英语听力—环球英语 566 Walking in Australia

　　Voice 1
Hello, and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Today's Spotlight tells about a long walk through Australia. Here are Marina Santee and Adam Navis to tell more.
Voice 2
More and more people are following a little black snake through Western Australia. It is part of a special walking experience which people from all parts of the world are enjoying. The snake, or serpent, is called Waugal. It is the name of something which the first people of Western Australia, the Aborigines, believed in from early in their history.
Voice 3
In the past, the Aborigines all over Australia told stories about something they called the Rainbow Serpent. They believed it was a kind of spirit which created the universe and all people. The Aborigines in Western Australia are called the Bibbulmun people. The Bibbulmun people gave the spirit the name Waugal, which means² "soul, spirit, or breath³." They said it guarded all lakes and rivers.
Voice 2
Today, not many people believe in the Rainbow Serpent, but pictures of the Waugal are used as signs on a one thousand [1,000] kilometer walking path, or track⁴, south of Perth. Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. The track starts at Kalamunda in the hills near Perth. And it leads all the way to Albany, on the south coast. The picture on the signs looks like a black snake painted on a little yellow triangle. The signs are fixed⁵ on trees next to the path. By following the Waugal signs, walkers are protected from becoming lost in the Australian bush⁶ country.
Voice 3
The walking path is called the Bibbulmun Track to remember those first people to live in that part of Australia. They travelled all across the land for a very long time before white people came to live there. When they travelled, they always walked.
Voice 2
Now people of all ages are discovering something special on this walking track. Young people like the physical test of many hills and mountains. Very few people can go "end to end" in less than one month. They all like the idea of exercise to keep strong and healthy in such a beautiful place. Most other ways of keeping good health cost a lot of money, but no one has to pay anything to use the walking track.
Voice 3
Many schools in Western Australia today are taking groups of boys and girls walking on this famous track. They do this to teach the young people how to keep healthy and have fun at the same time. Most times, they go for one or two days along one part of the track. The next time, they will choose to walk on another part.
Voice 2
Many older people enjoy walking on The Bibbulmun. Sometimes they go together in small groups. Husbands and wives like to walk together - just the two of them. Other people like to walk alone, especially older men. When they are alone, they can walk as fast as they want, or as slow as they want. They have plenty of time to think when they walk by themselves. For some walkers, The Bibbulmun is a place to escape from problems or from people who give them trouble. They can hide among the trees on the walking track and leave their troubles behind.
Voice 3
Old people usually do not have jobs they have to go to. So they spend many weeks at a time walking on the track. They have plenty of time and do not have to hurry. Many of them complete walking the whole of The Bibbulmun at their own slow speed. When they have eaten all their food, they buy what they need in small towns near the track and then continue to walk.
Voice 2
One thing that all people enjoy on The Bibbulmun is walking through the different kinds of natural environment in Western Australia. Near Perth there is a line of hills and valleys. In the past, Aborigines said it was like the body of the Waugal spirit. South of Perth there are tall mountains. People who climb to the top of the mountains enjoy looking far across the land. This was very useful for Aborigines.  They did not have airplanes, cars or telephones.
Voice 3
For hundreds of kilometers the walking track passes through thick forests. Many of the huge trees in those ancient forests grow only in Western Australia. The karri, jarrah and mari trees are famous because of the quality of their wood.
Voice 2
Along the south coast the Bibbulmun Track and the Waugal take walkers close to the Great Southern Ocean. On their way to the town of Albany they can swim in beautiful blue water next to white sand. Albany is a beautiful place next to King George Sound, a natural sea port that is bigger than Sydney Harbour.
Voice 3
On the way through all these places of beauty, walkers on the Bibbulmun Track also see plants, animals and birds which are not seen anywhere else in the world. The wild flowers during the spring season are famous. Walkers can enjoy watching Australian animals in their wild environment, such as kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots and possums. They can see Australia's huge birds - the emus.
Voice 2
One thing all walkers on The Bibbulmun like is the good condition of the track and of its camping places. Each camp has a building made of wood which gives walkers a good place to shelter⁸ from all kinds of weather. Each camp also has a rain water tank, a clean toilet and a place to light a camp fire. State government workers make sure that each camping place has firewood⁹, and that the toilet is kept clean. A big team of unpaid¹⁰ workers look after the walking track all the time.
Voice 3
Walkers of all ages agree that following the Waugal in the peaceful beauty of the Bibbulmun Track is a positive experience. People with religious¹¹ faith believe the natural environment has power to heal⁷ the human heart because God created it for us to live in.
Voice 2
Aboriginal¹² stories about a kind of "spirit" or "breath" that created all things and guards the lakes and rivers, is a little like some teaching¹³ in the Christian¹⁴ holy¹⁵ book, the Bible¹⁶. The Bible says that the Spirit, or Breath, of God made the world, the stars and all creatures, including humans. It says he made the natural environment especially for all creatures, including humans, to live in. The Bible also says that the Spirit of God is still with us and has power to heal. A modern Christian song says Australia is "the land of the Holy Spirit." This song celebrates the beautiful land that God made and the life that is in it.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 breath   

n.呼吸，气息，微风，迹象，精神，一种说话的声音

参考例句：

• I'm just going out for a breath of fresh air.我正要出去呼吸新鲜空气。
• While climbing up the stairs the old man always loses his breath.那老人上楼时总是气喘吁吁的。

4 track   

n.轨道；足迹；痕迹；磁轨；途径；vt.循路而行；追踪；通过；用纤拉；vi.追踪

参考例句：

• The new race track is nearly six miles in extent.这条新跑道将近六英里长。
• The police are on his track.警察在跟踪他。

5 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

6 bush   

n.灌木，灌木丛，矮树

参考例句：

• This bush has grown up a lot in the last few months.这矮树丛几个月来已向上长高了很多。
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.一鸟在手，胜于二鸟在林。

7 heal   

v.使愈合，治愈，使康复；平息(争吵等)；消除，解决(分支等)

参考例句：

• Time helped heal the old wounds.时间有助于治愈旧创伤。
• This wound will soon heal if yon keep it clean.如果你保持伤口清洁，它很快就会痊愈。

8 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

9 firewood   

n.木柴；柴火

参考例句：

• Turn the firewood over and sun it.把柴火翻过来晒晒。
• He cut down the tree and cut it up for firewood.他把树砍倒，并把它劈成烧火用的小块。

10 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

11 religious   

adj.宗教性的，虔诚的，宗教上的；n.修道士，出家人

参考例句：

• She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚，每个星期天都上教堂。
• It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。

12 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

13 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

14 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

15 holy   

adj.神圣的，圣洁的，至善的；n.神圣的东西

参考例句：

• She was still a holy and pure young girl.她仍是一个圣洁的少女。
• He reads the Holy Bible every night.他每晚读《圣经》。

16 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。