英语听力：自然百科 澳大利亚大堡礁 Great Barrier Reef—4

 Inside the flesh of these tiny animals are microscopic¹ plants called algae², but these aren't parasites³. None of this would be here without them.

 

Wachenfeld: “When the algae photosynthesize, they take energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide, then make sugars which help to supply energy to the coral.”

 

It's one of nature's perfect partnerships⁴. By capturing the energy from sunlight, the algae supercharges the coral, providing it with up to 20 times more energy, fueling the rapid growth of the reef. When the first coral arrived on Australia's east coast, they found the best place on Earth to make a home--one huge, shallow sun trap.

 

Trillions followed in the biggest construction project the world has ever seen, exploiting every piece of real estate, right up to the very edge of the continent ,where the seabed plunges⁵ into the abyss.

 

Today, it may look like paradise. But hidden deep beneath the waves lies one of its most brutal⁶ and violent secrets.

 

The Great Barrier Reef seems idyllic--life in perfect harmony, bathing in warm water all year round. But in the past, this paradise has gone through hell.

 

Scientists now believe that it has endured massive catastrophes⁷ that wiped out the reef, almost stripping it of life, catastrophes that traumatized the entire planet. Scientists are only just beginning to uncover the whole truth.

 

On the outer edge of the reef, there is evidence of an anomaly. It looks like another reef. But it's 190 feet below the surface, where no reef can survive. No one has ever sampled it. Geologist⁸ Jody Webster is about to be the first.

1 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

2 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

3 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

4 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

5 plunges   

n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• Even before he plunges into his program, he has his audience in his pocket. 他的节目甚至还没有出场，就已控制住了观众。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Monseigneur, he precipitated himself over the hill-side, head first, as a person plunges into the river.' “大人，他头冲下跳下山坡去了，像往河里跳一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

7 catastrophes   

n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难

参考例句：

• Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句
• The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句

8 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。