英语听力：自然百科 佛罗里达州的温泉（三）

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号：tingroom，领取免费英语资料大礼包。

 

The warm spring waters revitalize the barren sea bed in the Gulf² of Mexico and a rush of warmth allows for an oasis³ of life to flourish. The water surges with the arrival of sardines⁴, hundreds of thousands of them. With the cooling of the sea water in winter, sardines seek the freshwater baths for warmth. Their presence doesn't go unnoticed by predators—amberjacks.

 

The panic sardines school for protection, each fish struggling to hide inside the shoal. Rapid maneuvers⁶ and shiny scales aim to confuse. The jacks⁵ rise from below, expelling air from their gills, in an attempt to contain the sardines.

 

Warm waters attract more than fish. They also entice⁷ the gentlest, quietest and most peculiar⁸ mermaid⁹ of these waters—the manatee¹⁰. For them, the springs are the difference between life and death. If the waters cool below 68 degrees Fahrenheit¹¹, manatees¹² can die.

 

Manatees migrate to Florida every winter for the warmth they need, but double crested¹³ cormorants¹⁵ live here all year around. A manatee's life seems to be one of leisure. They spend much of the winter sleeping, surfacing to breathe without even waking up. Even the persistent¹⁶ pecking of sunfish, who clean them of the algae¹⁷ growing on their skin, don't disturb their dreams.

 

Sunfish are everywhere here, and that's what draws the great blue heron. When it comes to fishing, herons are masters of the waiting game. Cormorants employ different tactics. They zero in on sunfish that they know are grazing around manatees. The heron needs only to wait patiently for a share.

 

Its patience is rewarded. The cormorant¹⁴ isn't so lucky. The water's crystal clearness works against it. Fish can easily see it coming. The cormorant stirs up the mud, clouding the clear water, and launches a surprise attack. But it's the heron who ends up the winner.

 

分享到：