Environmental Report for the City of Agate, Colorado, 

2010

Tremendous changes have taken place in our city. Despite

a immense population increase, Agate has continued to promote environmental
protection. There are less automobiles on the road than ever before. More people
have been encouraged to take buses and trains. Yet new forms of mobility aren’t
the only improvements. Our city has adopted new strategies to keep
animal habitats safe and has promoted the growth of an autonomous organization
whose chief purpose is environmental protection. These changes haven’t happened
automatically ; none of these things could have happened  without the work of the
city council and neighborhood council.

automatic

autonomous

habitats

immense 巨大的

adopted 采用/收养

strategies

tremendous 巨大的

automobiles 车辆

mobility 运动/移动

promote 升级/晋升

motivated 激励/鼓舞

chief 长官/主要的

encouraged 鼓励
population 人口

Nonetheless, many have been critical with recent changes in

Agate. Opponents have bemoaned about the lack of transportation options in our
city. We are aware that Agate is in a transitional periods;
complete transformation of a city isn’t possible overnight. For this reason,
we intend to transfer a number of important responsibilities to the recently created
Agate Environmental Protection Organization (AEPO). Next year, they will write
a report that shares their information about how future transportation plans
will affect Agate. The city will formulate a plan based on the report’s suggestions.
We hope that the people of Agate will support our efforts to improve the beautiful
city of Agate.

transition translate transexual transport

transfer

transformation

responsibilities

formulate 形成

bemoaned 抱怨

critical 批判

transportation           

report

support

intend 意图

nonetheless 然而

affect
opponents 对手

Community Response

Dear Agate City Council,

We are writing to share our worries about the city’s plans. We believe that the city’s
actions will cause lots of damage for the plants, animals, and supplies of natural
material of Agate. Our city has a strong history of environmental protection. We fear
that Agate is turning away from this path.  Parts of the city look beautiful, we agree. 
The recently developed city center, however, is a very small area where few of
Agate’s people and animals live. When one leaves from Downtown Agate,
environmental dangers become more visible. The area has
been destroyed by cutting down forests. Scientists recently discovered that very
small living things in the forests of Peru are responsible for changes ear in weather
as well as the rotting of dead plants and animals. After reading these results, Dr.
Haywood of Agate Community College decided to test soil from Agate’s forests. He
looked at samples of soil under his machine for looking at very small things and
made a surprising discovery.

devastation 毁灭

departs 出发

deforestation 去森林化

decomposition 分解

deviating 分离

resources

decimated 大批毁灭

miniscule 微小的

microorganisms

microscope
concerns

segments 部分

hazards 危险

startling 惊人的 appalling

He noticed that the amount of microorganisms in 2010 was less than the lowest
level usually found in forest soil. It is really important that the city study the effects
of deforestation before any decisions are made.

Natural resources such as clean water and natural gas are also important. The city
has been pulling out oil and gas from the earth for years, but in 2009
Agate enlarged its plans to getresources. Most famous for negative reasons, a
tenyear deal was signed that will give oil companies a large ability to enter Agate’s
land. Is it surprising that people who move away from this opinion, including
myself, blame the city for ignoring its people’s wishes? Is the city council listening to
the people of Agate, or is it motivated by outside rewards like oil deals? The people
of Agate would like to know whether our city council is working to improve our lives
or working to bring oil companies.

expanded

external

extensive

incentives 刺激 motivation

acquire

imperative 重要的

minimum

extracting               
attract

contract

detractors    诋毁者 

accuse … of

access to

notoriously 出名的（贬义）

We believe that the city’s plans are not safe for the people, animals, and plants of
Agate. We have a few suggestions for AEPO. 

First, explore water power. There is a source of power with no limit right in our

backyard. The river has given water to our bodies for centuries. Let’s make it a
source of energy for our businesses too. Professors at Agate Community College
have been studying the science of the power of water. A recent, sudden
success suggests that hydropower is a possible plan for Agate. 

Second, end oil extraction. Oil extraction is something that we don’t want. It’s
also probably not going to happen that oil will be a source of enough energy for our
children and grandchildren.  Experts say that what looks like a lot of oil today will be
used almost completely in a few years. If we don’t wake up and see the dangerous
situation, there will be negative results for years to come.

hydropower 水能

hydrated

hydrodynamics

plausible

breakthrough

depleted
abundance

undesirable

unlikely

unlimited

unfortunate

dangerous

crisis

sufficient

Third, study chemicals and rocks and the movement of rocks in order to understand

how our actions affect the earth. Use this knowledge to test energy from the heat of
rocks that might heat our homes in the future. Instead, using unlimited energy
instead of limited resources will improve the situation for our families in the future.

Fourth, create public transportation that doesn’t hurt Agate. We would love an
underground train.

Lastly, tell the oil companies and their companies that work for them to stay out of
Agate. Get rid of big businesses from Agate. Unless they can explain why their
actions are right, no one should be allowed to touch Agate. An organized group of
people taking action to protect our city is gaining energy that pushes us forward.
We will fight with energy to protect our city.

Sincerely,

Agate Neighborhood Council

geochemistry

geothermal
geophysics

defense

vigorously 剧烈的

conditions

justify 证明

subsidiaries accessory

subway

substituting … for

movement

momentum

eradicate

descendants 后代