VOA常速英语:Farmers Urged to Throw Plow Away

短语讲解：

1. That's why they've been telling farmers to throw away the plow.

throw away扔掉，丢弃，抛弃
例句：He threw away the old sofa.
他把旧沙发扔掉了。

2. It brought back memories of the 1930s Dust Bowl era, when the region was devastated by frequent, severe dust storms.

bring back回忆〔回顾, 回想起〕(往事)
例句：Seeing you brought back many fond memories.
见到你使我想起了许多美好的往事。

3. Millions fled as their livelihoods blew away.

blow away (使)吹掉
例句：The roof of their house was blown away.
风把他们的屋顶刮跑了。

4. For generations, plows carved up the soils of the Texas High Plains, as they do the world over.

carve up把(某物)切成块; 瓜分〔划分〕(某物)
例句：Ask the man in the shop to carve the meat up for you.
请商店里的那个人帮你把肉切成碎块。

5. “There is a percentage of area in certain states of Mexico where farming is no longer possible because we already eroded those areas,” Govaerts says, suggesting a different approach. "Throwing away the plow. No longer plowing. No movement of soil."

no longer 不再, 已不, 不复, 再也不
例句：The city's water supply is no longer adequate for its need.
这个城市的供水已不敷需求。

6. The rest is left alone.

leave alone不理, 不管〔惹〕, 不烦扰, 不干涉
例句：She wants to think things out quietly, so we had better leave her alone.
她要安静地考虑一下, 最好别打扰她。

7. Keeping the ground covered helps shield the precious soil from wind and sun, and keeps moisture from evaporating.

shield from遮蔽; 挡住使不受…的伤害
例句：He was shielded by his mother from punishment.
他母亲保护他, 使他免受惩罚。
keep from阻止; 免于
Urgent business kept me from attending the meeting.
因有急事我不能去参加会议。

8. In this year’s extreme drought and heat, minimal tillage and maximum cover made a big difference, says Brandt Underwood, an agronomist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

make a difference有影响，有关系
例句：What you have told me may make a difference to my own position. 
你告诉我的一切，可能影响我自己的看法。 

9. That means when it comes to the age-old practice of plowing, less really is more.

when it comes to当提到……；当谈到……；当涉及到……
例句：When it comes to German, I know nothing.
谈到德语,我一窍不通。