资源描述：
《高中英语 VOA常速听力2012年09月合辑（文本）Oil-Giants-Eye-Arctic-Reserves素材.doc》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、VOA常速英语听力2012年09月合辑（文本）：Oil-Giants-Eye-Arctic-ReservesLONDON—AsoilgiantShellcallsatemporaryhalttoitsexplorationactivitiesintheArcticbecauseofconcernsoversafety,lawmakersinBritainareurginginternationalgovernmentstoseekamoratoriumonoffshoredrillinginthereg
2、ion.Environmentalistssayanoilspillcouldcausecatastrophic,irreversibledamage.Butwithglobalenergydemandssettorise,somesayit’stimetolookatsuch‘unconventionalresources.’LastwinterintheArctic,theRussiantanker‘Renda’carveditswaytotheremoteAlaskanportofNome.Not
3、longagothisvoyage-madeinDecemberandJanuary-wouldhavebeenimpossible.Thewarmingclimatemeansthinnerice.Moreandmorevesselsareplyingtheseroutesyear-round.Manyofthemareinvolvedinthesearchforoilandgas.TheU.S.GeologicalSurveyestimatesthereare26billionbarrelsofre
4、coverableoilbeneaththeUnitedStates'Arcticwatersalone.Oilgiants,includingstate-ownedRussianfirmRosneftandRoyalDutchShell,havealreadyspentbillionsofdollarsprospectingforhydrocarbons.ButGladaLahnfromthepolicyinstituteChathamHouse,saysclimatechangecancreatep
5、roblemsaswellasopportunities.“WiththewarmingtemperaturesintheArctic,thefrequencyoficebreakingoff,thatspeedsupandsoyouperhapshavemoreicebergsinthewayofoperations,"saidLahn."Theotherproblemisincreasingseverityofstormsandastheiceretreatsfromthecoastlines,th
6、ere’smorechanceoflargerwavesleadingtocoastalerosionanddamagetoinfrastructure.”CorporatevideoanimationspostedontheInternetbyShellillustratethecompany’sdrillingactivitiesintheArctic.ShellhasabandoneditsArcticexplorationuntilafterthecomingwinter,citingthefa
7、ilureofakeypieceofsafetyequipment.AccordingtoanalystGladaLahn,safetywillbethekeytoanysuccessfuloilexplorationintheArctic.“It’sbeenmoredifficultintheU.S.andCanada.ThememoriesofDeepwaterHorizon,andevenbeforethatExxonValdez,arestillfreshinpeople’sminds,ands
8、othere’sbeenalotmorepublicscrutinyofthecompanies’spillresponseplans,forinstance,”saidLahn.-2-VOAdidapproachShellforaninterviewbutthecompanysaidnoonewasavailable.Afterpoliticalproblemsappearedtohavederailedthedeal,itappears
