英语听力—环球英语 1461 Floating Islands

 　　Voice 1

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Adam Navis.

　　Voice 2

　　And I’m Christy VanArragon. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand - no matter where in the world they live.

　　Voice 1

　　Lake Titicaca is 3800 meters above sea level between Peru² and Bolivia. It is South America’s largest fresh water lake. More than 25 rivers empty into Lake Titicaca. And the lake has many islands. Most of these islands are natural. But there is a group of islands that are different from the rest. These islands are not made of rock and soil. These islands float on the water. And, they were made by people! Today’s Spotlight is on the floating islands in Lake Titicaca.

　　Voice 2

　　The Uros people have lived on Lake Titicaca for hundreds of years. Some people say that the Uros people moved onto the lake for protection³. In 1428, the Incan kingdom began to grow and grow in South America. Over time, the Incans would control much of the area around the Andes Mountains. Most tribes⁴ did not resist⁵ this control. They gave the Incans power over their cities. Some experts think that the Uros did resist. They moved to the islands to escape Incan control.

　　Voice 1

　　Still other experts think that the Uros settled⁶ on the lake more than two thousand years ago. This theory is that there were very heavy rains in the area. The Uros built boats, and floated on the lake during the long rains. They discovered that they could live on the lake itself. It was safe, and peaceful.

　　Voice 2

　　But the Uros themselves have another explanation. They say that the first Uros were gods. These gods had black blood - blood that protected them from the cold lake. Later, they married people, and became people themselves - the first Uros people. But for whatever reason, it is clear that living on the lake worked for the Uros. Their floating homes kept the Uros safe. And they could live their lives without problems from the outside world.

　　Voice 1

　　So, how do the Uros make these islands? They start with totora reeds⁸. These strong plants grow in the lake. The plants develop very thick roots. The Uros combine groups of the reeds. The thick roots help the islands to float. The reeds at the bottom of the islands break down very quickly in the water. So the Uros add new reeds to the top of the islands often. And when people walk on them their feet sink into the soft surface. Each island can last about 30 years.

　　Voice 2

　　The large islands can provide living space for about ten families. These families live in small homes that are also made of reeds. There are also smaller islands that are about 30 meters wide. They can hold only about three families.

　　Voice 1

　　The Uros must work to keep the islands in one place. They do this by tying ropes to sticks that they push into the bottom of the lake. During the rainy season, the islands move around a little in the water.

　　Voice 2

　　As you can imagine, life on these islands is very different from the life that most people live. The islands are about a 30 minute boat ride away from land. The Uros people catch fish and hunt birds for food. Sometimes they trade with people on the main land. The Uros cook the birds and fish on fires that they build on top of stones. They also eat the bottoms of the totora reeds. They use the lake for drinking water.

　　Voice 1

　　The Uros must find a special way to get rid of the waste from their bodies. They do not want it to pollute the water that they drink. So they use small islands away from their main islands. They use these islands to get rid of waste from their bodies. They dry out solid⁹ waste in the sun.

　　Voice 2

　　The Uros do use land for some things. Older Uros children go to school on a natural island, close to their community. For medical care, they must also travel to towns on the edge¹⁰ of the lake. And Uros people bury their dead on land.

　　Voice 1

　　Uros people do use modern technology. They have motors¹¹ for their boats. Some people use solar power, to create electricity from the sun. This electricity powers televisions and radios. There is even a small radio station on one of the islands!

　　Voice 2

　　However, most people do not have electricity - not even for heat. The weather is usually warm and sunny on Lake Titicaca in the middle of the day. But nights are cold. Life is not easy for the Uros people.

　　Voice 1

　　For these reasons, many Uros people have moved away from the floating islands. Traditional life is too difficult. People want modern jobs, and modern lives. There are now only a few hundred people left living on the floating islands.

　　Voice 2

　　However, the Uros also face a different kind of problem. Since the 1960s, travellers¹² have visited the Uros islands. These foreign people wanted to see the Uros people. They were curious about the Uros way of life.

　　Voice 1

　　These travellers brought some good changes. The Uros earn money from the travellers. They charge the travellers money to take pictures of their islands. Travellers also pay money to travel in their traditional reed⁷ boats. But this does not earn the Uros people much respect.

