有關科學傢表示，由於森林砍伐等人類活動，世界上許多熱帶雨林的生物多樣性正受到嚴重威脅。
The world’s tropical rainforests are home to more than 16,000 different mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, from colourful monkeys and parrots living high in the canopy, to weird and wonderful frogs and toads on the forest floor.
世界上的熱帶雨林是超過 16000 種不同的哺乳動物、鳥類、兩棲動物和爬行動物的傢園：這裡有生活在上層樹冠區域的色彩鮮艷的猴子和鸚鵡，也有生活在森林地面上奇特又奇妙的青蛙和蟾蜍。
But now a study by Canadian scientists has revealed that while there may be tree cover remaining, most of the tropical rainforests across the globe are too degraded by logging, mining and roads to provide good quality habitat for wildlife.
但現在，加拿大科學傢開展的一項研究表明，盡管許多熱帶雨林可能還被樹木覆蓋，但全球大多數熱帶雨林都因伐木、采礦和修路的破壞而嚴重退化，無法為野生動物提供優質的棲息地。
They’re calling for urgent conservation action to protect tracts of undisturbed forest before extinction for many rainforest species becomes a foregone conclusion. And they say as rainforests are one of nature’s best defences against climate change, this would also help stabilise the Earth’s climate.
科學傢們呼籲各國采取緊急保護行動，以保護大片未受侵擾的森林，否則許多熱帶雨林物種的滅絕將成為定局。他們表示，熱帶雨林是大自然抵抗氣候變化的最佳屏障之一，這也將有助於穩定地球的氣候。
詞匯表
canopy 樹冠
tree cover 樹木覆蓋
logging 伐木
mining 采礦
habitat 棲息地
conservation action 保護行動
tracts 大片土地
undisturbed 未被打擾的
species 物種
foregone conclusion 預料中的必然結局
defences 保護，防禦
stabilise 使…穩定
聽力練習
一、聽第一遍音頻，回答問題。
1. Is this report mainly about a) the benefits of the rainforest, or b) damage to rainforests?
二、用一分鐘閱讀下列問題，然後聽第二遍音頻並回答問題。
1. There are _______ different mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles living in the rainforests.
2. Rainforests are home to many species of gorillas.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
3. Frogs and toads can be found:
a. in the tree cover
b. in the canopy
c. on the forest floor
4. _______ of the world’s tropical rainforests are too degraded to be a good habitat for wildlife.
a. some
b. most
c. all
5. The extinction of many rainforest species is a foregone conclusion.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
6. Protecting undisturbed forest would help _______ the Earth’s climate.
答案
一、聽第一遍音頻，回答問題。
1. Is this report mainly about a) the benefits of rainforests, or b) damage to rainforests?
This report is mainly about damage to rainforests. It mentions:
• deforestation
• degradation by logging, mining and roads
• the need for urgent conservation action to protect tracts of undisturbed forest.
二、用一分鐘閱讀下列問題，然後聽第二遍音頻並回答問題。
1. There are more than 16,000 different mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles living in the rainforests.
2. c. Not given. The text does not mention gorillas.
3. c. on the forest floor. There are weird and wonderful frogs and toads on the forest floor.
4. Most of the world’s tropical rainforests are too degraded to be a good habitat for wildlife.
5. b. False. Action is needed before extinction for many rainforest species becomes a foregone conclusion.
6. Protecting undisturbed forest would help stabilise the Earth’s climate.
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