Tell me more about highly evolved civilizations and highly evolved beings. Outside of the fact that they don’t kill each other for any reason, what else makes them different from us?

They share.

Hey, we share!

No, they share everything. With everyone. Not a be-ing goes without. All the natural resources of their world, of their environment, are divided equally, and distributed to everyone.

A nation or a group or a culture isn’t thought to “own” a natural resource simply because it happens to

occupy the physical location where that resource is found.

The planet (or planets) which a group of species calls “home” is understood to belong to everyone—to all the species in that system. Indeed, the planet or group of planets itself is understood to be a “system.” It is viewed as a whole system, not as a bunch of little parts or ele-ments, anyone of which can be eliminated, decimated, or eradicated¹ without damage to the system itself.

The ecosystem², as we call it.

Well, it’s larger than that. It’s not just the ecol-ogy—which is the relationship of the planet’s natural resources to the planet’s inhabitants. It’s also the rela-tionship of the inhabitants to themselves, to each other, and to the environment.

It’s the interrelationship of all the species of life.

The “speciesystem”!

Yes! I like that word! It’s a good word! Because what we’re talking about is larger than the ecosystem. It’s truly the speciesystem. Or what your Buckminster Fuller called the noosphere.

I like speciesystem better. It’s easier to understand. I always wondered what in blazes the noosphere was!

“Bucky” likes your word, too. He’s not attached. He always liked whatever made things simpler or easier.

You’re talking to Buckminster Fuller now? You’ve turned this dialogue into a séance?

Let’s just say I have reason to know that the essence which identified itself as Buckminster Fuller is delighted with your new word.

Wow, that’s great. I mean, that’s so cool—to just be able to know that.

It is “cool.” I agree.

So in highly evolved cultures it’s the speciesystem that mat-ters.

Yes, but it isn’t that individual beings don’t matter. Quite to the contrary. The fact that individual beings do matter is reflected in the fact that effect on the spe-ciesystem is uppermost when considering any deci-sion.

点击收听单词发音  

1 eradicated
画着根的
参考例句：
Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。 The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。

2 ecosystem
n.生态系统
参考例句：
This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。 We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

3 presumption
n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定
参考例句：
Please pardon my presumption in writing to you.请原谅我很冒昧地写信给你。 I don't think that's a false presumption.我认为那并不是错误的推测。

4 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

5 logic
n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性
参考例句：
What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？ I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

6 tirade
n.冗长的攻击性演说
参考例句：
Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。 He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

7 tirades
激烈的长篇指责或演说( tirade的名词复数 )
参考例句：
What's the matter with Levin today?Why doesn't he launch into one of his tirades? 你所说得话我全记录下来列文今天怎么啦？没有反唇相讥？

8 akin
adj.同族的，类似的
参考例句：
She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。 Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

9 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

10 atmospheric
adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的
参考例句：
Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。 Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

11 carbohydrates
n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物
参考例句：
The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》 All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

12 plentiful
adj.富裕的，丰富的
参考例句：
Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。 Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

13 slaughter
n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀
参考例句：
I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。 Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

14 indigenous
adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的
参考例句：
Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。 Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

15 eroding
侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害
参考例句：
The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。 Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

16 dominant
adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因
参考例句：
The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。 She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

17 hemp
n.大麻；纤维
参考例句：
The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。 The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。

18 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

19 paradigm
n.例子，模范，词形变化表
参考例句：
He had become the paradigm of the successful man. 他已经成为成功人士的典范。 Moreover,the results of this research can be the new learning paradigm for digital design studios.除此之外，本研究的研究成果也可以为数位设计课程建立一个新的学习范例。

20 unity
n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调
参考例句：
When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。 We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

21 mutual
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。 Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

22 stewards
（轮船、飞机等的）乘务员( steward的名词复数 )； （俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的）管理员； （大型活动的）组织者； （私人家中的）管家
参考例句：
The stewards all wore armbands. 乘务员都戴了臂章。 The stewards will inspect the course to see if racing is possible. 那些干事将检视赛马场看是否适宜比赛。

