加拿大小镇丘吉尔被称为 “北极熊之都”。每年，小镇附近的哈德森湾海冰都会融化，迫使北极熊爬上海岸。而当秋天到来时，上百对北极熊就会聚集在此等待海水再次结冰。北极熊通过海冰狩猎它们的主要猎物海豹。

In Churchill, at the start of winter, the polar bear alert team often has to chase bears away from town. The animals gather in this area when the bay here starts to freeze. The sea ice is the platform that polar bears need to hunt seals.

在丘吉尔初冬时节，北极熊预警小队就需要把北极熊从小镇上赶走。北极熊会在海湾开始结冰的时候聚集在这个地区。海冰是北极熊用于捕猎海豹的平台。

Researchers from the organisation Polar Bears International say that the population of bears here has declined by about half since the 1980s. Experts have tied that decline to rising temperatures. This means that polar bears are on shore, closer to people, for more of the year.

北极熊国际协会的研究人员表示，自上世纪 80 年代以来，这里的北极熊数量已经减少了大约一半。专家将北极熊数量的减少归咎于气温上升。气温上升意味着北极熊在一年当中有更长时间需要在岸上距离人类更近的地方活动。

So, researchers working in Churchill are now developing a radar-based bear detection system that they say will help keep remote Arctic communities safe in a changing climate.

所以，在丘吉尔工作的研究人员正在开发一个基于雷达技术的北极熊侦测系统，他们认为这一系统能够在气候变化的大环境下保护居住在北极偏远地区人们的安全。

词汇表

chase 驱赶
gather 聚集
bay 海湾
have tied 将…归咎于
on shore 在岸上
radar-based 基于雷达技术的

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. Why do the polar bears spend the summer on shore?

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. What does the polar bear alert team often have to do?

a. warn people that bears are close
b. alert the bears that people are close
c. chase the bears from the town

2. The bear population has increased in Churchill since the 1980s.

a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. Polar bears are on shore for more of the year due to rising temperatures.

a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. Why are researchers in Churchill developing a radar-based bear detection system?

a. to protect remote Arctic communities
b. to study bear feeding patterns
c. to hunt bears for their meat

5. Human beings like living alongside the bear population in Churchill.

a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. The _______ is the platform that polar bears need to hunt seals.

2. Researchers working in Churchill _______ a radar-based bear detection system.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. Why do the polar bears spend the summer on shore?

The polar bears spend the summer on shore because the sea ice, their usual hunting ground, melts.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. c. The polar bear alert team often has to chase bears away from town.

2. b. False. The population of bears here has declined by about half since the 1980s.

3. a. True. Because of rising temperatures, polar bears are on shore, closer to people, for more of the year.

4. a. Researchers say a radar-based bear detection system will help keep remote Arctic communities safe in a changing climate.

5. Not given. There is no mention of whether the people in Churchill like living alongside polar bears.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. The sea ice is the platform that polar bears need to hunt seals.

2. Researchers working in Churchill are now developing a radar-based bear detection system.