Deserts
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents Space and Stillness.
目录 空间和静态。
4 The Desert Biome.
4"沙漠生物"(The Desert Biome).
5 Types of Deserts.
5 沙漠类型。
8 Desert Plants.
8个沙漠工厂.
10 Desert Animals.
10个沙漠动物.
12 People in Deserts.
沙漠里有12个人
14 So Much to See.
14 如此多见。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 Space and Stillness If you search online for descriptions of deserts, you’re likely to come across phrases like “empty wasteland” and “barren, desolate landscape.”
16 空间和静态 如果你在网上搜索沙漠的描述,你很可能会遇到诸如"荒地"和"荒地,荒地"等短语. “
Deserts have a reputation for being harsh, unpleasant places where life hangs by a thread and no one in their right mind would dare to go.
沙漠有名气,因为这里是严酷而不愉快的地方,生命被一丝绳子所缠绕而无一正常人敢去.
If you talk to people who love deserts, however, you’ll hear a different story.
如果你和热爱沙漠的人交谈,
To them, deserts are places of stillness and beauty where you can hear yourself think and see for miles in every direction.
对他们来说,沙漠是静和美丽的地方,你可以听到自己在每一个方向上想一想一看。
They’re also places with living things that have developed fascinating ways to survive where water is rare and precious.
水是稀有而珍贵的。
Spring wildflowers carpet the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
春季野花地毯 南加州的莫哈韦沙漠。
The Desert Biome Different types of environments cover Earth’s surface.
不同种类的环境覆盖地表。
These regions and the communities of plants and animals that live there are called biomes.
这些地区以及生活在那里的动植物群落被称作生物群落.
Grasslands, rainforests, and oceans are examples of biomes.
草地、雨林和海洋是生物群落的例子。
So are deserts.
沙漠也一样
Many factors play a part in creating Earth’s biomes.
许多因素在创造地球生物群落中起一定作用.
Two important ones are latitude—how far a location is from the equator—and elevation, or height above sea level.
有两个重要方面是纬度——一个位置离赤道有多远——和高地,或海平面上高地。
Both help determine how warm or cool a place is.
两者都帮助确定一个地方有多温暖或酷.
Climate, land, and water are also important building blocks of biomes, as are plants and animals.
气候、土地和水也是生物群落的重要基石,动植物也是如此。
People often think of deserts as hot, empty places with endless miles of sand.
人们常常认为沙漠是热地,空地,有无尽的长相的沙地.
This description fits some deserts but not others.
这种描述适合一些沙漠,但不适合其他沙漠.
The defining trait of deserts is not heat but rather low rainfall.
沙漠的特征不是热量,而是低雨量。
As a rule, deserts receive less than 25 centimeters (10 in.)
一般情况下,沙漠的收分不到25厘米(10英寸).
of rainfall each year.
每年降雨量。
The Sahara in northern Africa is the largest hot desert in the world.
北非的撒哈拉是世界上最大的热沙漠.
Its landscape is constantly reshaped by winds.
其地貌被风所不断重塑.
About one-fifth of Earth’s land is deserts.
地球大约五分之一的土地是沙漠。
Every continent has deserts, including Antarctica, most of which is considered a cold desert.
每个大陆都有沙漠,包括南极洲,大部分被视作寒冷的沙漠.
Cloudless skies for many days in a row are common in hot deserts.
无云天空连续多天在炎热的沙漠中很常见.
That’s because the humidity—the amount of water vapor in the air— is often too low for clouds to form.
这是因为湿度 — — 空气中的水蒸发量 — — 往往太低,云无法形成。
When they do, they may produce rain that evaporates before it reaches the ground.
当它们出现时,它们可能会产生出会蒸发而未到地的雨水.
This kind of rain is called virga.
这种雨叫做virga.
Precipitation varies, depending on the type of desert.
降水量因沙漠类型而异.
Some deserts may go a year or longer without any rain at all.
