英语听力—环球英语 616 Amazon Walk

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I'm Nick Page. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
Two men walk to the edge³ of the sea. They drop their heavy loads on the sand. They forget how hot and tired they are and run into the sea. They play in the water.
These tired men are happy because one of them has just become the first person to walk from the start of the Amazon River to the ocean. His name is Ed Stafford. The other man's name is Cho Sanchez. Cho has been with Ed for the final two years of the walk. He helped Ed to find a way through the dense⁴ forests of three South American countries: Peru⁵, Columbia and Brazil.
In today's programme we will hear about their long walk and some of the things Ed Stafford learned⁶ on the way.
Voice 2
The Amazon is about 6500 kilometres long. That is the same as the distance from New York to Rome! Ed's walk started in April 2008 at the beginning of the river - high in the mountains of Peru. It ended two and a half years later in August 2010 in Brazil where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Along the way Ed Stafford faced cold snow and high mountain paths. But most of the walk was through hot, wet forests.  For many months floodwater covered the forest paths. Ed and Cho were always wet.
Voice 1
They faced many dangers from wild animals. Snakes were a big danger. One day Ed killed a snake that was ready to bite him. When he and Cho were walking in deep water they often saw electric eels⁷. These eels look like water snakes, but they are really a kind of fish. They can deliver a powerful⁸ electric shock.
The men were also attacked by many different kinds of insects.  One day they were attacked by a swarm⁹ of wasps¹¹ - a cloud of flying insects that sting². One wasp¹⁰ sting is painful - but Ed says:
Voice 3
"Each of us received more than thirty stings¹²... We had to lie face down with our hands over our mouths and necks to stop stings that could prevent us from breathing."
Voice 2
But the big danger for Ed and Cho came from people. Most of the people they met on their long walk were friendly. They gave Ed and Cho food and shelter¹³. But some people were afraid of Ed because he has a white skin. They had not seen a white person before. They had heard stories that white people would eat their babies or steal their heads and other parts of their bodies.
Voice 1
In other villages, people were afraid that oil companies were coming to destroy their homes. They believed Ed worked for an oil company.
In one place, local people captured¹⁴ Ed. They were carrying bows and arrows¹⁵ and guns. And they looked angry. They released¹⁶ him only after he spoke¹⁷ to them gently, and made them believe he was not a danger to them.
In another village, the people threw dirty water over Ed and into his mouth. Throwing dirty water is a way these people show they do not approve of somebody. Ed had to leave the village quickly. He understood the people's fear. He says:
Voice 3
"They only wanted to protect their land and the way they live.... When they know there is no danger they are very kind."
Voice 2
On his walk Ed saw that many trees had been cut down. This made him very sad.
Every country needs wood for building and industry. But too many trees are being destroyed, and this is changing the climate of the world. When humans burn fuel they produce carbon¹⁸ dioxide¹⁹ gas, and this gas causes climate change. But trees help remove harmful carbon dioxide gas from the air .
People in the villages told Ed how the big changes in climate had affected²⁰ their lives.
In Peru, Ed met a man called Raul. Raul was once a fisherman. He told Ed:
Voice 4
"The weather is much hotter now. My skin burns in the sun, even though I am Peruvian²¹... We do not know how the water levels will be. Some years there is more rain. Other years there is very little rain. There are not so many fish now."
Voice 1
Raul can no longer support his family by catching²² fish. He bought a piece of land that has many good trees. He hopes a company will cut down the trees and pay him for the wood. Then he can pay for education for his daughters. He will raise cows on the land where there were once trees.
Voice 2
Ed says that when Raul lets a company cut down his trees he will be adding to the problem of killing²³ the forest.
Raul does not agree. He thinks cutting down many trees will not destroy the forest. He says that it will be more beautiful!
Voice 1
In another part of Peru, Ed heard that the opposite had happened.
A woman called Ancia told Ed that the weather is now colder. She says:
Voice 5
"The rains come more often. When they come, it is very cold. It never used to be so cold. Because the farm areas are flooded the whole time it is much more difficult to grow some crops. We now have to fish more to earn money."
Voice 2
So, in one area a man now has a farm because he cannot catch fish. And in another place a woman has to catch fish because she cannot grow food. The effects of climate change are not the same everywhere - but globally²⁴, our climate is warming. Raul and Ancia do not know what is causing this change. They think it is natural. They do not know that many thousands of trees are destroyed every day. They only know that things have changed.
Voice 1
Ed also saw the problem that some oil and mining companies bring to the forests. The modern world needs oil and minerals. But to get these resources²⁵ the land is damaged or destroyed, rivers are polluted²⁶ and fish die.
Ed talked to many men who work in the forests for the oil and tree cutting companies. They were friendly, and Ed understood why the work was needed. But he is worried that there is not enough control from governments to protect the forests.
Voice 2
Ed Stafford did something no one else has achieved. He walked the Amazon! Now he wants to tell people all around the world about the dangers we face from destroying the forests of Peru and Brazil. He said:
Voice 3
"My aim is to encourage other people and to make them feel that they have a connection to the Amazon, its wonders and its problems. I also hope to help people to believe they can achieve their dreams."
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 sting   

vt.激怒，刺痛，刺伤，蛰伤；n.刺痛，刺伤

参考例句：

• Most flies do not sting.大多数苍蝇不叮人。
• The scorpion has a sting that can be deadly.蝎子有可以致命的螫针。

