ENVIRONMENT REPORT - Last Wild Places

ENVIRONMENT REPORT – Last Wild Places

By George Grow

Broadcast: December 27, 2002

This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

More than two-hundred scientists have completed a two-year study to identify the most natural and undeveloped
areas on Earth. Their findings¹ are reported in a new book called Wilderness²: Earth’s Last Wild Places.

The environmental groups Conservation International and Agrupacion Sierra Madre worked together to produce
the book. Conservation International provided³ money for the project.

The new book describes thirty-seven wilderness areas around the world. Each has an area greater than ten-
thousand square kilometers. The study considered only areas where at least seventy percent of all plants are
native.

There are wild areas on every continent. North and South America are home to the largest number of wilderness
areas. There are sixteen such areas, from southern Argentina to Alaska and northern Canada. Africa has eight
wilderness areas, including the thick forests of the Congo and the grasslands⁴ of the Serengeti. Australia and New
Guinea share six areas. Europe has three areas and Asia has two. The Arabian Desert and Antarctica also are
considered wilderness areas.

The largest wilderness area is the Boreal Forest. It extends⁶ for sixteen-million square kilometers south of the
Arctic⁵ Circle. The Boreal Forest extends across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Russia.

The smallest of the thirty-seven wilderness areas is the Sundarbans. It is the world’s largest tidal mangrove⁷
forest. It covers ten-thousand square kilometers of land at the mouth of the Ganges River in India and
Bangladesh.

The study found that wilderness areas cover about forty-six percent of the Earth’s land surface. However, they
are home to less than two-and-one-half percent of the world’s population. Nineteen of the wilderness areas have
only about one person for each square kilometer. Native people usually live in these areas.

Conservation International President Russell Mittermeier helped create the book. He notes that wilderness areas
help to influence the world’s weather systems and rainfall. He says they also are home to many plants and
animals.

Mister⁸ Mittermeier says population growth and the spread of agriculture and mining operations threaten
wilderness areas. He notes that just seven percent of all such areas have some form of official protection.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by George Grow.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version

1 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

2 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

3 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

4 grasslands   

n.草原，牧场( grassland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Songs were heard ringing loud and clear over the grasslands. 草原上扬起清亮激越的歌声。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Grasslands have been broken and planted to wheat. 草原已经开垦出来，种上了小麦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

6 extends   

v.（空间、时间等）延伸，延续( extend的第三人称单数 )；伸展；给予；延长

参考例句：

• This country extends its power and influence into neighbouring countries. 这个国家将其势力与影响扩大至邻国。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His domain extends for 20 miles in every direction. 方圆20英里之内都是他的地产。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 mangrove   

n.(植物)红树，红树林

参考例句：

• It is the world's largest tidal mangrove forest.它是世界上最大的红树林沼泽地。
• Many consider this the most beautiful mangrove forest in all Thailand.许多人认为这里是全泰国最美丽的红树林了。

8 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。