英语听力：Wild China 美丽中国：彩云之南-5

 On the far side of the great Nujiang gorge¹, the plant hunters made a remarkable² discovery. Far from the tropics, they seemed to be entering a steamy, vibrant³ tropical jungle--the forest of Gaoligongshan. The flora⁴ here is unlike anywhere else in the world. Next to subtropical species, alpine⁵ plants grow in giant form. Crowning the canopy⁶, rhododendrons up to 30 meters high. In April and May, their flowers turn the forests ruby⁷ red, attracting bird species found only here.

 

Constant moisture in the air means that the branches are laden⁸ with flowering epiphytes, fiercely guarded by tiny sunbirds unique to these valleys. Nectar feeders, these are the hummingbirds⁹ of the old world tropics.

The forests of Gaoligongshan are home to some of China's rarest wildlife. This is a female Temminck's Tragopan. She has a colorful male admirer. He's hoping to woo her with his peculiar¹⁰ peekaboo display, but she's not about to be rushed. His colorful skin wattle reflects more light than feathers do. To her, this is like a neon sign. Seeing his chance, the male makes his move.

 

Constant moisture in the Gaoligongshan forest means that throughout the year, there are always fruits on the trees. Such abundance of food encourages a high diversity of fruit eaters more commonly found in the tropics. The black giant squirrel is found only in undisturbed rainforest. At close to a meter in length, it's one of the world's largest squirrels.

1 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

2 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

3 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

4 flora   

n.(某一地区的)植物群

参考例句：

• The subtropical island has a remarkably rich native flora.这个亚热带岛屿有相当丰富的乡土植物种类。
• All flora need water and light.一切草木都需要水和阳光。

5 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

6 canopy   

n.天篷，遮篷

参考例句：

• The trees formed a leafy canopy above their heads.树木在他们头顶上空形成了一个枝叶茂盛的遮篷。
• They lay down under a canopy of stars.他们躺在繁星点点的天幕下。

7 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

8 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

9 hummingbirds   

n.蜂鸟( hummingbird的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hummingbirds have discovered that nectar and pollen are very nutritious. 蜂鸟发现花蜜和花粉是很有营养的。
• Why do hummingbirds and gorillas both have backbones? 为什么蜂鸟和大猩猩都有脊骨？

10 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。