常用在饰品、化妆品和布料中的 “glitter（亮片）” 能让这些产品看上去闪耀靓丽。但是，不可降解的亮片如果进入了河流或者海洋就会给生物赖以生存的水源造成微塑料污染。而最新研究表明，这些亮片甚至可能对自然中的化学环境造成影响，从而带来更大的危害。本文浅谈使用亮片对自然环境造成的潜在威胁。

词汇：glitter pollution 亮片污染

1 Pretty, sparkly, and really hard to get rid of. Forms of glitter have been used for decoration since at least Aztec times and can be found on ornaments, clothes, greeting cards and cosmetics. However, today's glitter is often made of plastic, and this makes it more dangerous than it appears.

2 Pieces of glitter are often washed into the water system, and from there into seas and rivers. Here, they become microplastic pollution. Fish often mistake small plastic particles for food and eat them. When something low in the food chain is eaten by predators, they also consume the microplastics left in their prey. If we eat seafood, that includes us. While there are still questions about the impact of this, microplastics have been linked with issues including DNA damage, organ dysfunction and cardiovascular problems. It's been estimated that humans may ingest between 74,000 and 121,000 microplastic particles each year.

3 Glitter only makes up a tiny part of the microplastics found in the ocean, but it can be particularly harmful. Firstly, while most microplastics in marine environments are formed by large pieces of plastic breaking down, glitter is manufactured as a microplastic. It is also made up of several different compounds which can leach toxins into the surrounding environment.

4 Additionally, a recent study has suggested that glitter particles can encourage the formation of certain mineral crystals, changing the chemistry of the environment around them. Not only could this affect how sea life produces shells and skeletons, but the crystals can break up the particles further, forming nanoplastics. These are even more likely to be absorbed by marine organisms.

5 Biodegradable alternatives have been developed, although some studies suggest that these could be just as harmful. Maybe we should just find a different way to make decorations.

测验与练习

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 ________
Paragraph 2 ________
Paragraph 3 ________
Paragraph 4 ________
Paragraph 5 ________

a. Glitter in the food chain
b. Is there an alternative?
c. Recycling problems
d. Pretty, but harmful
e. Chemical impact
f. A more harmful microplastic

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. Glitter is a modern invention.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. Look at paragraph 2. What does 'them' refer to in the following sentence? Fish often mistake small plastic particles for food and eat them.
a. fish
b. particles
c. food

3. Glitter is the main source of microplastic pollution.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. What is a result of glitter being made from different materials?
a. It breaks down easily.
b. It is easily eaten by fish and other sea life.
c. Harmful chemicals are transferred to surroundings.

5. Glitter is made of mineral crystals.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Glitter is 1) _______ but harmful. It often becomes 2) _______ pollution in the ocean. There it is 3) _______ by fish and other creatures and enters the 4) _______. Once it gets into humans, it can cause a range of problems including organ 5) _______.

ingested
compound
microplastic
sparkly
food chain
dysfunction
leached

（答案见词汇表后）

词汇表

sparkly 闪闪发光的
get rid of 清除，除去
decoration 装饰
ornament 饰品，装饰物
microplastic 微塑料
particle 微粒
food chain 食物链
dysfunction 功能失调
cardiovascular 心血管的
ingest 摄入
break down 分解
compound 混合物
leach 渗透出
formation 形成，构成
mineral crystals 矿物晶体
nanoplastic 纳米塑料
absorb 吸收
biodegradable 可生物降解的

答案

一、将标题和段落配对。

Paragraph 1 d) Pretty but harmful
Paragraph 2 a) Glitter in the food chain
Paragraph 3 f) A more harmful microplastic
Paragraph 4 e) Chemical impact
Paragraph 5 b) Is there an alternative?

二、根据文章内容选出正确的选项。

1. b. False. Forms of glitter have been used for decoration since at least Aztec times and can be found on ornaments, clothes, greeting cards and cosmetics.

2. b. particles. The pronoun 'them' refers to the 'small plastic particles'.

3. b. False. Glitter only makes up a tiny part of the microplastics found in the ocean, but it can be particularly harmful.

4. c. It is also made up of several different compounds which can leach toxins into the surrounding environment.

5. b. False. Additionally, a recent study has suggested that glitter particles can encourage the formation of certain mineral crystals, changing the chemistry of the environment around them.

三、用下列单词完成对本文的总结。

Glitter is sparkly but harmful. It often becomes microplastic pollution in the ocean. There it is ingested by fish and other creatures and enters the food chain. Once it gets into humans, it can cause a range of problems including organ dysfunction.