C10T1S4 The spirit bear
*大家在学习听力文本的时候务必要尝试精细化翻译这些句子，翻译做得多了，你在看英文的时候才能有种看中文的感觉。为什么你在做选择题的时候总是记不住题干和选项？翻译练习做得少了，你看英文还是英文（但是是你没法瞬间理解的英文）。这就跟哲学上讲的三重境界是一样的：看山是山，看山不是山，看山依然是山。读英文就是在读英文、理解不了 → 读英文好像是在读中文、理解加速 → 读英文就是在读英文，省略掉了中间的转换步骤，理解飞速。太多学生处在第一境界了。
Today we continue our series on ecology and conservation with a look at a particularly endangered member of the black bear family. One in ten black bears is actually born with a white coat, which is the result of a special gene that surfaces in a few. Local people have named it ‘the spirit bear’. And according to the legends of these communities, its snowy fur brings with it a special power. Because of this, it has always been highly regarded by them 一 so much that they do not speak of seeing it to anyone else. It is their way of protecting it when strangers visit the area.
ecology n. 生态，生态学
conservation n. 保护
endangered a. 濒临灭绝的。endangered species 濒危物种，species 注意拼写，且这个词单复数同形。
1/10 的说法：one in ten / one tenth
according to 据...所说，根据
legend n. 传奇，传说
fur n. 动物的皮毛；feather n. 鸟类的羽毛
The white bear’s habitat is quite interesting. The bear’s strong relationship with the old-growth rainforest is a complex one. The white bear relies on the huge centuries-old trees in the forest in many ways. For example, the old-growth trees have extremely Iong roots that help prevent erosion of the soil along the banks of the many fish streams. Keeping these banks intact is important because these streams are home to salmon, which are the bear’s main food source. In return, the bear’s feeding habits nurture the forest. As the bears eat the salmon, they discard the skin and bones in great amounts on the forest floor, which provide vital nutrients. These produce lush vegetation that sustains thousands of other types of life forms, from birds to insects and more.
habitat n. 栖息地
erosion of the soil 土壤侵蚀
intact a. 完整的，完好的。注意重音 in'tact
be home to 这个用法在口语中非常实用，大家可以查询一些例句来背一下。比如：This large woodland is home to many birds and other wildlife. 这片大林地是许多鸟类和其他野生动物的家园。
nurture v. 养育，养护
discard v. 丢弃，抛弃
vital nutrients 必要的养分
lush vegetation 茂盛的植被
Today, the spirit bear lives off the coast of the province of British Columbia on a few islands. There is great concern for their survival since it is estimated that less than two hundred of these white bears remain. The best way to protect them is to make every effort to preserve the delicate balance of their forest environment - in other words, their ecosystem.
survival n. 生存。真题中填空题考过这个词
it is estimated that... 预计
The best way to... 这句话背下来，谈到动物保护的时候你还会没有话说？
The greatest threat to the bear’s existence is the loss of its habitat. Over many years, logging companies have stripped the land by cutting down a large number of trees. In addition, they have built roads which have fractured the areas where the bear usually feeds, and many hibernation sites have also been lost. The logging of the trees along the streams has damaged the places where the bears fish. To make matters worse, the number of salmon in those streams is declining because there is no legal limit on fishing at the moment.
The greatest threat to... is... 这句话也背下来。学语文的时候大家背了那么多文章，学英语的时候就不背了？不背也行，不背永远迈不过口语和写作这两道关卡。自己看着办。
logging companies 伐木公司
strip v. 剥夺，掠夺
fracture v. (使)分离，分开
hibernation n. 冬眠
to make matters worse 让事情变得更糟的是
雅思听力目前常考的鱼类：salmon 三文鱼，tuna 金枪鱼（作为考点出现过）
All these influences have a negative impact on the spirit bear’s very existence, which is made all the more fragile by the fact that reproduction among these bears has always been disappointingly low.
fragile a. 易碎的，脆弱的。一般用来形容物品；而 vulnerable 也有脆弱的意思，一般用来形容人，a vulnerable old man 一个风烛残年的老人
reproduction n. 生殖，繁殖
And so, what’s the situation going forward? Community organizations, environmental groups and the British Columbia government are now working together on the problem. The government is now requiring logging companies to adopt a better logging method, which is a positive step. However, these measures alone may not be sufficient to ensure a healthy population of the spirit bear in the future.
However, these measure alone may not be sufficient to... Other steps also need to be taken (by somebody). 这个句型我觉得还挺实用的。某件事情的达成可能需要政府与民众的共同支持和努力，当你说完政府可以做的一些措施以后，紧接上这句话，然后就可以提民众的做法了。（领悟精髓，这句话的适用范围很广）
Other steps also need to be taken. While it is important to maintain the spirit bear's habitat, there also needs to be more emphasis on its expansion. The move is justified as it will also create space for other bears that are losing their homes ...
expansion n. 扩大，扩张
justified a. 理由正当的，合乎情理的
