英语听力精选进阶版 14271

Climate change 'spreads crop pests'

Summary

2 September 2013

Global warming is helping¹ pests and diseases that attack crops to spread around the world, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Oxford² found crop pests are moving towards the poles as regions warm.

Reporter:

Rebecca Morelle

Report

The researchers looked at more than 600 crop pests from around the world.

These included fungi³, such as wheat rust⁴, which is devastating⁵ harvests in Africa and the Middle East; insects like the mountain pine beetle⁶ that's destroying trees in the US; as well as bacteria, viruses and microscopic⁷ nematode worms.

They found that over the past 50 years, these destructive species have been on the move. On average, they're spreading 3km every year, shifting north and south towards the poles.

The scientists say this correlates with warming temperatures, allowing the pests to take hold in areas that were once too cold for them to live in.

Currently, between 10% and 20% of the world's crops are lost to pests - and the team warns that rising global temperatures could make the problem worse. The researchers say that improved surveillance of the problem is needed.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

3 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

4 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

7 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。