seeks

     Rob: Hello! I’m Rob, this is 6 Minute English - and today, I'm joined byYvonne. Hello, Yvonne.

    Yvonne: Hi Rob!

    Rob: Today, we’re talking about seed banks – a place where the seeds from all kindsof plants are carefully stored. Unfortunately, researchers are warning that aboutone fifth of the world's plants are at risk of becoming extinct 1.

    Yvonne: Wow – so there's a danger that they might disappear altogether. That's reallyworrying, Rob.

    Rob: Yes it is, but the seed bank is also showing people how to grow plants fromthose seeds again in the future. But, before we find out more about protectingthe world's plants from extinction 2, here's today's question: The Youtan Poluo isone of the world's rarest flowers and was recently found in China.

    Yvonne: Yes, by a farmer!

    Rob: That's right, but how often does it bloom 3 - so, when will the farmer see it inflower again? Is it:

    a) in 1000 yearsb) another 3000 years orc) in another 5000 years? Yvonne, what did you say when you were looking atthis story yesterday?

    Yvonne: Well, I went for the lowest number, Rob – once every one thousand years. Buteven that seemed far too long for another flower to appear!

    Rob: Yes, I know what you mean – so we'll find out how long the Youtan Poluoactually does take to bloom later on. Now, the Millennium 4 Seed Bank is aproject based just outside London and it was set up in the year 2000.

    Yvonne: But I've heard that there are other seed banks in other countries which are alsoa part of that project.

    Rob: That's true, so seeds are sent in from all over the world. But the big question is:

    why are so many plants dying 5 out in the world?

    Yvonne: And how does the bank decide which seeds should be stored?

    Rob: Well, Paul Smith is head of the Millennium Seed Bank - he has some answersfor us.

    Extract 6 1:

    It’s absolutely essential that we get the right species 7 – those which are most threatened,those which are most useful, because we know that there's a good chance that manyplant species will become extinct over the next few decades. And it’s largely 8 land-usechange; it’s development for agriculture, it's development for urban centres and so on.

    Rob: Paul Smith says that many 'plant species' – that’s different types of plants – aredying out because of 'land use change' – so we no longer use our land in thesame way. For example, it's used for 'development for agriculture'. Yvonne,tell us what Paul Smith means by that, please?

    Yvonne: Well, land where lots of plant species used to grow is being cleared for farming- to grow crops and to raise animals.

    Rob: And what about 'development for urban centres'?

    Yvonne: Land is also being used to build new cities – places where people live, workand shop.

    Rob: So it's essential or absolutely necessary – for the bank to store the seeds ofplants which are 'most threatened' – or at the greatest risk or danger ofbecoming extinct. But the bank must also store the seeds which are the mostuseful to us.

    Yvonne: For example, the seeds of food plants or plants that can be used to develop newmedicines.

    Rob: Now, it's also interesting how the bank stores seeds so that they can be used togrow plants in the future. Here's what the BBC's David Shukman found outwhen he visited the Millennium Seed Bank.

    Extract 2:

    And this is where all those seeds end up - 1.8 billion of them in one of these cold storeskept at minus 20. That's why you have to wear the cold weather equipment. Jar after jar,tube after tube, of these seeds, from more than 160 countries. The whole point of thisMillennium Seed bank is to try to build up a store of the planet’s plant biodiversity.

    Rob: The 1.8 billion seeds have come from more than one hundred and sixtycountries and the seeds are stored at minus twenty degrees centigrade – much,much colder than the freezing point for water.

    Yvonne: So David Shukman definitely 9 needed to wear 'cold weather equipment' toprotect him from the extreme cold.

    Rob: Absolutely. Now ideally 10, the bank would like to have seeds from all the plantsin the world – seeds from 'the planet's plant biodiversity'. By the end of lastyear, the bank had 10% of the world's plant biodiversity.

    Yvonne: And by 2020, the Millennium Seed Bank hopes to have seeds from about 25%of the world's plants. So there's lots of work to do.

    Rob: Now speaking of plant biodiversity - earlier, I asked how often the YoutanPoluo blooms 11. Was it every 1,000 years, 3,000 years or every 5,000 years?

    Yvonne: And yesterday, I thought – surely it can't take longer than a thousand years tobloom? But even that wasn't long enough for the plant to flower, was it?

    Rob: No, that’s right. According to botanical experts – the people who know themost about plants - the Youtan Poluo only blooms once every three thousandyears. In fact, the flower is so rare that people thought it only existed in sacredBuddhist writings.

    Yvonne: So the farmer who found it only has to wait for roughly 12 another three thousandyears to see the flower again, if he can keep the plant alive!

    Rob: And if he stays alive that long! Okay, there's just time now for a reminder 13 ofsome of the language we have came across in today's programme. Yvonne, canyou help us with those please?

    Yvonne: Certainly, Rob. We heard:

    Extinct Bloom Species Agriculture Urban centres Plant biodiversity Botanical experts Rob: Thank you. Well, we hope you've enjoyed today's "6 Minute English" – and dojoin us again soon for more.

    Rob/Yvonne: Goodbye!

点击收听单词发音  






1
extinct

  
 


adj.灭绝的，不再活跃的，熄灭了的，已废弃的


参考例句：





All hopes were extinct.所有希望都破灭了。
Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。












2
extinction

  
 


n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种


参考例句：





The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。












3
bloom

  
 


n.花，花期；vi.开花；容光焕发，显露出健康


参考例句：





The park is a picture when flowers are in bloom.当鲜花盛开时，这个公园的景色美极了。
The flowers in the garden are now in full bloom.花园里的花盛开。












4
millennium

  
 


n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世


参考例句：





The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。












5
dying

  
 


adj.垂死的，临终的


参考例句：





He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。












6
extract

  
 


vt.取出，提取，获得，摘录；n.摘录，提出物


参考例句：





The article was a choice extract from her writings.这篇文章是从她的著作中摘录出来的精粹。
We can extract oil from olive.我们可以从橄榄中榨油。












7
species

  
 


n.物种，种群


参考例句：





Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。












8
largely

  
 


adv.大部分，主要地


参考例句：





It is largely dependent on the weather.这多半取决于天气情况。
Their conclusions were largely founded on guesswork.他们的结论大部份基于猜测。












9
definitely

  
 


adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地


参考例句：





The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。












10
ideally

  
 


adv.理想地，圆满地；理论上地


参考例句：





She was ideally suited to the job.她是这项工作的理想人选。
Ideally,we would like to start at the beginning.要是有可能，我们真想从头开始。












11
blooms

  
 


n.（常指供观赏的）花( bloom的名词复数 )；最佳时期；茂盛时期；健康有精神的面貌


参考例句：





the exotic blooms of the orchid 奇异的兰花
This plant blooms between May and June. 这种植物在5月至6月间开花。 来自辞典例句












12
roughly

  
 


adv.概略地，粗糙地，粗鲁地


参考例句：





If you treat your coat so roughly,it will be worn out soon.你如果这么糟蹋你的外套，它很快就不能穿了。
The island is roughly circular in shape.这个岛屿大致是圆形的。












13
reminder

  
 


n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示


参考例句：





I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。