　　Voice 2

　　Mairo Moya has studied the Uros people, and lived on the Uros islands. He told the BBC¹³ that by the 1980s, there were many more travelers. And they caused some problems. For example, more people on the islands damage the reeds. There are about 50 floating islands on Lake Titicaca. But visitors can only come to about ten.

　　Voice 1

　　Today, Moya is a guide for travellers in the area. He encourages travellers to understand and support the traditional life here. He told the B B C the reason he cares so much about the Uros.

　　Voice 3

　　“It teaches that man can learn to live in almost any environment. These people have been here for hundreds of years. They are proud of what they have achieved. They have actually created their own land.

　　Voice 2

　　The writer of this program was Sara DeKoster. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United¹⁴ Kingdom and the United States. All quotes¹⁵ were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, ‘Floating Islands’.

　　Voice 1  You can also leave your comments on our website. Or you can email us at [email protected]. You can also find us on Facebook - just search for spotlightradio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

　　- See more at: http://spotlightenglish.com/listen/floating_islands#sthash.SYQzSDFS.dpuf

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 Peru   

n.秘鲁(南美洲国家)

参考例句：

• Lima is the capital of peru.利马是秘鲁的首都。
• China and peru are friendly countries.中国和秘鲁是友好国家。

3 protection   

n.保护，防卫，保护制度

参考例句：

• The protection of the country is the duty of everyone.保卫国家是每个人的责任。
• The young in our society need care and protection.我们社会的年轻人需要关怀和照顾。

4 tribes   

n.部落( tribe的名词复数 )；（动、植物的）族；（一）帮；大群

参考例句：

• tribes living in remote areas of the Amazonian rainforest 居住在亚马孙河雨林偏远地区的部落
• In Africa the snake is still sacred with many tribes. 非洲许多部落仍认为蛇是不可冒犯的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 resist   

vt.抵抗，反抗，抗，忍得住

参考例句：

• It is vain to resist.抵抗是没用的。
• I couldn't resist telling him the secret.我忍不住把那个秘密告诉了他。

6 settled   

a.固定的；稳定的

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled without acrimony. 没有唇枪舌剑，这场纠纷就解决了。
• a settled way of life 安定的生活方式

7 reed   

n.芦苇，芦丛，簧舌，簧片

参考例句：

• The river banks were overgrown with reed.河岸长满了芦苇。
• They inhabit reed huts built on stilts above the water.他们住在建于水中木桩之上的芦苇草屋里。

8 reeds   

芦苇( reed的名词复数 )； 芦丛； 簧舌； 簧片

参考例句：

• Our roof was made of dried reeds. 我们的屋顶是用干芦苇盖的。
• Oaks may fall when reeds stand the storm. 芦苇耐风暴，橡树却会倒。

9 solid   

adj.固体的，结实的，可靠的，实心的；n.固体，实心；adv. 一致地

参考例句：

• Water may change from a liquid to a solid.水可以由液体变为固体。
• I know that James is a solid type of person.我知道詹姆斯是个可信赖的人。

10 edge   

n.边(缘)；刃；优势；v.侧着移动，徐徐移动

参考例句：

• Sight along the edge to see if it's straight.顺着边目测，看看直不直。
• She lived on the extreme edge of the forest.她住在森林的最边缘。

11 motors   

n.马达，发动机( motor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The United Auto Workers hit the bricks against General Motors. 联合汽车工人工会举行罢工，反对通用汽车公司。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The whine of the motors jangled her nerves. 马达的闹声使她的神经受不了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 travellers   

n.旅行者( traveller的名词复数 )；旅游者；旅客；游客

参考例句：

• The unusually heavy rainfall was an ill omen for the travellers. 异乎寻常的大雨是旅行者的不祥之兆。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The travellers looked weather-beaten, there was little spit and polish. 旅客们满面风尘，仪容不整。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 BBC   

abbr.（=British Broadcasting Corporation）英国广播公司

参考例句：

• She works for the BBC.她为英国广播公司工作。
• The BBC was founded in 1922.英国广播公司建于1922年。

14 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

15 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》