.

.
.

2009年2月26日 星期四

[澎湖民宿。夏天來了民宿] 北極熊與企鵝難逃全球暖化之災

 
每週 四 出刊.2009.02.26
 
本 期 目 錄 簡介/舊報明細
The Face of Global Warming 北極熊與企鵝難逃全球暖 ...
原來如此
精解字詞片語
單字小舖
中文翻譯&標準答案
價值5000元的大陸新娘!
生活法律大觀園∼
篇章結構 

The Face of Global Warming 北極熊與企鵝難逃全球暖化之災



by Caleb Paul
A world without polar bears or penguins is a sad possibility.
令人難過的消息是北極熊或企鵝可能面臨絕種。

  Everyone loves polar bears and penguins, two of the most popular animals in any zoo. _(1)_
Consider the lives of female polar bears. During the winter, they must spend up to eight months in a den. In this time, they give birth to their cubs and must care for them and protect them. They are unable to leave their dens to hunt for food until spring. _(2)_ Therefore, spring is a very important time for polar bears to hunt.
  Polar bears are not fast runners or swimmers. They need ice to catch seals by surprise. By summer, the ice starts breaking up, reducing their ability to hunt successfully. But now, due to global warming, the ice the bears hunt on is breaking up earlier and earlier each year. _(3)_ Hungry and unable to feed their cubs, some bears are forced to swim long distances to find food, sometimes drowning as a result. If this trend continues, in only a few decades there will likely be no polar bears left in the wild.
  Penguins are also affected by climate change. As temperatures rise, sea ice is becoming scarcer around Antarctica, resulting in fewer nesting sites and feeding grounds. The changes are happening fast. _(4)_ As the ice disappears, so does krill (磷蝦), one of the main food sources for penguins. The changing environment also makes it more difficult for some penguin species to find suitable breeding grounds. _(5)_
  Climate change will have many negative consequences. But watching the suffering of these beautiful creatures makes the changes particularly hard to ignore.

(A) By that time, they may have lost more than half their body weight.
(B) Unfortunately, as a result of global warming, zoos may be the only place to see these animals in the future.
(C) Because of these problems, the number of gentoo, chinstrap, Adelie, and emperor penguins has been drastically reduced over the last century, making it hard to be optimistic about their future.
(D) This gives polar bears less time to hunt and build up their fat reserves for the months ahead.
(E) In some parts of the Antarctic, sea ice covers 40 percent less area than it did 26 years ago.
原來如此 


1. 第一題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格前提到,北極熊和企鵝這兩種在動物園裡最受歡迎的動物可說是人見人愛(the most popular animals in any zoo)。
b. (B) 選項提及,由於全球暖化的緣故,未來動物園可能變成唯一看得到這些動物蹤跡的地方(zoos may be the only place to see these animals),語意連貫,且前後兩句中皆有關鍵字 animals 和 zoo,可知 (B) 為正選。
大補丸:
as a result of...  由於/因為……
例: As a result of the typhoon, all of the beaches were closed.
(由於颱風的緣故,所有海灘都關閉了。)

2. 第二題空格應選 (A)
理由:
a. 空格前提到,一直要到春天來臨(until spring),母熊才得以離開洞穴去捕獵食物。
b. (A) 選項提及,到了那個時候(By that time),牠們的體重可能已經掉了一半以上。此處的 By that time 指的就是前一句提到的 spring(春天),語意連貫,故選 (A)。

3. 第三題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格前提到,現在因為全球暖化的關係,北極熊獵捕時所需的浮冰(the ice the bears hunt on)一年比一年還要早融解。
b. (D) 選項提及,這使得北極熊獵捕時間變短,也沒有足夠時間為接下來的數月儲存脂肪(less time to hunt and to build up their fat reserves)。前後兩句皆有關鍵字 hunt,且語意連貫,故選 (D)。
大補丸:
a. build up...  慢慢累積/建立……
例: Mr. Adams has built up a large network of contacts in the publishing industry.
(亞當斯先生在出版界建立起廣大的人際關係。)
b. reserve n. 儲存,儲備(量)

4. 第四題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格前兩句提到,位於南極洲的海冰變得愈來愈少(sea ice is becoming scarcer around Antarctica),造成企鵝的繁殖地及聚食場所因而減少。這樣的變化發生得相當快速。
b. (E) 選項提到,在南極洲(the Antarctic)的某些區域,海冰的覆蓋面積比起 26 年前少了百分之四十(covers 40 percent less area than it did 26 years ago,此處的 did 即等於過去式動詞 covered)。前後皆有關鍵字 Antarctic,語意連貫,故選之。

5. 第五題空格應選 (C)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提到,環境的變化也使得某些品種的企鵝(some penguin species)變得愈來愈難找到合適的繁殖場所。
b. (C) 選項接著說,這些問題使得巴布亞企鵝、頰帶企鵝、阿德利企鵝及帝王企鵝(gentoo, chinstrap, Adelie, and emperor penguins)等的數量在過去一世紀以來已大量驟減,讓人對其未來難以樂觀起來。選項中提及的 4 種企鵝與前一句中的 penguin species(企鵝品種)相呼應,語意連貫,故選之。
大補丸:
a. drastically adv. 激烈地
例: When the new product didn't sell, it was drastically reduced in price.
(那項新產品因為銷售不佳而大降價。)
b. over/for/during + the last/past + 一段時間  過去……(一段時間)以來
* 上述片語多與現在完成(進行)式並用。
例: Over the past five weeks, Tim has been bothered by insomnia.
(過去這 5 個星期以來,提姆飽受失眠之苦。)
c. optimistic a. 樂觀的
pessimistic a. 悲觀的
be optimistic about...  對……感到樂觀
be pessimistic about...  對……感到悲觀
例: Jim was optimistic about the future of his company.
(吉姆對他公司的前景看好。)
精解字詞片語 


1. give birth to...  生產……,產下……
例: My sister-in-law will give birth to her first child any day now.
(我的嫂嫂現在隨時都有可能生下她的頭胎寶寶。)

2. care for...  照顧……
= take care of...
例: Who is going to take care of your children while you are on vacation?
(妳去渡假時誰來照顧妳的小孩?)

