmɪnɪmaɪz] v. 减少、使最小化
yield [jiːld] v. 产生（收益、效益等），可与produce互换
environmental reward 环境回报
front [frʌnt] n. 领域，属于“熟词僻义”。根据《韦氏字典》对front的释义an area of activity or interest可知该词表示的就是某种“领域”，近义词有field, domain等
dire [ˈdaɪə(r)] adj. 极其严重的，近义词serious, detrimental, harmful等，可以替换
consequence [ˈkɒnsɪkwəns] n. 结果、后果
Part
2
“Buildings can, and must , work in a circular way,” says Francesco Pomponi, who studies the built environment at Edinburgh Napier University, UK. “Otherwise, there’s no way out of the climate crisis.”
英国爱丁堡龙比亚大学（Edinburgh Napier University）建筑环境研究专家弗朗切斯科·蓬波尼（Francesco Popononi）表示：“建筑可以而且必须以循环方式工作。否则，气候危机就没有出路。”
【注解】
way out 出路，out副词作后置定语
climate crisis 气候危机
Part
3
Take concrete, made by mixing gravel, cement and water. It is the world’s most widely used building material, yet it is also a huge carbon source, accounting for up to 8% of global human-made carbon emissions. Cement, more than four billion tonnes of which are made each year, is the biggest contributor. Its production requires limestone (primarily composed of calcium carbonate) to be heated to yield lime (calcium oxide). The reaction releases CO2, and yet more CO2 is produced by fuel combustion to generate the heat.
以混凝土为例，它由砾石、水泥和水混合而成。它是世界上使用最广泛的建筑材料，但也是一个巨大的碳源，占全球人造碳排放量的8%。水泥每年产量超过40亿吨，是碳排放的最大的贡献者。其生产需要将石灰石（主要由碳酸钙组成）加热以生成石灰（氧化钙）。反应释放CO2，而燃料燃烧会产生更多的CO2以产生热量。
【注解】
concrete [ˈkɒŋkriːt] n. 混凝土
gravel [ˈɡrævl] n. 沙砾、砾石
cement [sɪˈment] n. 水泥
carbon source 碳源
account for （数量或比例上）占，可与occupy, take up互换
up to 多达、高达
contributor [kənˈtrɪbjətə(r)] n. 贡献者
limestone [ˈlaɪmstəʊn] n. 石灰石
primarily [praɪˈmerəli] adj. 主要地
be composed of 由...构成，可与be made up of，consist of替换。注意consist of不用被动
calcium carbonate 碳酸钙
calcium oxide 氧化钙
reaction [riˈækʃn] n. 反应
fuel combustion 燃料燃烧
generate [ˈdʒenəreɪt] 产生（电、热等）
Part
4
Across the globe, engineers, construction companies and architects are beginning to embrace and apply the circular model. There are ample opportunities to improve the materials that are used in construction, to introduce circular design principles so that those materials can be properly repurposed, and — even more ambitiously — to create buildings that make a positive contribution to climate and biodiversity.
在全球范围内，工程师、建筑公司和建筑师开始接受并应用循环模型。有充分的机会来改进建筑中使用的材料，引入循环设计原则，以便这些材料能够被适当地重新利用，甚至更劲头十足地创造对气候和生物多样性做出积极贡献的建筑。
【注解】
across the globe 全世界，可与throughout the world, around the world互换
architect [ˈɑːkɪtekt] n. 建筑师
embrace [ɪmˈbreɪs] vt. 欣然接受，原意为“拥抱”，“欣然接受”为引申意
circular model 循环模式
ample [ˈæmpl] adj. 充足的，近义词plenty of
principle [ˈprɪnsəpl] n. 原则
properly [ˈprɒpəli] adv. 正确地；适当地
repurpose [ˌriːˈpɜːpəs] vt. （为适合某种新用途）对...稍加修改
ambitiously [æmˈbɪʃəsli] adv. 雄心勃勃地、劲头十足地
Part
5
Innovations in materials could help to make concrete a more sustainable option. Adding graphene — a 2D form of carbon—into the mix, for example, might improve the environmental footprint by strengthening concrete and thus reducing the amount needed for a particular application. Sprinkling it into concrete could bring enormous benefits, according to Nationwide Engineering, a company based in Amesbury, UK, that developed this mixture, called Concretene, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manchester, UK. The first building to benefit from Concretene was a gym in Amesbury in May 2021, which had a new floor laid using the material.
材料创新有助于使混凝土成为更可持续的选择。例如，将石墨烯（一种2D形式的碳）添加到混合物中，可以通过加强混凝土，从而减少特定运用时所需的量，来改善环境足迹。英国埃姆斯伯里国家工程公司（Nationwide Engineering）与英国曼彻斯特大学（University of Manchester）的研究人员合作开发了这种混合物，称将其少量融合至混凝土中可以带来巨大的好处。第一座受益于混凝土的建筑是2021年5月在埃姆斯伯里的一座体育馆，该体育馆使用这种材料铺设了一层新地板。
【注解】
innovation [ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn] n. 创造；创新
sustainable [səˈsteɪnəbl] adj. 可持续的，sustainable development（可持续发展）
option [ˈɒpʃn] n. 选项
graphene [ˈɡræfiːn] n. 石墨烯（由碳原子构成的单层片状结构的纳米材料）
environmental footprint 环境足迹，是人类对地球生态系统需求的一种衡量指标
application [ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃn] n. （对某种理论或发现的）运用
sprinkle [ˈsprɪŋkl] vt. 把...洒在...上，此处引申为“使...包含在...中”
enormous [ɪˈnɔːməs] adj. 巨大的、庞大的
be based in 总部在...地方，in后面一般加地点，要注意和be based on（基于）之间的区别
collaboration [kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃn] n. 合作、协作
lay [leɪ] vt. 铺设、放置
