The Last Straw 最后一根吸管

景一

At first， scientists thought it was a worm. They were studying sea turtles in Costa Rica. One turtle had something sticking out of its nose. It could not breathe. Scientists pulled the object out. It was a plastic straw.

The scientists made sure the turtle was healthy. It scuttled1 back into the water. They posted a video of the rescue on the Internet. When people saw it， they were shocked.

The video motivated Diana Lofflin to start StrawFree.org. The group is in California. Its goal is to make people aware of the harm plastic straws cause to the environment. Lofflin hopes people will find alternatives to plastic straws.

“Straws are not necessary for enjoying a drink，” she says. “Saying no to a plastic straw is a way to make a difference in the world.”

起初，科學家们认为它是一种蠕虫。他们正在哥斯达黎加研究海龟。有东西从一只海龟的鼻子里伸出来。它无法呼吸。科学家们把这个物体拔了出来，是一根塑料吸管。

科学家们确认海龟是健康的。它迅速跑回了水里。他们放了这段营救的视频到网上。当人们看到时，他们很震惊。

这段视频促使黛安娜·洛夫林创办了StrawFree.org。这个组织在加利福尼亚，目的是让人们意识到塑料吸管对环境的危害。洛夫林希望人们能找到塑料吸管的替代品。

“喝一杯饮料不需要吸管，”她说。“拒绝使用吸管是改变世界的一种方式。”

<＼＼Pc-20180925eiog＼丹丹＼《高中听力与阅读》＼2015年＼2015年1期 《高中听力与阅读》＼biankuang 22 111.tif>[Hope for the Future 未来的希望]

A movement to ban plastic straws is growing. In California， it is illegal for food servers to give straws to customers who dont ask for them. Seattle， Washington， has banned all plastic utensils2.

Plastic litter gets into storm drains. It washes into rivers and oceans. Fish and other animals eat the plastic. It can kill them.

Nancy Wallace works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration， in Washington， D.C. She says schools should reduce the amount of plastic they use. Kids must do their part， too.

Says Wallace， “Were pinning our hopes on the next generation to help solve this problem.”

禁止塑料吸管的运动正在兴起。在加利福尼亚州，食品服务商向没有要求吸管的顾客提供吸管是违法的。华盛顿州西雅图市已禁用所有塑料餐具。

塑料垃圾进入雨水渠，冲入河流和海洋。鱼和其他动物吃了塑料。塑料能导致它们死亡。

南希·华莱士在华盛顿特区的国家海洋和大气管理局工作。她说学校应该减少使用塑料的数量。孩子们也必须尽一份自己的责任。

华莱士说：“我们将解决这个问题的希望寄于下一代。”

<＼＼Pc-20180925eiog＼丹丹＼《高中听力与阅读》＼2015年＼2015年1期 《高中听力与阅读》＼biankuang 22.tif>[A New Lid3 新盖]

Starbucks is banning plastic straws. The company says it will stop handing out plastic straws in all its stores by 2020. With 28，000 stores， thats about 1 billion fewer straws a year.

How will you sip4 your drink？ The company has made a new lid for its cups. Some call it a “sippy cup5”， like those used by little kids. Unlike straws， the new lid can be recycled.

星巴克禁止使用塑料吸管。该公司表示，到2020年，将停止在所有门店发放塑料吸管。他们有28000家店，相当于一年可以减少使用10亿根吸管。

那要怎样喝饮料呢？这家公司为杯子做了一种新盖子。有人称之为“鸭嘴杯”，就像小孩子用的那种。与吸管不同，新盖子可以回收利用。