一、听力练习
1.
A. The government has banned legal mining.
B. There has been a significant rise in international gold prices.
C. Mining equipment has become more affordable.
D. Mining is encouraged as a means of economic development.
2.
A. Increased risk of malnutrition among miners.
B. Heart-related diseases due to exposure to heavy metals.
C. Higher rates of diabetes in mining communities.
D. Increased cases of malaria from dirty water.
3.
A. The spread of harmful insects in mining areas.
B. Overproduction of cocoa in surrounding farms.
C. Poisoning of water sources due to mercury and heavy metals.
D. Increased flooding in western Ghana.
二、听力文本
Illegal gold mining operations in Ghana have reportedly increased in recent years. The activities present dangerous risks to the individuals involved as well as environmental harms. The Reuters news agency recently reported on the issue. Reporters with the news agency visited such an operation in western Ghana. They found that workers were not using professional protective equipment as they mined for gold in muddy water filled with mercury. Groups of unofficial miners wore normal clothes and used only their hands to remove rocks. The unlicensed mine is in the country's Prestea-Huni Valley district. It is an example of how increasing numbers of people are turning to illegal methods to find gold to earn money.
Mining officials in Ghana say such operations can harm miners' health, pollute waterways, destroy forests and farms, and increase crime rates. One of the men working at the illegal mine told Reuters, “It's risky, but I just want to survive.” The man was a 24-year-old accounting student. He did not want to be named because he is involved in illegal activities. He told Reuters he had been missing classes to search for gold because he needs the money. The unlicensed gold mining industry is known in Ghana as "galamsey.” The industry has grown quickly over the past year. One reason for the growth was a 30 percent rise in international gold prices. Small mines produced 34 million grams of gold in the first seven months of this year, official government records show. That was more than in all of 2023. About 40 percent of Ghana's total gold comes from small mines — those not owned by large international companies. And an estimated 70-80 percent of the small mines are unlicensed. News reports and human rights groups say numerous miners have died from collapsing pits in recent years. Hospitals and health centers have reported high numbers of early deaths from heart-related diseases of miners and people living in towns and villages near mines. The health problems are linked to breathing in dust that contains heavy metals such as lead. In addition, poisonous gas from the mercury and nitric acid are released during unlicensed mine activities. Such chemicals are also dumped on the ground or in rivers. Ghana's water authority says mercury and heavy metals from mining have poisoned about 65 percent of water sources. The illegal operations have also harmed thousands of hectares of cocoa farms and forest areas, reports data-gathering group Global Forest Watch.
Question 1: What is the main reason for the recent increase in illegal gold mining in Ghana?
Question 2: What is one of the main health risks associated with unlicensed gold mining in Ghana?
Question 3: What environmental issue has resulted from illegal gold mining operations?
三、重点词汇
1. unlicensed: not having a licence (= a document giving legal permission) to do something, for example to sell alcohol, or use or own something, for example a gun 无营业执照的；未经授权许可的
四、背景知识
报道称，因非法采矿活动，加纳的普拉河变得浓稠又浑黄，以至于一位名叫埃尼尔的艺术家声称可以用河水作为颜料绘画。当地居民也对河流的环境恶化表示惋惜，感叹曾经清澈见底的河流如今已变成浑浊的黄褐色。 加纳林业委员会的数据显示，加纳全国16个地区中的7个以及288个森林保护区中的34个都受到非法采矿的破坏，约 4726公顷土地被毁，其面积甚至比有些欧洲城市还大。农业发展专家表示，森林地带的土地被淘金者大肆毁坏，造成了灾难性的后果。非法采矿导致树木被砍伐，大片森林植被被清除，重金属汞和其他化学物质污染了包括普拉河在内的众多河流，使得部分水域不再适宜饮用。 据报道，示威者近日走上了加纳首都阿克拉的街头，要求政府采取行动制止非法采矿。警方拘留了数十名被指控非法集会的抗议者，但随着公众对逮捕行动的愤怒升级，抗议者最终被释放。水援助组织也敦促政府“立即采取行动结束‘生态灭绝’”。国家水务公司还警告说，如果不遏制非法采矿，到2030年，加纳可能会成为水进口国。（背景知识来自于https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1813479664166143706&wfr=spider&for=pc）
五、参考答案
Question 1: B
Question 2: B
Question 3: C
六、网络翻译
据报道，加纳的非法采金活动近年来显著增加，这些活动不仅对参与人员构成严重危险，还对环境造成损害。路透社最近对此进行了报道。路透社的记者走访了位于加纳西部的一个采金点，发现工人在含有汞的泥水中开采金矿，未使用专业的防护设备。这些非正式矿工仅穿着普通衣物，靠双手搬运石块。这个无证矿区位于该国的普雷斯蒂亚-胡尼谷地区，反映了越来越多的人转向非法采金以谋生的现状。 加纳的矿业官员表示，这类采矿活动可能损害矿工健康、污染水源、破坏森林和农田，还会导致犯罪率上升。一名在非法矿场工作的男子对路透社表示：“尽管有风险，但我只是想活下去。”该男子是一位24岁的会计专业学生，因从事非法活动不愿透露姓名。他告诉路透社，由于经济压力，他不得不旷课来寻找金矿。 在加纳，无证采金业被称为“加拉姆塞（galamsey）”。过去一年中，这个行业增长迅速，原因之一是国际金价上涨了30%。官方数据显示，今年前七个月，小型矿场共生产了3400万克黄金，比2023年全年还多。约40%的加纳黄金来自小型矿场，其中估计有70-80%是无证矿场。新闻报道和人权组织称，近年来许多矿工因矿坑塌陷而丧命。医院和健康中心报告称，矿工和矿区附近居民中因心脏病早逝的人数显著增加。这些健康问题与吸入含铅等重金属的粉尘有关。此外，汞和硝酸释放的有毒气体在无证矿场活动中也会排放出来，并被倾倒在地面或河流中。加纳水务机构表示，采矿中的汞和重金属已污染了约65%的水源。数据收集组织Global Forest Watch的报告显示，这些非法活动还破坏了成千上公顷的可可农田和森林区域。
七、版权说明
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