Underwater drone measures ocean carbon levels水下無人機測量海洋碳水平

周艷霞

二氧化碳在被海洋吸收的過程中會發生復雜的化學反應，使其水域酸化。通過安裝在固定浮標和船只上的傳感器，研究人員固然可以在一定程度上測量相關數據，但他們一直都沒有找到更準確的測量手段。不過最新研發的深潛水下無人機有望填補這個空白。

主題語境：科技 篇幅：345詞 建議用時：7分鐘

Researchers are using an underwater drone （無人機） to measure CO₂levels in the ocean. It is believed to be the first time that such a vehicle has been used specifically to test CO₂levels.

The vehicle， which the team also calls a glider （滑翔機）， is designed to dive down to 1，000 meters in deep ocean areas and can operate for weeks at a time.

The goal of the research is to provide scientists with data about how climate change is affecting the ocean's chemistry. The self?swimming drone was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring.

The team said the project could be a major step forward in measuring the environmental health of oceans. Scientists are most interested in levels of ocean acidification（酸化）. This happens when CO₂emissions in the atmosphere make their way into the ocean. Ocean acidification can harm or kill some kinds of sea life.

Scientists have linked CO₂ emissions to global warming caused by human activities.

In a way， oceans have done humans a big favor by taking in some of the CO₂. If this were not the case， there would be much more CO₂in the atmosphere. This would trap more of the sun's heat and further warm the Earth.

“But the problem is now that the ocean is changing its chemistry because of this uptake，” said team member Claudine Hauri.

One of the best ways to measure ocean acidification is to collect CO₂ measurements. Until now， these collections were mostly done from ships or with floating devices on the ocean surface or equipment on the ocean floor.

Hauri is working with another researcher， Andrew McDonnell， on the project.

Researchers said the drone's sensor is like a very small laboratory. It examines CO₂data and stores it inside a temperature?controlled system.

McDonnell said his goal is to one day have a large number of similar robotic gliders operating in oceans across the world. “Such efforts will be important in helping scientists understand much more about what's going on in the ocean than before，” he said.

Reading Check

1. Why do scientists carry out the project？

A. To fully use drones.

B. To keep the ocean clean.

C. To study in the deep ocean.

D. To monitor the ocean's chemistry.

2. What would happen if oceans didn't absorb any CO₂？

A. Sea life would die out.

B. The Earth will be warmer.

C. There would be more CO₂in the sea.

D. Ocean acidification would occur regularly.

3. Where were the CO₂measurements mostly collected？

A. In the laboratory. B. On the glider.

C. On the ocean surface. D. In the drone's sensor.

4. What's McDonnell's attitude towards robotic gliders operating in oceans？

A. Optimistic. B. Critical.? C. Doubtful.? D. Negative.

Language Study

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

The vehicle， which the team also calls a glider， is designed to dive down to 1，000 meters in deep ocean areas and can operate for weeks at a time. 該團隊也將這種飛行器稱為滑翔機，這種飛行器被設計用于在深海區域下潛至 1，000 米，并且一次可以運行數周。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句，which引導非限制性定語從句，修飾先行詞The vehicle。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

dive down 下潛

provide sb with sth/provide sth for sb 向某人提供某物

be interested in 對……感興趣；關心……

make one's way 前進；前往

in a way 在某種程度上

take in 攝入；吸收

because of 由于

until now 到現在為止；迄今為止

a large number of 許多……