23 steward
n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员
参考例句：
He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。 He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

24 stewardship
n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责
参考例句：
The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。 Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。

25 caress
vt./n.爱抚，抚摸
参考例句：
She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。 She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

26 obsessed
adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的
参考例句：
He's obsessed by computers. 他迷上了电脑。 The fear of death obsessed him throughout his old life. 他晚年一直受着死亡恐惧的困扰。

27 obsession
n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)
参考例句：
I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。 She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

28 spouses
n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句 An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

29 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

30 mechanisms
n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用
参考例句：
The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

31 despoil
v.夺取，抢夺
参考例句：
The victorious army despoil the city of all its treasure.得胜的军队把城里的财宝劫掠一空。 He used his ruthless and destructive armies despoil everybody who lived within reach of his realm.他动用其破坏性的军队残暴地掠夺国内的人民。

32 infinitely
adv.无限地，无穷地
参考例句：
There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。 The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

33 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

34 plentifully
adv. 许多地，丰饶地
参考例句：
The visitors were plentifully supplied with food and drink. 给来宾准备了丰富的食物和饮料。 The oil flowed plentifully at first, but soon ran out. 起初石油大量涌出，但很快就枯竭了。

35 guilt
n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责
参考例句：
She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。 Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

36 shuffled
v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼
参考例句：
He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。 Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 revered
v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

38 vibrant
adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的
参考例句：
He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。 She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

39 dwelling
n.住宅，住所，寓所
参考例句：
Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。 He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

40 unified
(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的
参考例句：
The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。 The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

41 initially
adv.最初，开始
参考例句：
The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。 Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

42 shameful
adj.可耻的，不道德的
参考例句：
It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。 We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

43 detailed
adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的
参考例句：
He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。 A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

44 perpetuate
v.使永存，使永记不忘
参考例句：
This monument was built to perpetuate the memory of the national hero.这个纪念碑建造的意义在于纪念民族英雄永垂不朽。 We must perpetuate the system.我们必须将此制度永久保持。

45 hoarding
n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )
参考例句：
After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学

46 underlies
v.位于或存在于（某物）之下( underlie的第三人称单数 )；构成…的基础（或起因），引起
参考例句：
I think a lack of confidence underlies his manner. 我认为他表现出的态度是因为他缺乏信心。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Try to figure out what feeling underlies your anger. 努力找出你的愤怒之下潜藏的情感。 来自辞典例句

47 advancement
n.前进，促进，提升
参考例句：
His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。 The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

48 equitable
adj.公平的；公正的
参考例句：
This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。 Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

49 sentient
adj.有知觉的，知悉的；adv.有感觉能力地
参考例句：
The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage.生还者认识到，他们不过是上帝的舞台上有知觉的木偶而已。 It teaches us to love all sentient beings equally.它教导我们应该平等爱护一切众生。

50 awesome
adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的
参考例句：
The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。 That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

51 ongoing
adj.进行中的，前进的
参考例句：
The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。 The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

52 embodied
v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含
参考例句：
a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家 The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》

53 literally
adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实
参考例句：
He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。 Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

54 vibration
n.颤动，振动；摆动
参考例句：
There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。 The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

55 concoction
n.调配(物)；谎言
参考例句：
She enjoyed the concoction of foreign dishes.她喜欢调制外国菜。 His story was a sheer concoction.他的故事实在是一纯属捏造之事。

56 exorbitant
adj.过分的；过度的
参考例句：
More competition should help to drive down exorbitant phone charges.更多的竞争有助于降低目前畸高的电话收费。 The price of food here is exorbitant. 这儿的食物价格太高。

57 primitive
adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物
参考例句：
It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。 His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

58 scarcity
n.缺乏，不足，萧条
参考例句：
The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。 The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

59 discord
n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐
参考例句：
These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。 The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。