有些沙漠一年或一年以上可能没有下雨。
Long dry spells can put deserts at risk for wildfires.
长干咒能使沙漠面临野火的危险.
In fact, wildfires are more common today than they were long ago.
事实上,野火今天比很久以前更常见.
Global warming is causing droughts as well as higher temperatures in many desert regions.
全球变暖正在许多沙漠地区造成干旱和高温。
In cold deserts, much of the precipitation falls as snow rather than rain.
在寒冷的沙漠中,大部分降水会像下雪而不是降雨一样倒下.
Warmer deserts may have one rainy season or two.
温暖的沙漠可能有一个或两个雨季.
Sudden, violent rainstorms in some deserts can cause flash flooding.
在一些沙漠中突然而猛烈地暴雨会引发闪发洪灾.
Thunderstorms often produce strong winds, and in hot deserts, these winds kick up a great deal of sand and dust.
雷暴经常产生强烈的风能,在炎热的沙漠中,这些风能催生出大量的沙尘.
On occasion, the winds create haboobs—huge walls of sand and dust that may be nearly 3 kilometers (2 mi.)
有时,风会形成大约3公里(2米)长的沙子和灰尘厚壁。
high.
高点
Wowser!
哗!
Death Valley, in California, in 1913.
死亡谷,位于加利福尼亚州,1913年.
The temperature was 57 degrees Celsius (134°F).
气温为57摄氏度(134°F).
freezing (0°C, or 32°F).
冻结(0°C,或32°F)。
A large haboob rolls across Mali, in West Africa.
在马里,在西非,一大堆杂草。
Types of Deserts While Earth’s deserts have an amazing amount of variety, they can be grouped into four main types.
沙漠的类型 虽然地球的沙漠有惊人的种类,它们可以分为四大类型.
Hot, Dry Deserts These deserts are the hottest type and also the best known.
热干沙漠 这些沙漠是最热的,也是最有名的.
Although the weather is generally warm all year long, temperatures can reach extremes in summer—as high as 49 degrees Celsius (120°F).
虽然全年天气普遍温暖,但夏季气温可以达到极端-高达49摄氏度(120°F).
They can drop quickly after dark, especially in winter.
天黑后它们会迅速下降,特别是在冬天.
Rainfall may be low year-round or occur in short bursts between long dry seasons.
降雨量可能全年都很低,或者在漫长的旱季之间短暂地暴发.
The largest hot, dry desert—the Sahara, in Africa—is almost as large as the continental United States.
最大的炎热干燥的沙漠——非洲撒哈拉——几乎与美国大陆一样大。
Other deserts of this type are located in southwestern North America, Central and South America, South Asia, and Australia.
其他这类沙漠分布于北美西南部,中南美洲,南亚和澳大利亚.
Semiarid Deserts Semiarid deserts have summers that are long and dry, though not as hot as those in hot, dry deserts.
半干旱沙漠有长而干燥的夏季,虽然不像炎热而干燥的沙漠那样炎热.
Winters are cold, with little rain or snow.
冬季寒冷,有小雨或雪.
In North America, Nevada’s Great Basin Desert is a semiarid desert.
在北美,内华达州的大盆地沙漠是一个半干旱的沙漠.
So is the Colorado Plateau, a large region that covers parts of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
科罗拉多高原也是这样,它是一个覆盖犹他州,科罗拉多州,亚利桑那州和新墨西哥州等地部分地区的大区.
Spain’s Tabernas Desert, which is Europe’s only true desert, is also classified as a semiarid desert.
西班牙的Tabernas沙漠是欧洲唯一真正的沙漠,也被归类为半干旱沙漠.
Coastal Deserts Coastal deserts are usually located along the western edges of continents.
沿海沙漠通常分布在大陆西部边缘.
Cold ocean currents along the coast produce winter fog and often block sunlight.
沿岸的冷洋流会产生冬季雾并经常阻断阳光.
