從在地下生長的 “森林” 到絢麗的蘭花，邱園（英國皇傢植物園林）的科學傢們去年發現瞭74種新植物和15種新真菌。其中，有很多個物種是在意想不到的地方被人發現的。
Scientists from Kew Gardens described almost 100 plants and fungi that were new to science last year, from a red-flowered orchid that grows on the top of an extinct volcano, to lichens clinging to rocks in Antarctica and a palm tree that thrives underground.
邱園的科學傢們記錄瞭近100種新發現的植物和真菌，其中包括生長在死火山頂部的紅色蘭花、附著在南極巖石表面的苔蘚和一棵在地下茁壯生長的棕櫚樹。
They say the new species are a reminder of the beauty and wonder of the natural world and also a stark warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change.
科學傢們說，這些新物種讓我們再次領略到瞭自然界的美麗與神奇，同時也對生物多樣性喪失和氣候變化的危險發出瞭嚴峻的警告。
The scientists are calling for immediate protection for the newly-identified plants and fungi, but say some may have gone extinct even before they were given a formal scientific name.
科學傢們呼籲應立即對這些新命名的植物和真菌加以保護，但有些科學傢說，一些新發現的植物和真菌可能在被給予正式的科學名稱之前就已經滅絕瞭。
Around three in four undescribed plants are threatened with extinction. Among them may be new sources of food, medicines and other things useful to humanity.
約有四分之三尚未被描述的植物面臨滅絕的威脅。而這些植物可能正是新的食物、藥品和其它有益人類事物的來源。
詞匯表
fungi 真菌
orchid 蘭花
extinct （火山）不再活躍的，死的
lichens 苔蘚，地衣
clinging to 附著
thrives 茁壯生長
underground 在地下的
stark warning 嚴峻的警告
biodiversity loss 生物多樣性喪失
newly-identified 新發現的
extinct 滅絕的
threatened 受到威脅的
humanity 人類
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. What have been discovered in Antarctica?
2. What are described as a ‘warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change’?
3. How many undescribed plants are threatened with extinction?
4. Why could new plants potentially be useful to humanity?
答案
1. What have been discovered in Antarctica?
Lichens clinging to rocks have been discovered in Antarctica.
2. What are described as a ‘warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change’?
The new species are a stark warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change.
3. How many undescribed plants are threatened with extinction?
Around three in four undescribed plants are threatened with extinction.
4. Why could new plants potentially be useful to humanity?
Because they may be new sources of food, medicines and other things useful to humanity.
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