UNESCO to the Rescue 文化遗产的保护者
—联合国教科文组织
by Matthew Brown
Without someone protecting the world's interesting and ancient sites, they could easily be swept away by the changing world.
世界上有趣和古老的遗址若是缺少保护，就很容易因世界变迁而被摧毁殆尽。
In 1959, the government of Egypt was working on a plan to build a dam on the River Nile. It was called the Aswan Dam, and it was intended to generate electricity and allow the river water to be used for agriculture. There was one big problem with the plan, though. The dam would flood a nearby valley that contained ancient Egyptian treasures, including two enormous stone temples.
It can be difficult for governments to choose culture and history over economics. However, if countries always made decisions like this, the majority of the world's ancient sites would end up being destroyed. Luckily, UNESCO stepped in. They formed a committee that tried to convince Egypt to protect its ancient treasures. With support from many countries, they were finally successful. The huge temples were carefully removed from their original site and moved to a safe location so that the dam could be built.
UNESCO is an agency of the United Nations. The United Nations is a partnership between countries from all over the world. They are joined to help promote world peace, enforce human rights, and help countries develop. UNESCO is a part of the United Nations that is concerned with science and culture.
After their success in saving the temples in Egypt, UNESCO went on to save more sites around the world. They protected lagoons in Venice, ruins in Pakistan, and temples in Indonesia. With industrialization changing the world rapidly, there were many sites that needed to be saved. Eventually, UNESCO formed the World Heritage Organization to protect important natural and historic sites wherever it was necessary.
By now, the World Heritage Organization has protected hundreds of sites ranging from beautiful natural islands to buildings in large cities to ancient ruins. If you're able to visit any of the many protected sites, you'll agree it was worth it.
1. Why did UNESCO get involved in Egypt?
(A) Egypt was planning to build a dam that would harm ancient temples.
(B) Egypt was planning to build a valley for agriculture and electricity.
(C) Egypt was planning to create a dam right on top of an ancient temple.
(D) When the dam flooded a valley, several treasures were discovered.
2. What is meant by the first sentence of the second paragraph?
(A) Most governments prefer to sell their treasures.
(B) Money sometimes seems more important than all other things.
(C) Governments are never able to consider two things at once.
(D) Governments usually don't know anything about their culture.
3. The United Nations would probably not be involved in _____.
(A) helping a poor country improve its agriculture
(B) trying to solve a violent conflict between two nations
(C) developing a new spacecraft for travel to the moon
(D) protesting against the killing of the tribespeople of a country
4. Why is the World Heritage Organization more important now than it would have been 200 years ago?
(A) Countries didn't cooperate in the past.
(B) Cities were smaller back then.
(C) There were not as many interesting sites 200 years ago.
(D) Modern business and production are changing the world.
单字小铺
1. dam n. 水坝
2. generate vt. 产生（热、电、光等）
3. agriculture n. 农耕，农业
4. flood vt. 淹没 & n. 洪水，水灾
5. enormous a. 巨大的
6. economics n. 经济因素，经济状况；经济学
7. committee n. 委员会
8. location n. 位置，地点
9. agency n.（政府或联合国的）机构
10. partnership n. 合作关系
11. lagoon n. 舄湖
12. ruins n. 遗迹（恒用复数）
13. industrialization n. 工业化
14. rapidly adv. 快速地，迅速地
15. eventually adv. 终于，最后
16. historic a. 有重大历史意义的
historical a.（有关）历史的
17. harm vt. & n. 损害，伤害
18. conflict n. 冲突；斗争
19. spacecraft n. 宇宙飞船（单复数同形）
20. tribespeople n. 部落成员
21. cooperate vi. 合作
词组小铺
1. be intended to V （本来）是要（做）……
2. choose A over B 选择 A 而不选 B
3. the majority of... 大多数的……
4. go on to V 继续∕接着做……
5. get/be involved in... 牵涉∕涉入……
6. at once 同时，一次
精解字词词组
1. rescue n. 援助；营救
come/go to one's rescue 前来∕前去援助∕解救某人
例: No one came to my rescue when I was in trouble.
（当我陷入困境时，没有一个人来帮我。）
2. work on... 从事……
例: Our team is working on a cure for cancer.
（本团队正在进行研究癌症的治疗方法。）
3. contain vt. 包含，含有
例: Do not eat that plant. It may contain some kind of poison.
（别吃那种植物。它可能有毒。）
4. end up + 现在分词 到头来∕结果……
= wind up + 现在分词
例: If you keep on gambling, you will end up losing everything.
（如果你继续赌下去，到头来你会失去一切。）
5. step in 介入，干涉
例: When the protests became violent, the police stepped in.
（当抗议演变成暴力时，警察便介入干涉。）
6. convince sb to V 说服某人从事……
例: I'm trying to convince my son to get a haircut, but he won't listen to me.
（我试图说服我儿子去理发，但他就是不听。）
7. protect vt. 保护
protect sb/sth from N/V-ing 保护某人∕某物免于……
例: This sweater will protect you from the cold.
（这件毛衣可以御寒。）
例: Bubble wrap is used to protect glasses from breaking when being moved.
（泡绵被用来保护玻璃杯在搬运时不会破裂。）
8. be removed from... 从……中移走∕移除
remove A from B 将 A 从 B 中移走∕移除
例: Please remove the garbage from the table.
