上外中级口译第三版听力教程原文及讲解--Unit-16.docx

上外中级口译第三版听力教程 原文及讲解 --Unit-16 Unit 16. Part one. Air quality in Britain. 2. Exercises. 1. Listen to the passage about air quality in Britain. And then briefly answer the foll owing questions. Air quality considerably in Britain has improved in the last 30 years. Total emissions of smoke in the air have fall en by over 85 percent since 1960. London and other major cities no longer have the dense smoke led in smog of the 1950s. And in central London winter sunshine has increased by about 70 percent since the late 1950s. However especially over new concerns have arisen, the emissions from the growing number of motor vehicl es, and their possibl e impact on health. Measures have consequently substantially been adopted to reduce emissions from new vehicl es. The environment act of 1995 provid es a new frame work for air quality management, including the publication by the government of the national strategy which was said air qualities standards and targets for the pollutants causing the most concern. This was issued for consultation in August 1996 containing air quality targets for the year 2005. The act also places new duties on l ocal authorities to assess air quality in their boundaries, and to prepare action plans where standards are not met or are likely to be met in future. Pilot schemes are being taken forward in 14 areas before full impl ementation in April 1997. Earlier legislation allows local authorities to declare smoke control areas within which the emission of smoke from chimneys is in offends. About two thirds of the dwellings in connorbations are covered by sm