Dr Sylvia Earle:A heroine for the planet深海女王：西尔维亚·厄尔

安徽 王涛涛

作为一位探险家，她无畏艰险，勤于追寻，无数次潜入深海，追寻海洋的奥秘；作为一名环保主义者，她身体力行，用事实的陈述和诚恳的语言呼唤世人保护海洋、保护地球。

1Born in 1935 in New Jersey,Dr Sylvia Earle had an early interest in nature.At an early age,Earle and her family shifted to Clearwater,Florida.This allowed Earle to witness the Gulf and its coast's wildlife.These first-hand experiences allowed Dr Earle to develop a unique understanding and appreciation for all kinds of natures.

2The educational journey of Dr Sylvia Earle went smoothly.She got a scholarship for the Florida State University and supported herself by working at college laboratories.She later moved to Duke University for her master's degree and received her PhD from the same institution.

3Like many women in the work field,Earle had to carry out two work shifts every day:one at her home and the other at her office.In 1964,she had to leave behind her children for a six-week expedition（远征）in the Indian Ocean.Then,in 1968,she had to travel a hundred feet below the waters of the Bahamas in the submersible（潜水器）Deep Diver while she was four months pregnant!These shocking efforts of Earle for the field of oceanography（海洋学）distinguish her from other scientists.In 1979,she became the first woman to walk the ocean floor 381 meters below the surface.Wearing a specialized diving suit,she was able to walk freely without a dive tether（系链；拴绳）and a safe belt.In 1982,she founded Deep Ocean Engineering,a company to build an innovative submersible craft that could help explore ocean life at greater depth than a normal SCUBA gear.She also served as a chief scientist and a pioneer for being woman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.In 1990,she became the first female chief scientist of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

4After gaining much recognition from the expedition,Earle moved on to write for National Geographic.Under the National Geographic Society,she led the five-year program of Sustainable Seas Expeditions from 1998-2002.She even became a speaker to spread awareness about environmental degradation and other issues surrounding marine life.

5All the work of Earle proved to be quite beneficial to the world.Sylvia Earle is 86 years old today,and her dream is to achieve 30 percent of the ocean protection by 2030 and to help the ocean bodies remain firm.

Reading Check

Ⅰ.Choose the best answers according to the text

Gist 1.What do paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A.Individual interest.

B.Family information.

C.Personal background.

D.Educational experience.

Structure 2.In what order is paragraph 3 organized?

A.Time. B.Place.

C.Characters. D.Importance.

Detail 3.What can we know about Earle according to the text?

A.In 1964,Earle had a six-week expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

B.In 1968,Earle had to travel a hundred feet below the waters.

C.In 1979,Earle could walk freely without any special diving suit.

D.In 1990,Earle became the leader of Deep Ocean Engineering.

Inference 4.The text falls into the category of .

A.news report,technology and science

B.lifestyle,celebrities

C.biography,environmental science

D.news,environmental science

Ⅱ.Read the text again,and then complete the timeline

Dr Sylvia Earle's achievements

1964 had 1.__________in the Indian Ocean

1968 traveled 2.___________below the waters of the Bahamas

3.__________became the first woman to walk the ocean floor 381 meters below the surface

4.__________founded Deep Ocean Engineering

1990 became 5.___________of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

1998—2002 led the 6.___________of Sustainable Seas Expeditions

Language Study

Complete the following phrases according to the text

1.很早就对某事物有兴趣 have an ________________ in sth

2.允许某人做某事 ________________sb to do sth

3.第一手经验 ________________experiences

4.进展顺利 go________________

5.养活她自己 ________________herself

6.实行；执行 carry________________