1、B3U1-Nature in the balance 1 The Amazon rainforest: a natural treasure Welcome to the jungle, a huge sea of green alive with the sounds of animals. This is the Amazon rainforest. As the largest rainforest in the world, it plays a significant role in maintaining the fine balance of the Earths ecosyst
2、em. The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries, including Brazil and Peru, and one overseas region of France, all on the south American continent. With an area of around 6 million square kilometers, the Amazon rainforest is more than half the size of China. The Amazon river, from which the r
3、ainforest gets its name, is close to 6,400 kilometers in length - roughly 100 kilometers longer than the Yangtze River. On its journey from the mountains to the ocean, the river supports many different ecosystems. They give this area the richest biodiversity on the earth: one in ten known species in
4、 the world can be found here. Of the 390,000 plant species known to us, more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon. This tall and ancient brazil nut tree produces nuts that we can eat; these water lilies are big enough to lie down on. The forests different levels support an unbelievable variety of
5、wildlife. At the bottom, there is a system of roots beneath the ground. Above that is the mass of leaf litter on the dark forest floor. The next level is made up of shorter plants with large leaves. Then there are the towering ancient hardwoods, and finally the tops of the tallest trees many meters
6、above the ground. Each level of the forest forms its own little world, home to different kinds of living things. More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungles plant life. This jaguar is one example. It has a yellowish-brown coat with black spots. While a B3U
7、1-Nature in the balance 2 significant number of jaguars survive here, they are only one element of this forests food chain. They feed on at least 87 species, including frogs. These frogs, in turn, feed on insects which eat leaves and fruit. When a jaguar dies, a tiny army of microorganisms helps bre
8、ak down its body and return the nutrients to the earth. The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 per cent of all the Earths oxygen. Thus, it is often known as the “lungs of the planet”. Moreover, the Amazon rainforest is a treasure house of species t
9、hat can be used for food or medicine. Yet there is one major danger to these irreplaceable plants and animals: us. Over the past 50 years, about 17 per cent of the rainforest has disappeared due to human activities such as agriculture and cattle farming. As the impact of human activities continues t
10、o grow and the list of species in danger of extinction becomes longer, we are left with a question: can we afford to damage the “lungs of the planet”? B3U1-Nature in the balance 3 英文英文 词性词性 中文中文 harm n./v. 伤害，损害 soil n. 土壤；国土，领土，土地 ecosystem n. 生态系统 overseas adj./adv. 海外的，国外的；在海外，向海外 region n. 地区，区域
11、；行政区 continent n. 大陆，陆地，洲 million num. 一百万；许多，大量 length n. 长，长度；时间的长短；篇幅，(电影)片长 biodiversity n. 生物多样性 species n. species -pl. 种，物种 nut n. 坚果 brazil nut 巴西坚果 lily n. 百合(花) water lily 睡莲 variety n. 不同种类；变化，多样性；变种，变体 wildlife n. 野生动植物，野生生物 beneath prep. 在.下面，在.下方；配不上 mass n. 大量；团，块，堆；一大群 adj 大批的，广泛的 to
12、wering adj. 高大的；高耸的；出色的 hardwood n. 阔叶树；硬材(阔叶树的木材) living adj. 活着的，活的；在使用中的 n. 生计，谋生；生活方式 mammal n. 哺乳动物 jaguar n. 美洲豹，美洲虎 survive v. 生存，存活；幸存，幸免于难 frog n. 蛙，青蛙 in turn 相应地，转而 insect n. 昆虫 microorganism n. 微生物 break down 使分解(为)，使变化(成) B3U1-Nature in the balance 4 nutrient n. 营养素，营养物 breathe life int
13、o 给.带来起色，注入活力 carbon n. 碳 oxygen n. 氧，氧气 thus adv. 因此，从而，这样 disappear v. 不复存在，灭绝，消亡；消失；失踪 due to 由于，因为 agriculture n. 农业，农学 cattle n. 牛 impact n. 影响，作用；撞击，冲撞 v. 有影响，冲击 extinction n. 灭绝，绝种 damage n./v. 损害，伤害，损坏，破坏 climate n. 气候；倾向，风气 build up 逐渐增加，扩大 global adj. 全球的；全面的 greenhouse n. 温室，暖房 gas n. 气体；
14、煤气；汽油 drought n. 旱灾，久旱 come up with 想出，想到 call for (公开)要求；需要 application n. 应用，运用；申请 brochure n. 小册子 organization n. 组织，团体；组织工作；安排；条理 absolutely adv. 绝对地，完全地；极其 belt n. 地带，地区；腰带；传送带 medal n. 奖章，勋章 image n. 形象；图像；意象 shark n. 鲨鱼 spring to mind 突然记起(或想到) whale n. 鲸 deer n. deer -pl. 鹿 B3U1-Nature in th
15、e balance 5 track n. 足迹，踪迹；小道；轨道；跑道；路线 v. 跟踪，追踪 habitat n. 生活环境，栖息地 nowhere adv. 无处，哪里都不 dolphin n. 海豚 resident n. 居民，住户 chief n. 首领，最高领导人 adj. 主要的；首席的 committee n. 委员会 entirely adv. 完全地，全部地，完整地 smog n. 雾霾，烟雾 get rid of 摆脱，丢弃，扔掉 protest v. 反对，抗议；坚持声称，申辩 n. 抗议，反对 profit n. 利润，收益；好处 v. 获益，得到好处 defence
16、 n. 辩护；防御，保护；防御物；国防；防守 various adj. 各种不同的，各种各样的 process n. 过程，进程；步骤，流程 v. 加工，处理 economic adj. 经济的，经济上的；可赚钱的 policy n. 政策，方针；原则 branch n. (政府或机构)部门；分部；树枝；支流；分支 strategy n. 策略，行动计划；策划，部署 recycle v. 回收利用，再利用 subway n. 地铁；地下人行道 former adj. 昔日的，前任的；以前的，从前的 official n. 官员，要员 adj. 公务的；正式的，官方的 poverty n. 贫穷，贫困；贫乏 poison n. 毒物，毒药 v. 污染；毒死，毒害 B3U1-Nature in the balance 6 chemical n. 化学制品 adj. 化学的；化学作用的 consequence n. 结果，后果；重要性 give rise to 使发生(或存在) further adj. 更多的，更进一步的 adv. 较远，更远；进一步 v. 促进，增进
