常用在飾品、化妝品和佈料中的 “glitter（亮片）” 能讓這些產品看上去閃耀靚麗。但是，不可降解的亮片如果進入瞭河流或者海洋就會給生物賴以生存的水源造成微塑料污染。而最新研究表明，這些亮片甚至可能對自然中的化學環境造成影響，從而帶來更大的危害。本文淺談使用亮片對自然環境造成的潛在威脅。
詞匯：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.
測驗與練習
一、將標題和段落配對。
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、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。
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、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。
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
（答案見詞匯表後）
詞匯表
sparkly 閃閃發光的
get rid of 清除，除去
decoration 裝飾
ornament 飾品，裝飾物
microplastic 微塑料
particle 微粒
food chain 食物鏈
dysfunction 功能失調
cardiovascular 心血管的
ingest 攝入
break down 分解
compound 混合物
leach 滲透出
formation 形成，構成
mineral crystals 礦物晶體
nanoplastic 納米塑料
absorb 吸收
biodegradable 可生物降解的
答案
一、將標題和段落配對。
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、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。
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、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。
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.
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