英语听力：自然百科 澳大利亚大堡礁 Great Barrier Reef—13

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For thousands of years, the conditions that created the world's largest living thing have been in perfect balance. Even the elements here work in harmony to build the reef. Situated² in the tropics, the sun hits the water at an angle so precise that almost no heat is reflected, but is absorbed into the warm, fertile waters.

 

But not everything here is so benign³. Some of nature's most brutal⁴ forces rage in this sea. From the west, cyclones⁵ gather strength as they race across the Pacific. But the reef has found a way of protecting itself. It's called the Great Barrier for a reason. It acts as a wave break, soaking up the power of storms and sheltering the coastline.

 

It's Australia's first line of defense⁶ against the rages of the ocean, protecting not just the reef, but an entire continent. But how does something so fragile survive this onslaught? In fact, it doesn't just survive. Miraculously⁷, it thrives.

 

The waves here act like forest fires, sweeping⁸ through the reef, clearing away old growth. Dead and dying coral is removed, and space is made for new life to take hold. And wave action carries off sand and silt⁹ that could smother¹⁰ the corals.

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