英语听力：自然百科 走进西藏 tibet—14

 Out on the plateau,new-born chiru are vulnerable to predators¹, so their mothers must try to hide and protect them. The most recent problem faced by the chiru is the new Tibet-Qinghai railway, which cuts right through their traditional migration² routes. Running nearly 2,000 kilometres through some of the highest terrain³ on Earth, the railway is an astonishing technical feat⁴. It's too early to see its effect on the wildlife, but the engineers have made efforts to incorporate underpasses where wildlife can cross the line in safety.

 

As the modern world increasingly impacts on Tibet, its traditions could be in danger of being eroded⁵. But thanks to the sheer scale of this remote region, there are still many wild places that have so far remained largely intact.

 

The least explored area of all is found in Tibet's far south east. Here the Yarlung River, Tibet's longest, has carved through the Himalayas, allowing monsoon⁶ clouds from India to pass through. This is Tibet's most secret corner. According to legend, the Yarlung gorge⁷ was rendered magically invisible in the eighth century and can only be seen by those who have attained⁸ sufficient spiritual knowledge and wisdom. At two days' walk from the nearest road, this hidden region wasn't explored by outsiders until the 1990s.

 

Thanks to the annual monsoon, the whole landscape is covered in lush forest. The scale of the gorge is breathtaking. As the Yarlung River cuts through the mountains,it's created the world's deepest gorge,three times deeper than America's Grand Canyon⁹.This vast and mysterious place provides a vital clue to Tibet's importance for the rest of the world.The monsoon which sustains this lush and fertile valley owes its very existence to the Tibetan plateau.

1 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

4 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

5 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

6 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

7 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

8 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

9 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。