新视野大学英语视听说教程 4 Unit 3-8

Now Your Turn
Task 1
SAMPLE DIALOG
Josh: Maggie, I’ve just read a fire destroyed much of the forest on Day Mountain in Hong Kong the other day.
Maggie: I’ve heard that too. The local government sent firefighters and even helicopters to try to put out the fire. But I think they shouldn’t have tried.
Josh: You mean, they should just let the forests burn? How can they stand by and watch people’s homes go up in flames?
Maggie: Some experts argue that forest fires are a phase in the cycle of nature, and we shouldn’t interfere¹. Except, of course, to save lives.
Josh: It seems wrong to allow fires to burn up good timber. What a waste that would be! You see, the fire-hit area extends nearly 4,00 square meters.
Maggie: But that’s nature’s way of cleaning up the debris² that collects on the forest floor and creating space for new growth.
Josh: That may be true, but it still seems wrong to just let fires burn. They destroyed not only timber, but many rare butterflies living there
Maggie: Anyway, there have been verdant³ forests for millions of years without man’s help in combating fires.
Josh: You may be correct, but I still think it’s wrong to not put out forest fires. If too many trees are destroyed, the very existence of human beings is threatened

1 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

2 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

3 verdant   

adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的

参考例句：

• Children are playing on the verdant lawn.孩子们在绿茵茵的草坪上嬉戏玩耍。
• The verdant mountain forest turns red gradually in the autumn wind.苍翠的山林在秋风中渐渐变红了。