The weather in coastal deserts is very dry but not extremely hot.
沿海沙漠的天气非常干燥,但并非极热.
Summers are warm, and winters are cool.
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Average yearly rainfall is usually 8 to 13 centimeters (3–5 in.)
年平均降雨量通常为8至13厘米(3至5英寸).
The Atacama Desert (South America) and the Namib Desert (Africa) are both coastal deserts.
阿塔卡马沙漠(南美洲)和纳米布沙漠(非洲)都是沿海沙漠.
Cold Deserts Cold deserts have long, cold winters with high snowfall.
寒冷的沙漠 寒冷的沙漠有漫长而寒冷的冬季并有高高的降雪.
Summers are short, and the snow can stay frozen for years.
夏季时间短,而积雪可被冷冻多年.
Most of Antarctica is cold desert, as is the Gobi Desert (Asia), the Patagonian Desert (South America), and most of Greenland.
南极洲的大部分是寒冷的沙漠,戈壁沙漠(亚洲),巴塔哥尼亚沙漠(南美洲)和格陵兰的大部分也是一样.
What’s a Rain Shadow Desert?
雨影沙漠是什么?
Some deserts are dry because mountains block moisture from reaching them.
有些沙漠是干燥的,因为山脉阻碍水分到达它们.
Warm, wet air moves up one side of a mountain range.
温暖,湿气在山脉上方移动
Clouds form, then drop rain and snow.
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When that air starts down the range’s other side, it warms again, and the clouds disappear.
当空气从另一边开始,它会再次暖和,云层会消失。
The result on the far side is a rain shadow.
远方的结果是雨影.
Desert Plants Because deserts are so dry, very little liquid water is available for living things to use, but adaptations allow them to live in habitats with low precipitation.
沙漠植物 由于沙漠非常干燥,因此可供活物使用的液体水很少,但适应性使其能生活在降水量较低的生境.
Desert plants have three main survival strategies.
沙漠植物有三大生存策略.
One group of plants—succulents— store water in their roots, stems, or leaves.
一类植物(Succulints)将水储存在根部、茎或叶子上。
Cactuses are succulents, and there are many others as well.
仙人为相生相生相生相也.
Most succulents have thick, waxy skin that holds in water.
多数苏克兰花有厚而有蜡的皮肤,能活活地活活地活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活活
They often have shallow roots that enable them to quickly absorb any rain that falls.
它们的根部往往很浅,能够迅速吸收所降下的任何雨水.
A second group of desert plants drop their leaves and become dormant during the dry season, then quickly spring to life when the rains return.
第二组沙漠植物在干季会落叶而变得休眠,然后在降雨回流后会很快地向生.
Some plants in this group, including mesquite trees, have a long taproot that reaches deep underground to find water.
这个组群中的一些植物,包括混凝土树有很长的自来水根,可以深入地底找取出水来.
This plant, baby toes, is a succulent but not a cactus.
这种植物,婴儿脚趾,是一种苏克活体,但不是仙人掌.
It does not have spines.
它没有脊椎。
A third set of adaptations involves avoiding drought altogether.
第三套适应措施涉及完全避免干旱。
Plants in this group, including many desert wildflowers, mature quickly and complete their life cycle before the dry season begins.
这个组中的植物,包括许多沙漠野花,在干季开始前迅速成熟并完成它们的生命周期.
They devote their energy to producing seeds that germinate when the rains return.
他们把精力用在生产出当降雨回来时会发芽的种子上.
Photosynthesis in the Desert Plants produce their own food through a chemical process known as photosynthesis.
沙漠植物中的光合作用通过被称作光合作用的一种化学过程生产出自己的食物.
This process involves taking in carbon dioxide gas through tiny holes called stomata, which are mainly located on the underside of leaves.
这一过程涉及通过被称作stomata的小孔吸收二氧化碳气体,这些孔主要位于叶子的下方.
