英语听力—环球英语 645 Wildlife in the Himalayas

　　Voice 1
Hello and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Steve Myersco,
Voice 2
And I'm Ruby² Jones. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘The discovery of a new bird is really special. It is a beautiful bird with no similar kinds nearby. And it was found in a part of the world where bird collectors have looked for birds for more than a century. This makes it nothing less than a miracle³.'
Voice 1
These are the words of Aasheesh Pittie, the Editor of Indian Birds magazine. He was describing the discovery of a species⁴, or kind, of bird in Northern India. People call it a new bird, but the bird is not really new - it is just that we humans have only recently discovered it. This bird is called the Bugun Liocichla. It lives in the Eastern Himalayas. Today's Spotlight is about this mountainous area. The programme looks at several kinds of wildlife that have recently been discovered there. It also looks at some of the problems this area is facing.
Voice 2
A man called Ramana Athreya officially discovered the Bugun Liocichla bird in 2006. Athreya is really an astronomer⁵ - he studies the stars and planets⁷. However he also enjoys bird watching.
Voice 1
Athreya first saw two of these birds in 1996. He knew they were not a kind of bird that he had seen before. However, before he could get a closer look, they flew away. He had to wait ten years before he saw the birds again. This time he was able to get closer. And it was worth the wait. The Bugun Liocichla was the first new kind of bird discovered in India in over fifty years.
Voice 2
But Ramana Athreya is not the only person who has discovered a new kind of life in the Eastern Himalayas in recent years. Since 1998 people have found hundreds of new species of plants and animals in the area.
Voice 1
For many years scientists have found it difficult to record all the different species living in the Eastern Himalayas. This is because parts of the Eastern Himalayas are very difficult to reach. However, since 1998, scientists have managed to record much more of the wildlife in the area.
Voice 2
One wildlife organisation⁸ has now brought together these new discoveries. WWF published a report on the new species that many different scientists and animal experts had discovered. In total there were 353 ‘new' kinds of life. 242 of these discoveries were plants. The scientists also discovered new kinds of fish, birds, insects and snakes.
Voice 1
Two of the most surprising discoveries were two new species of mammal. Mammals are species like cows, dogs, and humans that feed their babies with milk from the mother. The two new mammals the scientists discovered were a monkey and a deer. Discovering new kinds of mammals is very rare. Discovering a new kind of monkey is even rarer.
Voice 2
The new species of monkey is called the Arunachal Macaque. It was discovered in 2005. When it was found, it was the first new species of monkey that anyone had recorded in over one hundred years. Scientists have counted a total of 569 individual monkeys - living in two different areas. The monkey may be new to scientists, but the people who live in these areas know it very well. They call it ‘mun zala' or ‘deep forest monkey'. They blame the monkey for damaging their crops. And so, even though the monkey is very rare, the local people hunt it.
Voice 1
Hunting is just one of the problems now facing much of the wildlife in the Eastern Himalayas. Mark Wright works⁹ for WWF. He is pleased with the recent discoveries in the Eastern Himalayas. However he says that the area is also at risk. He explains,
Voice 4
‘These exciting discoveries show just how little we know about the world around us. The Eastern Himalayas is an area of amazing beauty. It has some of the richest areas of life on the planet⁶. However, it is also one of the areas that is most at risk from climate change. This is shown by the fast melting of the ice in the glaciers¹¹. Only time will show how well the species will be able to change to survive - if at all.'
Voice 2
As Mark Wright suggests, many of these newly¹² discovered species are at risk. Climate change is beginning to have an effect on the Himalayas. As temperatures rise, the ice rivers - glaciers - are beginning to melt. Often these glaciers act as a barrier that holds a lake in place. When the glacier¹⁰ melts, the lake can flood down the mountain.
Voice 1
The other problem facing the area is human behaviour. The population in Eastern Himalayas is growing. This is creating more and more pressure on the area. People are cutting down forests for wood. This also clears land for farming. Some building projects in the area are also causing damage. The wildlife faces its own dangers. Hunters kill some animals for their skin or to make medicine. The WWF believe that the authorities¹³ in the area need to work together to help save the wildlife living in the Eastern Himalayas.
Voice 2
The Eastern Himalayas is spread over a number of different countries. Much of it lies in Bhutan, India and Nepal. Government ministers in these countries agree that the area is very important. The Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation in Nepal is Deepak Bohara. He says,
Voice 5
‘Few places on Earth can equal the amazing beauty of the Himalayas. Its huge mountains and hidden valleys have interested nature lovers¹⁴, explorers, and people of faith for centuries... The Himalayan ecosystem¹⁵ is shared by several countries in South Asia. So it is important for countries to come together to protect this natural gift. We need to develop ways of working together and sharing information. This will lead towards the protection of a natural gift we were all given at birth - the Himalayas.'
Voice 1
163 species currently¹⁶ living in the Eastern Himalayas are at risk of dying¹⁷ out. About half of these species are not found anywhere else in the world. The WWF believes that if local people and authorities work together, they can protect this important area and its wildlife. If they are not successful, the Bugun Liocichla bird, the Arunachal Macaque monkey, and many other species, may become a thing of the past.
 

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 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 miracle   

n.奇迹，令人惊奇的人或事

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• It is simply a miracle that rice should grow in such a place.稻子竟能在这样的地方生长，这实在是个奇迹。

4 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

5 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

6 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

7 planets   

行星( planet的名词复数 )； 地球（尤指环境）

参考例句：

• Does life exist on other planets? 其他行星上有生命吗？
• the planets of our solar system 太阳系的行星

8 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

9 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

10 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

11 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

12 newly   

adv.新近，最近；重新，再度；以新的方式

参考例句：

• Have you reviewed for this newly published novel?你给这本新出版的小说写书评了吗？
• It is a newly planted tree and it has not established yet.这是一颗新栽的树，还没有扎下根来。

13 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 lovers   

爱好者( lover的名词复数 )； 情人； 情夫； 情侣

参考例句：

• They were off-screen lovers. 他们是真实生活中的情侣。
• Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧和朱丽叶这一对莎士比亚笔下命运多舛的恋人

15 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

16 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

17 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。