英语听力：自然百科 印度岛屿日渐消失

 This partially¹ submerged palm tree is a stark(鲜明的) reminder² that climate change is bringing real changes to the world's landscape. The vanishing Indian island of Ghoramara is part of Sundarbans, the world's largest delta³, which straddles(横跨) India and Bangladesh. During the last 30 years, Ghoramara has been reduced to nearly half of its original size. Ghoramara submergence is due in part to stress and landscape change caused by overpopulation, but most experts agree that the rising sea triggered by global warming is the primary factor. Thousands of residents have fled the island and many more face the same fate. Land and homes are disappearing, and along with it, farmland.

 

 

People are losing their land on the island, so the food grain production has gone down; and all of those who have lost their land cannot move to other places, so they are all getting concentrated in the same area; as there is not enough land available on the island. So the land is getting smaller, compared to the number of people living there. So the economic condition is deteriorating⁴.

 

Other nearby islands have already disappeared.

 

Some islands are totally submerged like Lohachara and Suparibhanga, and one island, a very big island, which is called Ghoramara Island, that is nearly 40% reduced as (of) today. So this type of island, where human habitation was there, the people are becoming environmental refugees because they have to evacuate⁵ their homes.

 

This 66-year-old farmer is among those who have lost his home, his land, and his livelihood⁶.

 

When my house was submerged underwater, I had to move to higher ground to other people's land to live. I have been living here for the last 2 years. I play drums in this area. I have to work daily to make a living since I can not plow⁷ land anymore. Sometimes I weave fish nets and work as a laborer⁸ in the fields.

 

Experts say the rise in sea level in Sundarbans is higher than the global average.

It is 3.14mm per year here, whereas (the) global average is 1.18mm per year. So the accelerated sea level rise is prevailing⁹ definitely, there is no doubt about that.

 

Another farmer in Ghoramara is fortunate to have some land left for paddy(稻田) cultivation¹⁰, but he lives in constant fear of losing it.

 

I fear that if the erosion continues to claim our lands, where would we go? What would we do? I've already lost nearly all my land. I'm barely managing to look after my family from the little land I've left. We're really suffering. It is very difficult. What's going to happen to us? I'm really worried all the time.

1 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

2 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

5 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

6 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

7 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

8 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

9 prevailing   

adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的

参考例句：

• She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
• This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。

10 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。