英语听力：自然百科 圣河之旅 Yangtze 长江—23

 -Now people are more and more aware of this issue, because in the past 20 years, Chinese people were really focusing on, you know, develop the economy and get rid of the poverty. And nowadays, lots of people start to really watch the long, long term consequence, and environment protections, nature for the next generations.

-I really hope so, Lily. I have to hope and pray there is this bright environment awareness¹ in China. Not just for China, but for us all.

From the Three Gorges² Dam, we follow the Yangtze for more than 200 miles to the city of Wuhan. Mao apparently³ thought of religion and faith as poison, but he still wanted to porve that he had the right to rule, the Communist equivalent of the Mandate⁴ of Heaven, the blessing⁵ of the spirit world. One way he chose to do this is by swimming the river of the Yangtze at Wuhan, where is considered to be its most dangerous, because of fierce currents of deadly floods.

I met up with Yu Guangrong, who runs a local swimming club and trains in the river and celebrates the anniversary of Mao's swim every summer.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 gorges   

n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕

参考例句：

• The explorers were confronted with gorges(that were)almost impassable and rivers(that were)often unfordable. 探险人员面临着几乎是无路可通的峡谷和常常是无法渡过的河流。 来自辞典例句
• We visited the Yangtse Gorges last summer. 去年夏天我们游历了长江三峡。 来自辞典例句

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

5 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。