READING: Pollution Fighters
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閱讀：環(huán)保戰(zhàn)士

Judy is collecting some facts for a class project on pollution. She is interviewing Doctor Ray, a scientist, about trees.

朱迪正在收集關(guān)于污染類項(xiàng)目的一些實(shí)例。她正在就有關(guān)“樹木”的問題采訪一位科學(xué)家——雷博士。


JUDY?????? Why are you so interested in trees, Doctor Ray?
DR RAY?? They're the biggest and oldest living things on the earth, Judy.
JUDY?????? Yes, but what good are trees? They make streets more beautiful and less noisy, but what else can they do?
DR RAY?? Well, the wood in your pencil, the rubber on the end of your pencil, the paper in your notebook and the fruit in you bowl all come from trees! And, I suppose you also enjoying breathing pure, cool air.
JUDY?????? Of course.
DR RAY??? Then you must thank trees for that too. They take harmful gases from the air, and release oxygen back into the air, How many people are there in your class, Judy?
JUDY?????? Forty-six.
DR RAY??? Well, one and a half hectares of trees could produce enough oxygen to keep your whole class alive and healthy for a whole year.
JUDY?????? That's wonderful!
DR RAY??? Trees cool the air as well as clean it. They are natural air conditioners. Three trees can do the job of 15air conditioners running almost all day.
JUDY?????? You certainly know a lot about trees, Doctor Ray.
DR RAY??? Thank you, Judy, but I don't, really. Scientists are only now beginning to understand them. For example, when insects attack a tree, it can warn its neighbours. The trees can then protect themselves by producing a chemical that makes their leaves taste nasty. And some trees can join their roots together underground, and pass food and water to each other. Trees are communicating with one another, but we don't know how.
JUDY?????? And trees in danger?
DR RAY??? In great danger. We cut down and burn millions every year, but we replace hardly any of them. We are destorying our best fighters against pollution.


朱迪：?? 雷博士，為什么你會對樹木產(chǎn)生興趣？
雷博士：因?yàn)樗鼈兪堑厍蛏献畲笠彩亲罟爬系纳铩?br> 朱迪：?? 那么樹木都有些什么好處呢？除了美化街道，減少噪音，它們還能做什么？
雷博士：恩，你鉛筆的木頭，鉛筆末端的橡皮，筆記本上的紙，以及你碗里的水果，這些都來自于樹木。而且，我想，你也很喜歡這純凈清涼的空氣吧。
朱迪：?? 當(dāng)然。
雷博士：這樣的話你也得謝謝樹木。是它們帶走了空氣中的有害氣體，并且釋放氧氣。朱迪，你們班上有多少同學(xué)？
朱迪：?? 46個
雷博士：恩，一公頃半的樹木能夠產(chǎn)生足夠的氧氣，供你們一個班的學(xué)生健康地生活一整年。
朱迪：?? 太棒了！
雷博士：樹木除了凈化空氣之外，還能使空氣變得涼快。它們是自然界的空調(diào)。三棵樹產(chǎn)生的降溫作用就相當(dāng)于十五臺空調(diào)運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)一整天。
朱迪：?? 雷博士，你肯定對樹木了解很多吧！
雷博士：謝謝朱迪。但是實(shí)際上我并不是很精通。科學(xué)家們現(xiàn)在也僅僅只是開始了解樹木。比如說，如果有害蟲侵害樹木，它們會通知臨近的樹木防備。樹木能夠產(chǎn)生一種化學(xué)物質(zhì)使得葉子變得其味難咽，從而達(dá)到保護(hù)自身的作用。并且一些樹木能夠在地下通過根部連接，相互傳遞養(yǎng)料和水分。樹木之間能夠相互交流，但是我們還不是很清晰它們的交流方式。
朱迪：?? 那么，樹木有受到危害么？
雷博士：它們現(xiàn)在面臨著很大的危險。人類每年砍伐或燒毀數(shù)以萬計的樹木，卻幾乎不予補(bǔ)種。我們，正在逐步摧毀最好的環(huán)保護(hù)士。