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VOA慢速英语2009年-EXPLORATIONS - Visiting the Galapagos

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(单词翻译)

VOICE ONE:

I'm Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today, we tell about the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean and the unusual creatures that live there.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Bartolome Island

The nineteen islands that make up the Galapagos lie along the equator one thousand kilometers west of Ecuador. The islands are named for the giant tortoises that live there. Galapagos has been called "a living museum and showcase of evolution." The animals on the islands influenced British nature scientist Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution by natural selection.

In nineteen seventy-eight, the islands were the first place named to the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. In two thousand seven UNESCO added the islands to its World Heritage in Danger list. The main reason is the increase in the number of visitors to the islands.

The World Heritage Committee said increased tourism, immigration and invasive species threaten the animals of the Galapagos. Many of these animals are found nowhere else in the world. The committee noted1 that the number of days spent by passengers on ships in the area has increased by one hundred fifty percent in the last fifteen years. More than one hundred seventy thousand people visited the islands last year.

VOICE TWO:

Increased tourism has brought thousands of workers from Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands to seek jobs. Some workers have brought non-native animals like dogs, cats, pigs and goats. These animals compete for food with the islands' native animals. Some also attack the native animals. And the waste produced by the islands' growing human population places an increased threat on the wildlife.

The Ecuadorian government has tried to enforce severe limits on the number of Ecuadorians who move to the islands. But many Ecuadorians have criticized the government's efforts. They feel they have the right to live on the islands to make a better living.

VOICE ONE:

A new report in the journal Global Change Biology says the ecosystem2 of the Galapagos Islands has changed forever. This destruction is due to human activity in addition to warming water temperatures and overfishing.

Researchers who wrote the report say at least forty-five species are now extremely threatened. And they say that it is likely that two species are probably gone forever. These are the Galapagos damsel fish, and the twenty-four rayed sunstar.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Mystery always has been part of the Galapagos Islands. In fifteen thirty-five, a ship carrying the Roman Catholic Bishop3 of Panama came upon the Galapagos accidentally. Tomas de Berlanga named the Galapagos group the Enchanted4 Isles5. He was surprised to see land turtles that weighed more than two hundred kilograms and were more than one meter long.

He said they were so large each could carry a man on its back. Bishop Berlanga also noted the unusual soil of the islands. He suggested that one island was so rocky it seemed like stones had rained from the sky.

VOICE ONE:

Charles Darwin as a young man

Ecuador took official possession of the islands in eighteen thirty-two. The British nature scientist Charles Darwin is mainly responsible for the fame of the Galapagos Islands. He visited the islands in eighteen thirty-five. He collected plants and animals from several islands. After many years of research, he wrote the book "The Origin of Species" in eighteen fifty-nine. He developed the theory of evolution that life on Earth developed through the process of natural selection.

The book changed the way people think about how living things developed and became different over time. Darwin said the Galapagos brought people near "to that great fact -- that mystery of mysteries -- the first appearance of new beings on earth."

One hundred years later, in nineteen fifty-nine, the Ecuadorian government declared almost all of the islands a national park. The Charles Darwin Foundation was formed the same year to study and protect the plants and animals on the islands.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

More than one hundred twenty-five landmasses make up the Galapagos. But only nineteen are large enough to be considered islands. Scientists have been wondering for years about the position of the Galapagos in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists used to think that the islands were connected to the South American mainland and floated out to sea slowly.

Today, most scientists think the islands were always where they are now. But they think the islands once were a single landmass under water. Volcanic6 activity broke the large island into pieces that came to the surface of the sea over time.

VOICE ONE:

But scientists wonder how animals arrived on Galapagos if the islands were always so far from the mainland. Scientists think most Galapagos plants and animals floated to the islands. When rivers flood in South America, small pieces of land flow into the ocean. These rafts can hold trees and bushes. The rafts also can hold small mammals and reptiles8. The adult Galapagos tortoise clearly is too big for a trip hundreds of kilometers across the ocean. But, turtle eggs or baby turtles would be small enough to float to the islands.

VOICE TWO:

Marine9 iguana10

The Galapagos Islands are home to many unusual birds, reptiles and small mammals. Some of the animals live nowhere else on Earth. The tortoise is the most famous Galapagos reptile7. But the marine iguana is also unusual. It is the only iguana in the world that goes into the ocean. It can dive at least fifteen meters below the ocean surface. And it can stay down there for more than thirty minutes.

In two thousand nine scientists confirmed the discovery of a new species of iguana. This pink iguana is believed to be a more ancient form of the species than other known iguanas11 on the islands. This newly discovered iguana has a pink head with black stripes on its body.

Several strange birds also live on the Galapagos. One of them is the only penguin12 that lives on the equator. Another is the frigate13 bird. It has loose skin on its throat that it can blow up into a huge red balloon-like structure. It does this to attract females that make observation flights over large groups of males.

VOICE ONE:

The Galapagos also are noted for a bird that likes water better than land or air. The cormorant14 is able to fly in all the other places it lives around the world. But the Galapagos cormorant has extremely short wings. They cannot support flight. But they work well for swimming.

