Lesson 2

Water Is Life

By Nina

Foreign Languages College

Water Is Life How do you understand the title?

Water is life

About the author Barbara Kingsolver

(born April 8, 1955) an American novelist, essayist and poet.

Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity and the interaction between humans and environments.

the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010

Water is life. It makes up two-thirds of our bodies, just like the map of the world.

feel /know(sth.) in one's bones (that...) know or sense (sth) intuitively; to have an intuition about something.

stake sth (on sth) gamble or risk (money, hope, life, etc) on sth

I'd stake my life on it inconsequential adj (also inconsequent)

trivial or irrelevant; unimportant levee n. an embankment raised to prevent

a river from overflowing. 防洪堤

pummel  (also pommel) to beat, as with the fists 用拳头打；揍

brew (sth unpleasant) grow in force; look likely to happen; develop 酝酿

arid  adj. having little or no rainfall; dry amplify  to make larger or more powerful; in

crease. dwindle v ~ (away) (to nothing) become gr

adually less or smaller

Snapping turtles any of several large, freshwater turtles in North America that have a rough upper shell, a long tail, and a large head with hooked jaws. They are noted for their large size and aggressive nature.

blight n [U] disease that withers plants 植物枯萎病 .

blight v affect (sth) with blight; wither The apple trees were blighted by frost. sodden  adj very wet; thoroughly soaked;

saturated. purchase: a position/ a firm grip on sth. 支

撑的位置

saturate v ~ sth (with/in sth) make sth very wet; soak sth 浸湿 ; 浸透

rhythm: a regular pattern of changes 有规律的反复出现

the rhythm of the tides, seasons constant n. sth. that is unchanging or invari

able. 常数 ; 恒量 .

pitch degree of highness or lowness of a musical note or a voice （音符或嗓音的）高度 ; 音高

~ of sth highest point of sth the pitch of perfection gale  n very strong wind; storm (at sea) Holocene The more recent of the two

epochs of the Quaternary Period, beginning about 11,000 years ago. It is characterized by the development of human civilizations. Also called Recent. [ 地质 ] 全新世

exacerbate  make (pain, disease, a situation) worse; aggravate

a heavy rainfall that exacerbated the flood problems.

desertification The transformation of arable or habitable land to desert, as by a change in climate or destructive land use.

reforestation of an area where there used to be a forest is planting trees over it.

A conservationist is a someone who cares greatly about the conservation of the environment and who works to protect it. = environmentalist 自然资源保护论者

NGO abbreviation for `non-governmental organization'

heifer n young cow, esp one that has not yet had a calf 小母牛

Heifer International a global nonprofit established in 1944 with the goal of ending poverty and hunger. It gives out gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and extensive training to those in need.

pod  n long seed-case of various plants, esp peas and beans 荚 ; （尤指）豆荚 .

mesquite   豆科灌木 disperse spreads sth. over a wide area; sc

atter dent n. a hollow in the surface of something

which has been caused by hitting or pressing it. 凹痕

dung: faeces from animals; manure. curdle  to change into curd. （使某物）结

成凝乳 trowel a small garden tool which you use fo

r digging small holes or removing weeds. 小铲子

plywood wood that consists of thin layers of wood stuck together. 胶合板

shaft long narrow (usu vertical) space, eg for a lift to move up and down in, for entry into a mine, or for ventilation 通道

crank  L-shaped bar and handle for converting to-and-fro movement to circular movement （用以将往复运动变换为圆周运动的）曲柄 , 曲轴

exhume to dig up (something buried, esp a corpse); disinter

mound: a large rounded pile of sth. 小丘 ; 土墩

fathom  to penetrate to the meaning or nature of; comprehend. 充分理解 ; 领悟

to determine the depth of (water) fathomless adj too deep to measure the fathomless ocean 深不可测的海洋 beleaguer to harass; beset 使苦恼 We are beleaguered by problems. 2. to surround with troops; besiege.

woes [pl] things that cause sorrow or distress; troubles or misfortunes; calamity

microcosm  a small, representative system, a miniature model of sth. 小天地 ; 缩影

sip  v. to drink in small quantities. n. a small quantity of liquid sipped.

dash to move with haste; rush to destroy or wreck 破灭

Our dreams were dashed.

give up on sth.: lose faith in or stop believing in sth. or someone

aquifer  An underground bed or layer of earth that yields water. 含水土层

unrestrained  Not controlled or held in check; immoderate 不受控制的 ; 未加制止的

plummet v fall steeply or rapidly House prices have plummeted in this area.

Garrett James Hardin (April 21, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American ecologist who warned of the dangers of overpopulation and whose concept of the tragedy of the commons brought attention to "the damage that innocent actions by individuals can inflict on the environment".

He was best known for his elaboration of this theme in his 1968 paper, The Tragedy of the Commons

watershed 1. the dividing line between two adjacent river

systems, such as a ridge 流域 , 分水岭 2. an important period or factor that serves as

a dividing line 转折点

reel :a cylindrical object around which you wrap something such as cinema film, magnetic tape, fishing line, or cotton thread.

v: to go round and round in a whirling motion to feel very dizzy, shocked, upset, or

confused

nudge touch or push (sb) with one's elbow to draw his attention to sth

n. A gentle push.