英语听力：自然百科 秋日黄石公园 Autumn—18

 his is a tree that needs a cold winter. It’s now November and the elk¹ have found their feeding grounds just in time, the snows of winter at their heels.

 

Here they join other herds² who come to this place every year, where the snow would be less deep and life a little easier.

 

But today they graze on an island of grass, surrounded by development. As they run from the winter, the fate of Yellowstone’s animals outside the National Park is decided³ not by the cold, but by people. 

 

These elk are lucky. This refuge has been kept aside to give them some degree of sanctuary⁴. So although the park isn’t big enough to protect all its animals all the time, its influence can spread beyond its boundaries. And if even ranchers can come to tolerate wolves, then anything is possible. 

 

In the mountains of Yellowstone where the elks’ bugles signalled the beginning of autumn just two months ago, all seems deserted

1 elk   

n.麋鹿

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing.我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。
• The refuge contains the largest wintering population of elk in the world.这座庇护所有着世界上数量最大的冬季麋鹿群。

2 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。