The islands also have a large collection of small birds called Darwin's finches. Charles Darwin studied the finches carefully when he visited the Galapagos in eighteen thirty-five. He separated the birds by the shapes of their beaks15. He discovered that finches that lived in different places and ate different foods had different shaped beaks.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Lonesome George

But the most famous animals on the Galapagos Islands are the thousands of giant tortoises. And the most famous of these is the one that scientists call Lonesome George because he is the last of his kind.

He has been called the rarest creature on Earth. At one time, the islands were home to about fifteen different kinds of land turtles. The largest island, Isabela, has five different kinds of tortoises. But, Lonesome George is not one of them. He comes from a smaller island called Pinta.

Scientists found George in nineteen seventy-one. Humans and non-native animals had caused much damage to the environment on his island. Some animals and plants had disappeared. Lonesome George was the only tortoise found on Pinta.

VOICE ONE:

Scientists took the tortoise to the Charles Darwin Research Center on Santa Cruz Island. They wanted to help him find a female tortoise for mating to produce baby tortoises. The scientists had been successful in similar efforts for thousands of other tortoises.

The researchers placed George in the same living area as females from the nearby island of Isabela. Scientists thought George would be more closely related to the females from Isabela than to other Galapagos tortoises. In two thousand eight, George surprised scientists by mating for the first time in thirty-six years.

Scientists took the eggs to a laboratory where they could be protected and closely observed. Unfortunately, the eggs were later found to be infertile16. But new eggs have appeared in two nests over the past year. Although he is between ninety and one hundred years old, George may yet become a father. So, there is still hope that in the near future, George will not be quite as "lonesome" anymore.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was produced by Dana Demange. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Shirley Griffith. Transcripts17 and archives of our shows are at voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
2 ecosystem Wq4xz     
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。
3 bishop AtNzd     
n.主教,(国际象棋)象
参考例句:
  • He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。
4 enchanted enchanted     
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
  • He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。
5 isles 4c841d3b2d643e7e26f4a3932a4a886a     
岛( isle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
  • The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。
6 volcanic BLgzQ     
adj.火山的;象火山的;由火山引起的
参考例句:
  • There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
  • Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。
7 reptile xBiz7     
n.爬行动物;两栖动物
参考例句:
  • The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
  • So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以,你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。
8 reptiles 45053265723f59bd84cf4af2b15def8e     
n.爬行动物,爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
9 marine 77Izo     
adj.海的;海生的;航海的;海事的;n.水兵
参考例句:
  • Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时,他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
10 iguana MbWxT     
n.美洲大蜥蜴,鬣鳞蜥
参考例句:
  • With an iguana,you really don't have to say surprise.惊喜两字已经不足以形容这只鬣鳞蜥了。
  • I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguanadj.打开计算机准备制作一部关于我的宠物蜥蜴的电影。
11 iguanas becb3e0ccfa8d9d8482868d87293bcc6     
n. 美洲蜥蜴 名词iguana的复数形式
参考例句:
  • Galapagos land iguanas belong to the genus Conolophus, of which there are currently three recognised species. 加拉帕戈斯陆栖鬣蜥属于鬣蜥属,其中目前得到确认的有三个物种。
  • Feral cats in the region could be eating eggs and young iguanas, Gentile speculates. 这一区域的野猫可能正在吃鬣蜥蛋及其幼崽,金泰尔猜测。
12 penguin W3jzf     
n.企鹅
参考例句:
  • The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
  • He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。
13 frigate hlsy4     
n.护航舰,大型驱逐舰
参考例句:
  • An enemy frigate bore down on the sloop.一艘敌驱逐舰向这只护航舰逼过来。
  • I declare we could fight frigate.我敢说我们简直可以和一艘战舰交战。
14 cormorant laCyd     
n.鸬鹚,贪婪的人
参考例句:
  • The cormorant is a large,long-necked,dark-colored bird which lives near sea coasts and eats fish.鸬鹚是一种长脖子黑颜色的大鸟,生活在海滨而且以吃鱼为生。
  • The exciting cormorant fishing performance is over there.那边有令人刺激的鱼鹰捕鱼表演。
15 beaks 66bf69cd5b0e1dfb0c97c1245fc4fbab     
n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 );鹰钩嘴;尖鼻子;掌权者
参考例句:
  • Baby cockatoos will have black eyes and soft, almost flexible beaks. 雏鸟凤头鹦鹉黑色的眼睛是柔和的,嘴几乎是灵活的。 来自互联网
  • Squid beaks are often found in the stomachs of sperm whales. 经常能在抹香鲸的胃里发现鱿鱼的嘴。 来自互联网
16 infertile u71xE     
adj.不孕的;不肥沃的,贫瘠的
参考例句:
  • Plants can't grow well in the infertile land.在贫瘠的土地上庄稼长不好。
  • Nobody is willing to till this infertile land.这块薄田没有人愿意耕种。
17 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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