3. catch...by surprise  出其不意地捕捉/攻擊……
例: If we time our attack right, we can catch the enemy by surprise.
(假如我們的攻擊時間安排恰當的話,我們就能把敵人打個措手不及。)

4. break up  崩解;破裂,破碎
例: The airplane broke up in midair.
(那架飛機在半空中解體了。)

5. be forced to V  被迫(做)……
例: Because of her injured ankle, Nina was forced to drop out of the competition.
(因為腳踝受傷,妮娜被迫退出比賽。)

6. as a result  因此,結果
= consequently adv.
例: Sam went to the beach without putting on sunscreen. As a result, he got sunburned.
(山姆去海邊時沒擦防曬油,結果曬傷了。)

7. result in...  導致/造成……
result from...  起因於……
例: Too much pressure can result in physical illness.
(壓力太大會導致身體方面的疾病。)
例: The accident resulted from the security guard's carelessness.
(這起意外起因於警衛的粗心大意。)

8. ignore vt. 忽視,忽略
例: The government should not ignore public opinion.
(政府不應忽視民意。)
單字小舖 


1. polar bear n. 北極熊
2. penguin n. 企鵝
3. den n. 洞穴,巢窩
4. cub n. 幼獸
5. seal n. 海豹
6. trend n. 趨勢,傾向
7. scarce a. 缺少的,不足的
8. nesting a. 棲息的,巢居的
9. krill n. 磷蝦
10. species n. 品種,種類(單複數同形)
11. suitable a. 合適的
12. negative a. 負面的;消極的
positive a. 正面的;積極的
13. suffering n. 苦難的經歷,受苦
14. particularly adv. 尤其,特別
中文翻譯&標準答案 


北極熊和企鵝這兩種在動物園裡最受歡迎的動物可說是人見人愛。不幸地是,由於全球暖化的緣故,在未來的日子裡,動物園可能變成唯一看得到這些動物蹤跡的地方。
  
想一想母北極熊的生活吧!冬天的時候,牠們必須待在洞穴裡長達 8 個月的時間。在這段期間,母熊生育熊寶寶,並且得照顧及保護牠們。一直要到春天來臨,母熊才得以離開洞穴去獵食。到了那個時候,牠們的體重可能已經掉了一半以上。因此,春天對北極熊而言是非常重要的打獵季節。
  
北極熊奔跑及游泳的速度並不快,因此牠們需要仰賴浮冰才能出其不意捕捉到海豹。夏天時,冰塊會開始融解崩裂,進而削弱他們成功獵捕的能力。然而現在因為全球暖化的關係,北極熊獵捕時所需的浮冰一年比一年還要早融解。這使得北極熊獵捕的時間變短,也沒有足夠時間為接下來的數月儲存脂肪。由於飢餓和無法餵食熊寶寶,有些北極熊被迫長途跋涉地游泳去尋找食物,有時還因此而溺斃。如果這個情況持續下去,在短短數十年間,世界上可能就再也沒有野生的北極熊了。
  
氣候的變化同樣也影響了企鵝。隨著氣溫上升,位於南極洲的海冰變得愈來愈少,使得企鵝的繁殖地及聚食場所因而減少。這樣的變化發生得相當快速。在南極地區的某些區域,海冰的覆蓋面積比起 26 年前少了百分之四十。海冰的消失連帶也讓磷蝦的數量減少,而磷蝦正好是企鵝的主要食物來源之一。環境的變化也使得某些品種的企鵝變得愈來愈難找到合適的繁殖場所。這些問題使得巴布亞企鵝、頰帶企鵝、阿德利企鵝及帝王企鵝等的數量在過去一世紀以來已大量驟減,讓人對牠們的未來很難樂觀起來。
  
氣候的變化將帶來許多負面的結果。但是看著這些美麗的生物為此受苦,更讓人難以忽視這些變化。

標準答案: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (D) 4. (E) 5. (C)
前期文章 全部歷史文章
出刊日期 出刊主題
2009-02-19 Lord of the Spices 香料之后...
2009-02-12 Return I Will, To Old Brazil...
2009-02-05 A Serious Sport 奪羊大賽——...
2009-01-22 Space Week 太空週
主編推薦  
不用怕!看這邊通通不用錢∼
10大原則,像巴菲特一樣思考
科技新貴 變身果醬女王
正向思考,就對了!
我要訂閱這份報紙 我要取消這份報紙 訂報說明
.本電子報內容由 常春藤解析英語雜誌社 提供
PChome ePaper 電子報版權所有,關於電子報發送有任何疑問,請聯絡 客服中心
廣告刊登授權服務隱私權聲明消費者保護兒童網路安全關於PChome徵人
網路家庭版權所有、轉載必究 Copyrightc PChome Online


--
由 澎湖民宿。夏天來了民宿 於 2/25/2009 07:29:00 下午 張貼在 澎湖民宿。夏天來了民宿

沒有留言:

張貼留言

網誌存檔