We live on the earth. We use the sea around us. What do we take from the ocean? And what do we give to it?
We take fishes from the ocean—millions of kilograms of fish, every year, to feed millions of people. We take minerals (矿物) from the ocean. We can get salt by evaporating (蒸发) seawater. such as gold. Seaweed (海草) becomes food of many kinds—even candy and ice cream—as well as medicine. Believe it or not, fresh water is another gift from the sea. We can't drink ocean water. But ocean water becomes fresh water when the salts are removed. In the future, we will find ourselves depending more and more on fresh water from the sea.
The sea gives us food, fertilizer, minerals, water and other gifts. What do we give the sea? We pollute the ocean all the time. Throwing waste into the ocean is killing off sea life. Yet as the world population grows, we may need the sea and its gifts more than ever.
We are finally learning that if we destroy our sea, we might also destroy ourselves. Hopefully, it is not too late.
| A. Other gifts, such as seaweed, can be also got from the sea. B. Huge as it is, the ocean can't hold all that we pour into it. C. Along with salt, other minerals are left after evaporation. D. We even use their bones (骨头) for fertilizer (肥料). E. Some of its contents (所含物) may cause illness. |
