VOA慢速英语2020 美国栗子丰收导致花栗鼠泛滥

Plenty of acorns¹ -- the fruit of the oak tree -- has led to rising numbers of chipmunks³ in the Northeast United States.

A large supply of acorns on the ground last winter provided food for chipmunks across New England as spring returned. Acorns and other nuts are a main part of the animal's diet. They also eat insects, berries, and other kinds of fruit.

The plentiful⁴ food supply kept the chipmunks well fed as they got busy reproducing and having families this spring. Now, the growth in the chipmunk² population is causing problems in some areas, with people saying the animals are driving them nuts.

Shevenell Webb is a biologist with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the state of Maine. She told The Associated Press (AP) that while chipmunks are often entertaining, they can be destructive.

The animals burrow⁵ through the ground, making holes and passageways. This can lead to the destruction of grass, flowers and other plant life, Webb said.

She added that chipmunks can be "cute" and "fun to watch in the forest" as they move in and out of holes like playful children. When their mouths are not full of nuts, chipmunks make an interesting "chip" sound, Webb said.

Steven Parren is a wildlife program official with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. He told the AP he cannot grow flowers on his own property without chipmunks digging them up. "They don't even pause," he noted⁶.

There were so many acorns in one area, Parren said, that there was no way the animals could have put them all away for winter. In addition to chipmunks, he says he is also seeing more squirrels, rabbits and different kinds of mice this year.

Experts say people should not be too concerned about the summer's larger population of chipmunks. They note while small animal populations can sometimes explode – growing quickly, they usually return to normal.

Chipmunks can be food for other creatures. They are easy targets for owls⁷, hawks⁸, snakes, foxes, and raccoons. But even if they survive such attacks, Webb said individual chipmunks usually only live about three years.

Many New Englanders remember a similar rise in the area's squirrel population in 2018.

Webb said that increase led to a memorable⁹ number of road kills. "We've never seen anything like that. That was a once in a lifetime event."

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

nuts – n. the dry fruit of some trees that grows in a shell

drive someone nuts – idiom. to make someone upset or annoyed

entertain – v. to perform for (an audience) : to provide amusement for (someone) by singing, acting¹⁰, etc

cute – adj. pleasant and attractive

pause – v. stop doing something for a short time

1 acorns   

n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Great oaks from little acorns grow. 万丈高楼平地起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Welcome to my new website!It may not look much at the moment, but great oaks from little acorns grow! 欢迎来到我的新网站。它现在可能微不足道，不过万丈高楼平地起嘛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 chipmunk   

n.花栗鼠

参考例句：

• This little chipmunk is hungry.这只小花栗鼠肚子饿了。
• Once I brought her a chipmunk with a wound on its stomach.一次，我带了只腹部受伤的花栗鼠去找她。

3 chipmunks   

n.金花鼠( chipmunk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 burrow   

vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞

参考例句：

• Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
• The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

8 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

9 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

10 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。