Coral Reefs
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Introduction.
导言表。
4 What Is Coral?
4 什么是珊瑚吗?
5 A Busy Underwater Community.
5 忙水下社区。
7 Where Are Coral Reefs?
7 珊瑚礁在哪里?
9 Dangers to Coral Reefs.
9 对珊瑚礁的危险。
11 Protecting Coral Reefs.
11 保护珊瑚礁。
14 Glossary.
14 词汇表。
16 Introduction Earth’s tropical oceans contain places of wonder and beauty known as coral reefs.
16 导言 地球热带海洋包含奇观和美景之地,被称作珊瑚礁.
These huge undersea communities are home to thousands of living things.
这些巨大的海底社区有上千个活物
Day and night, animals hunt, eat, and avoid being eaten.
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They depend on each other for food, shelter, and safety.
他们在食物、住所和安全方面依赖彼此。
Almost one-fourth of all ocean plants and animals live around coral reefs.
近四分之一的海洋动植物生活在珊瑚礁周围。
Fish, sea turtles, sea stars, and many other animals make reefs their home.
鱼,海龟,海星等许多动物将礁石做为家园.
Visitors include seabirds and dolphins.
游客包括海鸟和海豚.
Many kinds of corals, fish, and other sea creatures live on coral reefs.
许多种类的珊瑚,鱼类等海洋生物都生活在珊瑚礁上.
What Is Coral?
什么是珊瑚吗?
At first glance, coral may look like oddly shaped rocks or plants.
乍一看,珊瑚可能看起来像奇怪的形状的岩石或植物.
Corals are actually tiny animals called polyps (PAH-lips).
珊瑚其实是被称为珊瑚虫（发音：PAH-lips）的微小动物。
Most polyps are smaller than a pea.
多数多肽比豌豆还小.
One branch or mound of coral can have thousands of polyps.
一个分支或珊瑚丘可以有上千个多肽.
Each polyp has a tubelike body and a mouth with tiny tentacles.
每个多肽都有类似管状体和有细小触角的口.
Polyps are eating machines.
Polyps在吃机器。
At night, they open their tentacles to catch tiny animals.
晚上,他们打开触手去捕捉小动物.
Hundreds of kinds of corals live in the ocean.
数百种珊瑚活于大海.
Most are one of two kinds.
多数是两种类型之一。
Hard corals, also known as stony corals, form hard skeletons.
硬珊瑚又名石珊瑚,形成硬骨架.
Over time, many millions of these hard skeletons build up and form reefs.
随着时间推移,这些硬骨架有数百万个积聚并形成礁石.
Coral polyps attach to the surface beneath them and stay there forever.
珊瑚多肽附着在它们下面的地表上 永远停留在那里
Most stony corals live together with algae (AL-jee).
大多数石珊瑚与藻类(AL-jee)一起生活.
Algae are simple cousins of plants.
藻类是植物的简单堂兄弟.
They supply food for the corals and for many reef fish.
它们为珊瑚和许多礁鱼提供食物。
Soft corals can bend with the currents.
软珊瑚可随水流而弯曲.
They often look like trees, bushes, or other plants.
它们常外观为树木,灌木等植物.
Algae live in the bodies of some, but not all, soft corals.
藻类栖息于一些但并非全部是软珊瑚的身体中.
Sea fans are soft corals.
海扇为软珊瑚.
Their shape helps them catch tiny bits of food.
它们的外形能帮助它们捕取到少量的食物.
Elkhorn coral is a hard coral.
埃尔克霍恩珊瑚是一种硬珊瑚.
(Elk actually have antlers, not horns.)
(埃尔克实际上有鹿角,不是角. )
A Busy Underwater Community Most people think of brightly colored fish when they think about coral reefs—and with good reason.
一个忙碌的水下社区 多数人思考珊瑚礁时会想到明亮的有色鱼,
Thousands of kinds of fish live on reefs.
有上千种鱼活在礁上.
The reefs provide them with food.
礁为它们提供食物.
Reefs also protect them from animals that hunt them for food.
珊瑚礁也保护它们免受动物捕食.
Shrimp, lobsters, and crabs also find food at reefs.
虾,龙虾,和螃蟹也在珊瑚礁中找到食物.
Sea stars catch small animals that hide among the coral branches.
海星会捕捉躲入珊瑚枝间的小动物.
Sea anemones, which look like flowers, wait for their next meal to drift past.
海葵花相貌出花相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相去相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相相
Golden butterflyfish and a school of red bigeye fish swim past soft corals in Egypt’s Red Sea.
金蝴蝶和一所红色大眼鱼学校在埃及红海游过软珊瑚.
Coral reefs support thousands of kinds of living things.
珊瑚礁支撑了上千种活物.
They are important in other ways, too.
它们在其他方面也很重要。
Reefs help protect coasts from storms and floods.
珊瑚礁有助于保护海岸免受风暴和洪水的影响。
By keeping soil in place, they protect coasts from erosion.
它们通过保持土壤的存在来保护海岸免受侵蚀.