Chlorophyll, a green pigment in the leaves, helps plants capture sunlight to make a simple sugar called glucose from carbon dioxide and water.
叶子中的一种绿色色素Chlorophyl帮助植物捕取出阳光来从二氧化碳和水中制取一种叫"葡萄糖"的简单糖.
Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most plants conduct this process during the day.
因为光合作用需要阳光,所以大部分植物在白天进行这个过程.
However, opening their stomata causes them to lose large amounts of water, which would be a problem for desert plants.
然而,打开它们的石膏会使它们失去大量的水,这对沙漠植物来说是一个问题.
Many desert plants conduct photosynthesis without losing much water.
许多沙漠植物进行光合作用,而不会损失太多的水.
They keep their stomata closed during the day and open them at night, when the air is cooler and moister.
白天它们会闭口,晚上则会开口,此时空气比较凉爽和干燥.
They store carbon dioxide overnight and use it the next day to make food.
他们一夜之间储存了二氧化碳,并在第二天用它来做食物.
Palo verde trees have a different way to conserve water.
帕洛活地树有不同的节水方法.
They drop their leaves during especially dry periods to avoid losing water.
它们特别干燥时会落叶来避免失水.
However, they can still make food because of the chlorophyll in their green bark.
然而,由于绿皮中的叶绿素,它们仍然可以做食物.
Desert Animals The lack of water is also a challenge for animals, as are the high temperatures in many deserts.
沙漠动物 缺水也是动物面临的一个挑战,许多沙漠的高温也是如此.
Few large mammals live in hot deserts compared to most other biomes because they don’t tolerate the heat and lack of water well.
与其他大多数生物群落相比,
Many desert animals, including squirrels, avoid the heat and conserve water by staying in the shade during the hottest times of the day.
包括松鼠在内的许多沙漠动物在最炎热的时期会停留在阴道中来避热并节水.
They hide away in a burrow or under rocks or vegetation.
它们躲在地窖里或岩石或植被下
Others, including owls and small Australian marsupials known as bilbies, are nocturnal, or active at night.
其他,包括猫头鹰和被称作"bilbies"的小型澳大利亚马苏比亚人,是夜行的,或活跃于夜间.
Still others, such as rattlesnakes, are typically crepuscular—active at dawn and dusk.
还有一些,如响尾蛇,一般在黎明和黄昏时都很活跃。
Some desert animals, including bats, migrate to other locations during the hottest or driest times of the year.
包括蝙蝠在内的一些沙漠动物在一年中最热或最干燥的时候会迁徙到其他地方.
Desert toads become dormant while waiting for rain or cooler temperatures to return.
沙漠蛤蟆在等待降雨或更凉的温度返回时会变得休眠.
An African bullfrog hides beneath sand (left).
非洲一头牛蛙躲在沙子下 (左).
A ground squirrel uses its tail to shield it from sunlight (right).
地松鼠用尾巴来遮挡阳光(右).
Both live in Africa’s Kalahari Desert.
两人都生活在非洲的卡拉哈里沙漠.
Desert animals have other ways to stay cool as well.
沙漠动物还有其他方法保持冷静
Coyotes pant, while owls flutter their throat.
狼的裤子,而猫头鹰的喉咙。
Jackrabbits and fennec foxes release body heat through their large ears.
杰克兔和芬纳克狐通过它们的大耳朵释放出体热.
Bighorn sheep shed their winter coat in stages, with their belly and other shaded parts losing hair first to help body heat escape.
大角羊分期脱去冬季外衣,其腹部等被遮蔽的部分先会掉发来帮助身体出热.
Getting enough water is another challenge for desert animals.
获取足够的水是沙漠动物面临的又一挑战.
Many feed on succulents, nectar, or sap.
许多人以苏克兰为食,花蜜为生,或为莎草.
Others, especially reptiles and birds, release waste that contains very little water.
另一些,特别是爬行动物和鸟类,释放出含有很少水的废物.
