贵州 冯 远
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难词探意
1. timber /΄tɪmbə(r)/ n.（用于建筑或制作物品的）树木；用材林
3. sprawl /sprɔːl/ n. （城市）杂乱无序拓展的地区
4. graze /ɡreɪz/ v. 放牧
5. log /lɒɡ/ v. 伐木
More than one in five species of maple trees faces extinction, a shocking new report has revealed.
The trees are experiencing a vast decline in habitat, due to urban development,timberharvesting, and agricultural expansion. “Time is running out for the world's biodiversity,”said Douglas Justice, associate director at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. “Every recent survey of plants and animals in the wild points to this.” He continued, “This is happening nearly everywhere that rarer maples exist. And because of climate change, the narrow habitats that support species at the tops of mountains are quickly disappearing.”
The trees can be found in subtropical and tropical regions, as far south as Indonesia. The only species found in the UK, the field maple is not under threat. Not only are the trees a popularornamentalfeature in parks and public spaces, but also they are a key component of the natural ecosystem in woodlands, as well as being an important timber crop in several countries.
China is home to the largest proportion of maples with 92 species.It has seen a number of trees become endangered due to urban sprawl.Some 14 of the 23 maple trees at risk of extinction in the country are only found in China and have small populations and limited geographical ranges.“We still have an opportunity to save species from extinction, but it will take expertise, resources and the collaborative efforts by the world's botanical gardens to make it work,” Justice added.
One species in Mexico, the Acer binzayedii, is in “desperate need of conservation” despite only being discovered in 2017. “It is at risk from climate change in its cloud forest habitat and threatened bygrazing, logging,and forest fires,” the report adds.The report recommends developing conservation plans, monitoring species currently not at risk to ensure populations are maintained, and adding those missing maple species to seed banks and the like.
BGCI (Botanic Gardens Conservation International) is now establishing a Global Conservation Consortium(GCC) to address the conservation needs of maple species. Maple specialists will work together to develop comprehensive strategies to manage and deliver conservation action points for the species.
Reading
Check
1. Which of the following may cause the extinction of maple trees?
A. Crop harvesting.
B. Urban development.
C. Population decrease.
D. Wild animals' decrease.
2. What threatens the habitats of maple trees?
A. Water shortage.
B. Air pollution.
C. Climate change.
D. Other plants' expansion.
3. What's Douglas Justice's attitude towards saving maple species?
A. Hopeful. B. Pessimistic.
C. Unclear. D. Suspicious.
4. What's the report's advice on saving the Acer binzayedii?
A. Developing planting plans.
B. Protecting seed banks.
C. Raising funds for banks.
D. Monitoring present species not at risk.
Language
Study
熟词生义
It hasseena number of trees become endangered due to urban sprawl. 它见证了许多树木因为城市扩张而成为濒危物种。
see v. 见证
e.g. This stadium has seen many thrilling football games. 这座体育场见证过许多激动人心的足球比赛。
Cultural
Background
国际植物园保护联盟
国际植物园保护联盟 (Botanic Gardens Conservation International, BGCI) 成立于1987年， 是世界上最大的植物多样性保护机构，也是三大国际环保组织之一。为了进一步从全球的角度有效保护中国的植物多样性，BGCI于2007 年在中国成立了中国项目办公室，并于2008 年在中国启动了8 个植物多样性保护项目。