Coral reefs also feed and shelter animals that provide much of the world’s seafood.
珊瑚礁还供养和庇护提供世界大部分海产的动物。
They help many countries bring in money and have food to eat.
它们帮助许多国家带来金钱并有食物吃.
Also, reef plants and animals are used in medicines.
此外,珊瑚礁植物和动物也被用于药物。
Medicines from Coral Reefs Scientists have made medicines from living things on coral reefs, and more are likely on the way.
来自珊瑚礁的药品 科学家从珊瑚礁上的活物中制造出药品 更多的可能正在路上
Corals produce a substance that is used in the treatment of asthma and arthritis.
珊瑚会生成一种用于治疗哮喘和关节炎的物质.
Medicines that treat several different kinds of cancer come from coral reefs, too.
治疗几种不同癌症的药物也出自珊瑚礁.
Scientists are also studying reef animals for ways to treat infections and skin problems.
科学家还在研究珊瑚礁动物,研究如何治疗感染和皮肤问题.
Reefs like this one in the Caribbean Sea help protect the land from damage.
加勒比海的这种珊瑚礁有助于保护陆地免受破坏。
Where Are Coral Reefs?
珊瑚礁在哪里?
Most reefs are close to shore in warm tropical waters.
大部分珊瑚礁在温暖的热带水域中接近岸边.
They also form where warm currents flow from the tropics, such as in Florida.
它们也形成温流从热带流出的地方,例如佛罗里达.
Coral grows best in warm water that is between 21 and 29 degrees Celsius (70–84°F).
珊瑚最能生长在21至29摄氏度(70-84°F)的温水中.
Since algae need sunlight to make food, most corals live near the water’s surface.
由于藻类需要阳光来做食物,大多数珊瑚生活在水面附近.
There are three kinds of coral reefs.
珊瑚礁有三种类型.
Fringing reefs are close to shore.
螺旋礁离岸很近
They usually follow the natural shoreline, or fringe, of the land.
它们通常沿着陆地的自然海岸线或边缘。
Barrier reefs have a large, deep area of water between them and the shore.
屏障礁与岸相间有一大片深水区.
The world’s largest barrier reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
世界上最大的屏障礁是澳大利亚的大屏障礁.
It is 2,300 kilometers (1,429 mi.)
2,300公里(1,429英里)
long.
长.
Most coral reefs are found near the equator.
大多数珊瑚礁都位于赤道附近.
ASIAEUROPE AFRICA ANTARCTICA AUSTRALIA SOUTH AMERICA NORTH AMERICA Equator PACIFIC OCEAN ATLANTIC OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN Coral reefs land ocean The Coral Reef Zone Source: NOAA 2017 The Great Barrier Reef is made up of over three thousand separate reefs and islands.
南-北-美洲赤道 太平洋 印度洋 珊瑚礁陆地 资料来源:NOAA 2017年。 大障碍 珊瑚礁由三千多个单独的珊瑚礁和岛屿组成。
It is home to nearly two thousand kinds of fish.
它是近两千种鱼的家园。
Atolls, the third type of reef, are shaped like circles.
环礁是第三类礁石,形状类似圆形.
They form around the outside of an old sinking island or island volcano.
它们围绕一个旧沉没的岛屿或岛屿火山形成.
Over time, the island sinks or the volcano breaks apart.
随着时间的推移,岛屿或火山会分崩离析。
Then a small body of water called a lagoon forms in the center.
之后一小块水体称为环礁湖在中心形成.
The Great Barrier Reef is between six and eight thousand years old.
大障碍 珊瑚礁有六到八千年的历史
The Maldives is a country in the Indian Ocean made up of twenty-six atolls.
马尔代夫是印度洋由26个环礁所组成的一个国家.
Dangers to Coral Reefs Coral reefs are fragile, and many things can damage them.
珊瑚礁面临的危险 珊瑚礁很脆弱,很多东西会破坏它们.
Large, powerful tsunami (soo-NAH-mee) waves can break reefs.
大而强大的海啸(soo-NAH-mee)波能打碎珊瑚礁.
Most damage is caused by people, however.
然而,大多数损害是由人造成的。
Many scientists think that pollution is partly to blame for coral diseases.
许多科学家认为,污染部分应归咎于珊瑚病.
These diseases can wipe out a coral reef in weeks.
这些疾病可以在几周内消灭出珊瑚礁.
Warmer ocean water due to global warming also plays a part.
全球变暖造成的温暖海水也发挥了作用。
Pollution and high ocean temperatures can quickly kill a coral reef.
污染和高海洋温度会很快杀死珊瑚礁。
Another problem, known as bleaching, also results from ocean water getting too warm.
另一个被称为漂白的问题也是由海水过热而来.
When this happens, the algae in coral polyps change in a way that harms the polyps.
当这种情况发生时,珊瑚多肽中的藻类会以伤害多肽的方式改变.
To stay safe, the polyps get rid of the algae.
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Since the algae are their main source of food, they begin to starve.
由于藻类是它们的主要食物来源,它们开始挨饿.