（请把桌上的垃圾移走。）
9. promote vt. 促进；宣传
例: Our company promotes education by offering scholarships to the poor.
（本公司提供清寒的学生奖学金，以提倡教育。）
10. enforce vt. 执行（法律）；实施
例: There's no point in making laws if nobody enforces them.
（如果没有人执行，那么制定法律是没有意义的。）
11. be concerned with... 与……有关，关于……
例: This report is concerned with Internet addiction in teens.
（这份报告是有关青少年网络成瘾。）
12. range from A to B （范围）从 A 到 B 都有
例: Our store has products ranging from children's shoes to men's work boots.
（本店的商品包含很广，从童鞋到男用工作鞋都有。）
13. be worth + N/V-ing 值得……
例: Jack's idea is worth considering.
（杰克的主意值得考虑。）
14. plan to V 计划（做）……
= plan on V-ing
例: Hal plans to run for mayor next year.
= Hal plans on running for mayor next year.
（霍尔打算明年出来竞选市长。）
15. prefer to V 宁愿∕较喜欢（做）……
例: Amy prefers to go to the gym near her home.
（爱咪比较喜欢去家里附近的健身房。）
16. protest against... 抗议∕反对……
例: Students protested yesterday against rising tuition prices.
（昨天学生抗议调涨学费。）
中文翻译＆标准答案
1959 年埃及政府正着手在尼罗河上方兴建一座水坝。这座水坝称为亚斯文水坝，建造的目的在于发电，并利用河水作为农业灌溉。但这项计划面临一个大问题。这座水坝会淹没邻近的山谷，而那里有埃及古老的珍贵遗迹，包括两座巨大的石造神殿。
对政府而言，把文化历史置于经济之上是相当困难的。但如果每个国家都做这种决定，那么世界上大多数的古老遗址到头来都会被摧毁殆尽。幸运的是，联合国教育科学文化组织（简称联合国教科文组织）适时地介入。他们成立一个委员会，试图说服埃及保护当地的古老遗迹。在多国的支持下，联合国教科文组织终于成功了。这些巨大的神殿被小心地从原址移往一处安全的地点，而水坝也得以建盖。
联合国教科文组织是隶属于联合国的一个机构。联合国是全世界各国间的合作联盟组织。各国互相合作倡导世界和平、落实人权，并帮助其它国家发展。而联合国教科文组织是在联合国中处理与科学和文化有关的部分。
在成功保存埃及的神殿后，联合国教科文组织继续维护更多世界各地的遗址。他们保护威尼斯的舄湖、巴基斯坦的遗迹和印度尼西亚的寺庙。随着世界因工业化而快速改变，有许多遗址需要拯救。联合国教科文组织最后成立了世界遗产组织，不管何处，只要有需要，他们就会伸出援手保护重要的自然和历史遗迹。
目前为止，世界遗产组织已经保护了数百个遗址，从美丽的自然岛屿、大城市中的建筑物到古老的遗迹都有。如果你能够亲自造访这些受到保护的遗址，就会同意这一切的努力都非常值得。
1. 为什么联合国教科文组织会干涉埃及境内的事务？
(A) 埃及打算兴建一座水坝，但会因此损害古老的神殿。
(B) 埃及打算建造一座山谷作为农业和发电用途。
(C) 埃及打算在一座古老的神殿正上方建造一座水坝。
(D) 水坝淹没某座山谷时，发现了许多遗迹。
题解: 根据文章第一段，1959 年埃及政府正着手在尼罗河上方兴建一座水坝，但这座水坝会淹没邻近的山谷，而那里有埃及古老的珍贵遗迹，包括两座巨大的石造神殿，可知应选 (A)。
2. 文章第二段第一句的意思为何？
(A) 多数政府宁愿拍卖他们国家的珍贵遗迹。
(B) 有时候金钱似乎比其它事情来得重要。
(C) 政府从未能够一次考虑两件事情。
(D) 政府通常不懂自己国家的文化。
题解: 根据文章第二段第一句，对政府而言，把文化历史置于经济之上是相当困难的，可知经济利益大于其它层面，与 (B) 意思最为相近，故选之。
3. 联合国或许不会参与 _____。
(A) 帮助贫困国家改善农业
(B) 试图解决两国之间的暴力冲突
(C) 发展能够飞到月球的宇宙飞船
(D) 抗议屠杀某国的部落民族
题解: 根据文章第三段，联合国是全世界各国间的合作联盟组织。各国互相合作倡导世界和平、落实人权，并帮助其它国家发展，可知 (A)、(B) 和 (D) 皆为正选。文中并未提及太空科技的部分，故选 (C)。
4. 为什么比起 200 年前，现在世界遗产组织更为重要？
(A) 以往国家间并不会互相合作。
(B) 以前的城市规模较小。
(C) 200 年前没有那么多的有趣地点。
(D) 现代商业和生产正改变全世界。
题解: 根据文章第四段，随着世界因工业化而快速改变，有许多遗址需要拯救，可知商业活动和制造生产使得世界各地产生改变，而间接影响遗迹遭到破坏，因此更需要世界遗产组织的帮忙，故应选 (D)。
标准答案: 1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (C) 4. (D)
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