3 edge   

n.边(缘)；刃；优势；v.侧着移动，徐徐移动

参考例句：

• Sight along the edge to see if it's straight.顺着边目测，看看直不直。
• She lived on the extreme edge of the forest.她住在森林的最边缘。

4 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

5 Peru   

n.秘鲁(南美洲国家)

参考例句：

• Lima is the capital of peru.利马是秘鲁的首都。
• China and peru are friendly countries.中国和秘鲁是友好国家。

6 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

7 eels   

abbr. 电子发射器定位系统（=electronic emitter location system）

参考例句：

• Eels have been on the feed in the Lower Thames. 鳗鱼在泰晤士河下游寻食。
• She bought some eels for dinner. 她买回一些鳗鱼做晚餐。

8 powerful   

adj.有力的，有权力的，强大的

参考例句：

• The UN began to get more and more powerful.联合国开始变得越来越强大了。
• Such are the most powerful voices of our times!这些就是我们时代的最有力的声音！

9 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

10 wasp   

n.黄蜂，蚂蜂

参考例句：

• A wasp stung me on the arm.黄蜂蜇了我的手臂。
• Through the glass we can see the wasp.透过玻璃我们可以看到黄蜂。

11 wasps   

黄蜂( wasp的名词复数 )； 胡蜂； 易动怒的人； 刻毒的人

参考例句：

• There's a wasps' nest in that old tree. 那棵老树上有一个黄蜂巢。
• We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. 我们不仅生活在对象蜘蛛或黄蜂这样的小虫的惧怕中，而且生活在对诸如飞蛾这样无害昆虫的惧怕中

12 stings   

螫伤处( sting的名词复数 )； （某些昆虫的）毒刺； （身体或心灵的）剧痛； （警察为抓捕罪犯而设的）圈套

参考例句：

• Falsehood like a nettle stings those who meddle with it. 谎言似荨麻，玩弄会刺手。
• This cream contains a mild analgesic to soothe stings and bites. 这种乳膏含有一种性能平和的止痛剂，能缓解被螫咬后的疼痛。

13 shelter   

n.掩蔽，掩蔽处，避身处；庇护所，避难所，庇护；vt.庇护，保护，隐匿；vi.躲避

参考例句：

• We took shelter from the rain in a cave.我们在一个山洞里避雨。
• Trees are a shelter from the sun.树木可以遮挡阳光。

14 captured   

俘获( capture的过去式和过去分词 )； 夺取； 夺得； 引起（注意、想像、兴趣）

参考例句：

• Allied troops captured over 300 enemy soldiers. 盟军俘虏了300多名敌方士兵。
• Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。

15 arrows   

n.箭( arrow的名词复数 )；矢；箭号；箭头

参考例句：

• He shot arrows one by one, but each missed. 他射了一箭又一箭，但都未能射中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They fired poisoned arrows at us. 他们向我们射出毒箭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

18 carbon   

n.碳元素

参考例句：

• Diamonds are pure carbon.钻石是纯净的碳。
• Carbon is an element,while carbon dioxide is a compound.碳是一种(化学)元素，而二氧化碳则是一种化合物。

19 dioxide   

n.二氧化物

参考例句：

• The oxygen and the carbon combine to form carbon dioxide.氧和碳化合，形成二氧化碳。
• Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect.二氧化碳太多是道致温室效应的最主要原因。

20 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

21 Peruvian   

adj.秘鲁的n.秘鲁人

参考例句：

• The Peruvian will run for him, and l'll pick my runner. 那个秘鲁人会帮他跑，而我要选自己的参赛者。 来自电影对白
• Couples are breaking up a four-thousand-year-old Peruvian vase shipped UPS. 夫妻感情的破裂，就象四千年的秘鲁古瓷花瓶被UPS快递后的结果，无法弥合。 来自互联网

22 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

23 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

24 globally   

[计] 全局地

参考例句：

• Globally, there is a danger of water recession in the near future. 纵观全局，在不久的将来海水水位下降的危险逼近。 来自电影对白
• Globally, the firm has over 140,000 partners and staff in 149 countries. 我们在全球149个国家拥有140，000名合伙人及雇员。 来自互联网

25 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

26 polluted   

adj.被污染的

参考例句：

• Polluted air hangs over the city.城市上空被污染的空气所笼罩。
• The air was polluted by factory smoke.空气被工厂冒的烟污染了。