英语听力：探索发现 2013-03-08 猛玛象进城记 Mammoths to Manhattan—17

 But there is at least one place in Florida where the manatees¹ benefit from humans being around. Clean, hot water released from this power plant turns a man-made inlet into a hot tub. And during winter months when sea temperatures drop below 20 degrees centigrade, manatees gather here to keep warm. It’s actually an artificial version of the natural hot springs where manatees traditionally congregate². But this particular location seems to be extremely popular. During the coldest spells, more than 300 manatees can gather here. 

 

With so many of these shy creatures in one place, the power plant has become a tourist attraction. It may not be the most scenic³ setting, but this is a unique chance to see one of the largest gatherings⁴ of manatees in the world. 

 

People have become dependent on industry to support their modern lifestyle, so too it seems has some of North America’s wildlife. Every September, the skies over Portland, Oregon become crowded with vaux's swifts. These birds have chosen a 30-meter chimney stack as a place to roost. Tens of thousands funnel⁵ down into the disused chimney where they huddle⁶ together for the night. Vaux's swifts traditionally roost communally⁷ in the hollow trees, but as many of North America’s forests are destroyed, they've turned to man-made structures.

1 manatees   

n.海牛（水生哺乳动物，体宽扁，尾圆，有鳃状肢）( manatee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manatees tamed quickly. 海牛很快地被驯服。 来自互联网
• Gentle and slow moving, manatees are said to be the mythical mermaids of sailors' imaginations. 海牛游动温和而缓慢，被认为是海员遐想中富有神秘色彩的美人鱼。 来自互联网

2 congregate   

v.(使)集合，聚集

参考例句：

• Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。
• This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

3 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

4 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

5 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

6 huddle   

vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人

参考例句：

• They like living in a huddle.他们喜欢杂居在一起。
• The cold wind made the boy huddle inside his coat.寒风使这个男孩卷缩在他的外衣里。

7 communally   

adv.共同地

参考例句：

• Only when the means of production were communally owned would classes disappear. 只有当生产工具公有时，阶级才会消失。
• The mills were owned communally. 工厂是公有的。