英语四级标准听力强化训练(MP3+文本) 第37期:短文(16)

【听力答案】

1. B 2. D 3. C

【听力原文】

Passage 1

The British summer is extremely beautiful. Trees，flowers，birds and butterflies make the whole country like a big garden. However, many British people have noticed that butterflies have been gradually disappearing from this picturesque scenery during the past several years. What has happened to them?

（1）Butterfly Conservation in the UK is running a survey to help answer this question.（此项关于蝴蝶的调查是由英国蝴蝶保护委员会开展的。）The result is more serious than people expected.（2）According to the survey, among 59 butterfly species found in the British Isl.es，more than three-quarters of them are suffering a declining population.（根据这项调查，在英国埃尔斯地区发现的59种蝴蝶中，超过四分之三的蝴蝶种类正面临数量下降的危险。）Moreover, half of all butterfly species are on the verge of extinction. The numbers of butterflies have dropped to. a record low in the past three years largely because the summer in the UK is getting cooler and their habitat is also degrading. Fortunately, Britain is experiencing a long hot summer this year compared to the last few summers. Conservationists believe the warm weather will bring some benefit to the butterflies.

Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation, said,"（3）Butterflies in profusion tell us that all is well with nature. When they decline it's a warning that other wildlife will be soon heading the same way." The organizers hope the survey will help raise public awareness of the value of butterflies in the UK. Butterflies give an indication of the well-being of nature and the environment.（蝴蝶数量多说明大自然整体来说状况良好。但是蝴蝶种类的下降也警告我们其他一些野生生物将很快面临同样的问题。组织者们希望这项调查能让人们意识到蝴蝶的重要性。蝴蝶的现状也反映了大自然和环境的状况。）

【核心词汇】

degrade v.退化，降级

picturesque a.如画的

extinction n.消灭，灭绝

profusion n.丰富，大量

habitat n.栖息地，居住地

species n.种类物种