They also lose their color, which makes them look bleached.
它们也失去了颜色,这使得它们看起来漂白.
Once-colorful coral reefs around the world are turning white from bleaching.
全世界曾经有色的珊瑚礁 从漂白变成白色
Global Warming Global warming is a rise in the average temperature of Earth’s air and oceans large enough to change long-term weather patterns.
全球暖化是地球空气和海洋平均温度的上升,足以改变长期天气模式。
Global warming today is mainly caused by human activities.
今天的全球变暖主要是由人类活动所引起.
These include clearing land for farming and burning coal, oil, and gas.
其中包括为农作和燃煤、石油和天然气清理土地。
These things make large amounts of carbon dioxide gas.
这些东西制造出大量的二氧化碳气体.
This gas enters the air around Earth and traps heat close to Earth’s surface.
这种气体进入了地球周围的空气,并夹住接近地表的热.
Global warming is causing many problems, including more bad storms and dangers to natural communities.
全球变暖正在造成许多问题,包括更多的恶劣风暴和对自然社区的危险.
Scientists expect the problems to get worse unless we cut way back on the activities that make so much carbon dioxide.
科学家们期望问题会更严重 除非我们减少 产生二氧化碳的活动
Corals can sometimes recover from bleaching.
珊瑚有时可以从漂白中恢复.
But if the cause of bleaching continues, both the corals and the reef will die.
但如果漂白的原因继续下去,珊瑚和礁石都会死亡.
Bleaching now affects three-fourths of coral reefs.
现在有四分之三的珊瑚礁被浸出。
Because of human activities, Earth’s oceans also contain too much carbon dioxide.
由于人类活动,地球的海洋也含有过多的二氧化碳.
The extra carbon dioxide makes ocean water more acidic.
额外的二氧化碳使得海水更酸.
As a result, corals can’t take in a certain chemical that keeps their skeletons healthy.
因此,珊瑚无法摄取某种保持骨骼健康的化学物质。
Without it, their skeletons dissolve.
没有它,他们的骨骼会溶解。
People are harming coral reefs in other ways, too.
人们也在以其他方式伤害珊瑚礁。
Fishing methods that use poisons and explosives have destroyed over half the reefs in the Philippines.
使用毒药和炸药的捕鱼方法已经摧毁了菲律宾一半以上的珊瑚礁。
Building along coasts causes soil erosion and pollution.
沿海建筑造成水土流失和污染.
Another danger is breaking off chunks of coral reefs by accident or on purpose.
另一个危险是意外地或故意地将一整块珊瑚礁断开。
Boaters damaged this elkhorn coral.
船手损坏了这只麋鹿角珊瑚
Protecting Coral Reefs Many countries have taken steps to protect nearby reefs.
保护珊瑚礁 许多国家已采取步骤保护附近的珊瑚礁。
In some places, it is against the law to take fish, plants, or coral.
在有些地方,取取鱼,植物,或取取取珊瑚是违法的.
People and boats are not allowed near many fragile reefs.
在许多脆弱的珊瑚礁附近不允许有人和船只。
But these laws are only a start.
但这些法律只是一个起步.
Coral Nurseries Scientists grow pieces of healthy coral in nurseries.
珊瑚护士 科学家们在苗圃里生长出一些健康的珊瑚.
The pieces may be rescued from boat damage or coastal building projects.
棋子可以从船只损坏或沿海建筑项目中取出.
Scientists hang the pieces from bars or place them in baskets.
科学家们将棋子从栏杆上挂起或放入篮子.
Later, they move the pieces to damaged reefs.
后来,他们把碎片移到被破坏的礁石上.
The pieces help the reefs become healthy again.
这些碎片帮助珊瑚礁恢复健康。
Half of the world’s coral reefs have been destroyed.
世界珊瑚礁有一半被破坏.
Most of those that remain are in trouble.
所剩之人多为所难.
Scientists are working to help coral reefs.
科学家正在努力帮助珊瑚礁。
We can help, too.
我们也能帮上忙
Even if we don’t live near an ocean, we can do our part to reduce global warming.
即使我们不生活在海洋附近,我们也能够尽自己的一份力量来减少全球变暖。
Using less energy, recycling, and walking or biking more all help.
使用更少的能量,回收, 步行或骑自行车 更多的帮助。
With our help, coral reefs will still be a beautiful natural wonder many years from now.
在我们的帮助下,珊瑚礁仍将是多年来一个美丽的自然奇迹。
What can you do to help?
你能帮忙吗?
Each year, volunteer divers help clean reefs.
每年,志愿潜水员帮助清理珊瑚礁.
Indonesian people plant mangrove trees to help protect nearby coral reefs.
印度尼西亚人种植红树林树来帮助保护附近的珊瑚礁.
Glossary bleaching (n.)
词汇漂白(n.)
the process of something losing its color, such as when coral turns white after its algae die (p.
某物失去颜色的过程,如珊瑚在藻类死后会变成白色(p.
12) carbon dioxide (n.)
12) 二氧化碳(n.