Some desert animals have very unusual adaptations that help them get water.
有些沙漠动物有非常不寻常的适应,帮助它们取水.
For example, thorny devil lizards have grooves between their spikes that absorb collected dew and send it to their mouth.
例如,有刺的魔鬼蜥蜴在它们的尖刺之间有地沟,吸收所收集的露水并寄入口中.
People in Deserts People have lived in deserts for many thousands of years.
人们在沙漠里生活了几千年
Today, roughly one billion people live in this biome—about one-seventh of Earth’s population.
今天,大约有10亿人生活在这个生物群落中,约占地球人口的七分之一。
Like plants and nonhuman animals, people have had to adapt to find enough water to make their homes there.
与植物和非人类动物一样,人们不得不适应,去寻找足够的水来在那里做自己的家.
Traditionally, desert dwellers have been nomadic, moving with the seasons to find water and food.
传统上,沙漠居民都是游牧民族,随季节而来寻找水和食物.
Protective clothing has shielded them from sunlight as well as sandstorms.
防护服使其免受阳光和沙尘暴的影响。
In African and Asian deserts, camels, sheep, goats, and horses have often provided transportation as well as milk.
在非洲和亚洲的沙漠中,骆驼、绵羊、山羊和马往往提供运输和牛奶。
Modern adaptations to desert life often involve bringing water in from elsewhere.
对沙漠生活的现代适应往往涉及从其他地方引进水.
Dams and irrigation have allowed millions of people to live in deserts.
水坝和灌溉使数百万人生活在沙漠中。
Residents of modern desert cities and towns consider air-conditioning essential.
现代沙漠城市和城镇的居民认为空调至关重要。
Deserts are popular destinations for tourists.
沙漠是受游客欢迎的目的地.
Attractions include hiking, camping, and appreciating the stillness and natural beauty.
吸引包括徒步旅行,露营,以及欣赏静态和自然美.
The nomadic Tuareg people of the Sahara Desert are sometimes referred to as the “blue people.”
撒哈拉沙漠游牧的图阿雷格人有时被称为“蓝色人民”。 “
So Much to See The plants, animals, and landscapes in deserts are all unique and fascinating—and there’s still more to appreciate.
这么多要见 沙漠中的植物、动物和地貌都非常独特,
Because deserts have fewer tall trees than most other biomes, it’s easier to see the sky, which often puts on shows too dramatic to miss.
因为沙漠的树木比其他生物群落要少,
Storm clouds can loom so large that they take on a life of their own.
暴风云会浮出如此之大 以至于它们会夺走自己的生命
The sky sometimes fills with unusual sunrays so amazing that it’s hard to believe they’re real.
天空有时充满出乎意料的阳光,
Meteor showers and the huge arc of the Milky Way are also special nighttime treats.
气象淋浴和银河系的巨弧也是特殊的夜间治疗.
Although deserts have a reputation for being harsh places, in reality they’re treasures with wondrous gems just waiting to be discovered.
沙漠虽有严酷的名声,
In addition to animals, crepuscular describes other things related to twilight.
除了动物,crepuscular还描述了与t有关的其他事.
Here, crepuscular rays shoot out from clouds during a Sonoran Desert sunset.
在索诺兰沙漠日落时 从云中射出花纹光
Glossary adaptations (n.)
词汇调整(不详)
changes in an organism or species that allow it to survive better in its environment (p.
有机体或物种的变化,使其能够在环境中更好地生存(p.
10) conserve (v.)
10) 养护(五.
to use as little as possible of something so it’s not wasted (p.
尽量少地使用某种东西,
12) dormant (adj.)
12) 休眠(adj.
not active but able to become active again (p.
不活动但能够再次活动(p.
10) droughts (n.)
10) 干旱(n.
long dry spells with little or no rainfall (p.
长干咒语,降雨很少或没有(p.
6) environments (n.)
6) 环境 (n.)
(n.)
(无)