环球英语 — 140：Trees and Green Space

　　Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes project was the largest public housing² development in the world. There were twenty-eight [28] buildings, each with sixteen [16] levels. At one time twenty seven thousand [27,000] people lived in the Robert Taylor Homes. Twenty-thousand [20,000] of them were children.
Voice 2
Life in the Robert Taylor Homes was not easy. Many of the people living there were very poor. They had to face many bad living conditions like insects, no heat in the winter, gangs⁴, drugs, and a lot of violence. Katie Sistrunk lost four children in the Robert Taylor Homes. Gang³ members shot them dead, one on the playground, one in the elevator lift and two in the streets. No place was safe.
Voice 1
The Robert Taylor Homes were famous in the United States. Many people called them the government’s biggest failure. Today only one building remains⁵. The rest were destroyed.
Voice 2
Over the years many people tried to understand why the homes failed. Social scientists, people who study human behaviour, visited the Robert Taylor Homes. They found many reasons why the homes failed. But, one reason may surprise you. There were very few trees!
Voice 1
Today’s Spotlight is on the importance of trees and natural green surroundings⁶.
Voice 2
In the mid⁷ 1990s, two social scientists, Frances Kuo and Bill Sullivan, visited the Robert Taylor Homes. They observed something very interesting. They saw that concrete, hard building material, surrounded most of the buildings. They called this an urban desert. Instead of desert sand, hard, gray, concrete covered the land. There were very few green areas and even fewer trees! Only a few buildings had trees near them. Kuo and Sullivan observed that many people spent time outside of the buildings with trees. This made them think, why?
Voice 1
Kuo and Sullivan wanted to know what effect the trees and green areas had on the people of the Robert Taylor Homes. They started asking the people there a lot of questions about their living experiences. The scientists discovered that the people living near the trees led happier, less violent lives.
Voice 2
Kuo and Sullivan questioned one hundred and fifty [150] people. They found fewer reports of physical violence in homes that had trees outside of the buildings. Some of the people reported that they had threatened their own children with a weapon. But the threat level was higher among people living in buildings surrounded by concrete. People living near the trees used less violence. They threatened their children less.
Voice 1
Other social scientists have found similar results. Many social scientists find that trees bring people together. When people come together they feel safer. One group studied one hundred [100] different housing developments, like the Robert Taylor Homes. The group found that people like to gather in areas near trees more often than areas without trees. Trees help bring people out of their homes. Trees help to build a community where people felt safer. Kuo noted⁸ that strong communities play a part in better physical and mental health. Kuo said
Voice 3
“Imagine feeling angry, impulsive⁹, about ready to snap¹⁰ due to the difficulties of living in severe poverty. Having neighbours you can call on for support means you have another way of dealing¹¹ with your problems other than striking¹² out against someone. Places with nature and trees may provide places in which relationships grow stronger and violence is reduced.”
Voice 2
Children gain from trees and green areas too. Studies show that children like to play in green areas more than concrete-covered areas. Social scientists found that children playing in green areas are more creative. Their play is more complex with more rules. There are more songs and more kinds of games.
Voice 1
Children playing in green areas also talk with adults more often. That is because adults like to spend time in green areas too. Social scientists say that children need time with adults. They say that spending time with adults can help children develop socially and mentally. Kuo said,
Voice 3
“We see clearly in these studies that trees add to the environment that supports healthy development of children.”
Voice 2
Dr. William Bird lives in the United Kingdom. He is part of a group called Natural England. They know the good effects nature can have on people. This group wants to encourage people to spend more time outside in nature. Dr. Bird explains why,
Voice 4
“Increasing evidence suggests that both physical and mental health is improved through contact with nature. Yet people are having less contact with nature than at any other time in the past. This has to change.”
Voice 1
Monty Don agrees. He believes in the healing¹³ power of nature. Monty Don is a famous gardener in the UK. He grows his own food and cares for animals. He suffers from depression but finds that working outside helps his depression. He believes that nature can help free people from many things, including drug addiction¹⁴. He says
Voice 5
“I have complete faith in the healing power of the land... You cannot cheat nature. You cannot lie to a pig that needs feeding or a plant that needs to grow. And if you produce good food with love and hard work and share it with other people ... the tradition of that gives self worth.”
Voice 2
About twenty-seven [27] drug users¹⁵ have stayed on Monty Don’s farm. Only a few of them have returned to drugs. The others found that hard work and the beauty of nature helped them end their drug addictions¹⁶.
Voice 1
Social scientists are finding¹⁷ more and more evidence that trees are important. Frances Kuo admitted
Voice 3
“Before we started our research, I would have said trees are nice. But, I think that through this research I now believe that trees are really an important part of a supportive, humane¹⁸ environment. Without trees and green space, people are very different beings.”
Voice 2
It is not completely clear why trees and green space are so good for people. But maybe it is just because that is how God created them to be!
Voice 1
In the Bible¹⁹ God said, “‘Let the land produce plants. Let them bear their own seeds. And let there be trees on the land that bear fruit with seeds in it. Let each kind of plant or tree have its own kind of seed.’ And that is exactly what happened. And God saw that it was good.”
Voice 2
Christians²⁰ believe that God gave everything he created to people as a gift. And we are learning²¹ more and more just how good that gift can be.
 

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 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

3 gang   

n.一伙，一帮；结伴的朋友

参考例句：

• The gang live abroad,beyond reach of the British police.这帮匪徒住在国外，英国警方鞭长莫及。
• Some gang came in and shot the place up.有股匪帮进来对这个地方开枪扫射。

4 gangs   

n.（罪犯有组织的）一帮( gang的名词复数 )；一伙；（闹事青少年的）一群；（工人有组织的）一队

参考例句：

• Gangs of youths went on the rampage in the city yesterday. 成群结伙的年轻人昨天在城里横冲直撞。
• a vicious turf war between rival gangs of drug dealers 对立贩毒团伙之间的猛烈火并

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 surroundings   

n.周围的事物(或情况)，环境

参考例句：

• She is not very well tuned into her surroundings. 她不太适应周围的环境。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

7 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

8 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。

9 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

10 snap   

n.啪地移动，突然断掉；v.猛咬，咬断，谩骂，砰然关上

参考例句：

• He broke off the twig with a snap.他啪地一声把那根树枝折断了。
• These earrings snap on with special fasteners.这副耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。

11 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

12 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

13 healing   

n.康复，复原adj.有治疗功用的v.（使）愈合( heal的现在分词 )；治愈；（使）结束；较容易忍受

参考例句：

• miraculous powers of healing 神奇的治病能力
• She seems to have a vocation for healing. 看来她具备治病救人的才能。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

15 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

16 addictions   

瘾( addiction的名词复数 )； 吸毒成瘾； 沉溺； 癖好

参考例句：

• He has removed the stigma of drug addictions. 他已经洗去吸毒的污点了。
• Intelligent people are good at using reason to control excessive addictions. 智慧的人善于用理性来控制过度的嗜欲。

17 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

18 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

19 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。

20 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

21 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。