VOA标准英语2014--美国自然保护计划教导青少年自然知识

US Conservation Program Teaches Teens about Nature 美国自然保护计划教导青少年自然知识

MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA—

Teenagers have been removing invasive plants and protecting endangered species around the United States this summer, in a program run by The Nature Conservancy - a non-profit environmental group.

Six students are getting their first close-up look at lizards², doing a count of the creatures for an environmental census³.  Some of these species are threatened by their changing habitat. 

Yulissa Arevalo, 17, is learning a lot.

“I used to just go on hikes and look at lizards and think that they were all the same, but there are different ones - horned lizards, whiptail lizards, fence lizards," she said.

The Western Fence Lizard¹ is identified by its blue belly⁴.  

The girls are part of a summer program at nature preserves and parks around the United States to educate students about the environment, and steer⁵ some into environmental careers. Open to boys and girls, it's called Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future. 

Outside the Nature Conservancy's New York office, Brigitte Griswold says it's the result of a partnership⁶ between the conservation group and 25 environmental high schools.

“Students are involved in our nature preserves doing everything from shellfish restoration to restoring the L.A. River to helping⁷ to ensure healthy populations of trees right here in New York City," said Griswold.

It's a month of exploration for these California students.  Some are now thinking about careers as environmental lawyers, teachers or scientists.

Griswold says whatever their chosen field, the summer program broadens their perspective.

“As we explore urban sustainability, urban planning, green infrastructure⁸.  These are all things that in order for cities to be sustainable in the future, we're going to need professionals that are really equipped to understand these issues," she said.

Julie Anaya, one of the students taking part in the summer program, plans to become a doctor and says this environmental work has opened her eyes to the effects of pollution and climate change.

“And it makes you want to do more to help the environment, because at home, you're just like, OK, [environmental degradation] is happening and I don't really care, but when you see it happening, you become more like, 'this is wrong.  I have to do something about it,'" she said.

The students spend their days with biologists and older mentors⁹.  Counselor Petey Camarillo says they are working as a team, away from the usual distractions¹⁰.

“Most of them are away from home for the very first time.  This is a month-long program, so for four weeks, they're out here.  They don't have technology - no cell phones, no television," said Camarillo.

Student Michelle Cornejo says they are learning important lessons.

“How everything is connected, from us humans to plants to mountain lions.  It's pretty amazing," she said.

Mysterious holes in a nearby tree are the work of woodpeckers, and a tarantula's remains¹¹ offer another teaching moment.  

It's all part of the daily discovery of this summer program.  

1 lizard   

n.蜥蜴，壁虎

参考例句：

• A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。

2 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

3 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

4 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

5 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

10 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。