2018年CRI Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps devoted to building habitable homeland

 

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation in northwest China combines the duties of carrying out agriculture and forestry¹ work and safeguarding stability.

Over the past five years, it has planted 150 thousand hectares of forest and turned 470 thousand hectares of desert into green lands.

Tarim reclamation² zone is situated³ between Taklimakan and Kumtag desert.

Due to years of environmental degradation⁴, two deserts are expanding toward each other at a combined speed of five meters per year.

At the closest point, the two deserts are separated by just two kilometres.

To prevent the deserts from further expanding, 60 thousand workers from Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps⁵ have been planting sand-proof forests.

With their efforts, a 180 kilometer long, 14 kilometer wide green belt has been created between the deserts.

Tang Zhengjun is a retired⁶ forest ranger⁷ who worked at the Tarim reclamation zone.

He says he still comes back to the woodland every now and then to look after the trees they planted.

He recalled the rampant⁸ sandstorms of old times.

"When the sandstorm came, there were no shelters. We had to crawl down on the open ground. When the storm passed, it felt like my whole skin was ripped off. People who met me would ask why I look so much older in such short time."

Alataw Pass is a major wind passage in North Xinjiang. Residents living there have to suffer the overwhelming windy weather most of the time.

In 2011 when the national forestation project was initiated⁹, personnel from XPCC stationed at Alataw Pass started to plant trees on the barren mountains and hills.

In six years, 13 hundred hectares of forest has been planted. The yellow skies that used to be seen before the trees were planted have not been seen recently.

Li Shuyong is a senior worker of a XPCC division quartered there.

"Back in 1980, when the cotton just sprouted¹⁰, the coming wind could easily kill them all. Now the situation is much better. The winds come less and also blows shorter in time."

Yang Yu is a vice¹¹ divisional commander of XPCC working at the front line of eco-construction in Xinjiang.

He said the forest coverage¹² rate has significantly increased over the past few years.

"Environmental protection and ecosystem¹³ construction is the foundation of our company's development. We are here not only to guarantee safety and stability, but also defend ecosystem, with responsibility to guard Xinjiang's green lands and build a beautiful Xinjiang."

The improved ecosystem has modified regional weather conditions. Windy days are now fewer in certain areas.

With the protection of the new forests, farmland has also become more fertile. Dates and liquorice are now grown in the fields along with cotton, which had been the only crop choice before.

These new crops have helped to raise incomes for local farmers and their families.

1 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

2 reclamation   

n.开垦；改造；（废料等的）回收

参考例句：

• We should encourage reclamation and recycling.我们应当鼓励废物的回收和利用。
• The area is needed for a land reclamation project.一个土地开垦项目要在这一地区进行。

3 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

4 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

5 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

8 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 sprouted   

v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• We can't use these potatoes; they've all sprouted. 这些土豆儿不能吃了，都出芽了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rice seeds have sprouted. 稻种已经出芽了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

13 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。