节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-11-17
难易度:Medium
关键字:navigate, spare, crystal clear, off the beaten path
Hi, friends. Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
My name is Steve.
Thanks for joining us today.
South America's tropical wetland region called the Pantanal is really big.
It's clean.
It's not crowded.
And it's full of some of the most interesting flora and fauna in the world.
Now to get to this remote region right in the middle of the continent will
admittedly take some time and effort.
But I guarantee, once you get there, you'll find that the trip was well worth
it.
Now one memory you'll want to take with you from the Pantanal is that
breathtaking moment you see a jaguar during a night safari.
Let's read about that on the right side of page 31.
The Pantanal: A Wetland Adventure.
You can also go on a night safari.
This is your best chance to see a jaguar.
Or take a guided hike with a local expert.
Your guide can help you navigate the trails and show you the best places to spot
animals.
But the coolest way to explore the Pantanal is on horseback.
Horses can take you places where the water is too deep for a truck and too
shallow for a boat.
Don't have any riding experience?
Relax!
You'll get instructions on how to ride and control your horse before you go.
Hello, friends.
Thank you so much for joining us here in the studio.
My name is Kaylah.
My name is Ryan.
Friends, we are back in our TRAVEL article once again talking about the
Pantanal.
Now yesterday we saw how to get started on your journey there if you do want to
visit.
You begin on the eastern side of Pantanal in Brazil.
And there, you can book tours that will take you throughout the entire area.
And they can take you on things such as a safari.
That's right.
You can book your lodging, where you're going to stay.
And you can choose either do a cheap trip by staying in guesthouses, or you can
do an expensive trip by staying in luxury resorts.
But however you choose to adventure, make sure you don't leave the safari off of
your list of activities to book.
That's right.
They'll take you in an open-air vehicle in order to see the animals up close.
And be sure to bring your camera, friends, because you won't get a view like
this anywhere else in the world.
But you could also go on night safaris.
So most of us think of safari during the day makes more sense because that's
where the animals are.
But if you go on a night safari, a lot of animals come out at night that are not
out during the day.
And Ryan, I've actually been on a night safari, and it's kind of fun.
Yeah. You might be surprised, friends, to realize that most animals are out at
night.
And so even though you might think: Well, it's dark, you might not see as many
animals.
There are more of them to see and more of them making noises and more fun.
That's right.
And make sure... you know that when you're out with your safari group, you're
still staying safe.
And if you're concerned about seeing the animals, don't worry.
Safari trucks come equipped with lights on the front.
And your guide will show you where the animals are.
That's right.
Friends, if you go on a night safari, this is actually your best chance to see a
jaguar.
OK, that's it.
I would sign up for one.
I so badly would want to see a jaguar, these incredible wild cats that are huge.
Of course you want to see one when you're in the Pantanal, see them in their
natural environment.
Take a night safari.
That's right, because these jaguars are out at night, hunting at night.
And you'll have a better chance of seeing them there.
Or if you're not into the safari, take a guided hike with a local expert.
So go on a hike but have someone lead you.
Have a local take you because they can be an expert in that area, they would
know extremely well.
They know all the information about the area making them an expert.
Right, which is why it's important to go on a guided hike.
So they're guiding you, they're leading you.
They can help you navigate the trails and show you the best places to spot
animals.
Now your guide can help you navigate these trails.
To "navigate" means that they direct you.
So to navigate means to direct usually the direction of a plane or a ship, but
can also be to help you be guided through something.
So it's basically telling something or someone where to go.
Yeah, telling you which direction to turn, where to go.
And so they know the best places to go, and so they'll take you there.
Kaylah, if you'd ever gone scuba diving underwater, you know you usually need a
guide to help you navigate as well.
You'll have more fun, and you'll see more animals that way.
That's right.
I'm sure you can enjoy natural hikes by yourselves, but this would be the
coolest way to get out there.
But really, there's even something just a little bit cooler than going on a
hike.
Right. Actually, really the coolest way to explore the Pantanal is on horseback.
Ooh. Horses can take you places where the water is too deep for a truck and too
shallow for a boat.
So taking a horse - this is cool because it's a natural way of experiencing
something.
And have you ever ridden a horse, friends?
If you haven't, you don't want to miss this experience.
That's right, friends.
So you can ride on horseback.
And just the word "horseback" means sitting on the back of a horse, on top of a
horse.
So you're riding horses around the Pantanal.
And how does this actually have a benefit you said, Kaylah, over cars and boats?
Because sometimes the water is too deep for a truck, it would flood the truck,
and too shallow for a boat; and a horse can go there.
But you might be thinking:
Uh, I've never ridden a horse.
You know, I don't have any experience.
Well, don't worry.
Just relax because you'll get instructions on how to ride and control your horse
before you even get started.
That's right.
Before you go, they'll tell you how to ride the horse, how to control a horse
and tell the horse which way you want to go.
And that way, you won't be afraid of your horse or afraid of it running away
from you, and you'll get to enjoy the scenery around you more.
That's right.
It's a great way to enjoy it.
Get out there with nature.
Get out there and have a lot of fun.
Well, we have some more information on this.
So we're going to go visit the Information Station, and we'll be back.
Today we learned about the largest freshwater wetland in the world, the
Pantanal.
We sure did.
But there are several other important wetlands throughout the world.
So to learn more about them, let's go to...
Information Station.
The Mekong Delta is a huge wetland area in Southern Vietnam where the Mekong
River flows out into the sea.
The Mekong is one of the most fertile and productive deltas in the world
producing more than 20 million tons of rice every year.
Unfortunately, the Mekong Delta is being threatened by the proposed construction
of dams along the river.
And Bill, I hope those dams don't harm the delta.
Another great wetland is the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Africa.
Unlike most deltas, this one isn't formed by a river flowing into the city.
Right.
Millions of years ago, the Okavango River used to flow into a large inland lake.
But earthquake activity caught off the river's flow causing the delta to form
inland.
This unique system of waterways, it supports animals that otherwise couldn't
survive in the Kalahari Desert.
Now on to my favorite wetland - the Everglades is a vast wetland near the
southern tip of Florida.
The Everglades is home to the largest reptile in North America - the American
alligator.
Alligators are awesome!
There's no animal alive that can compete with the alligator.
Actually, Bill, there is.
The Burmese Python.
These giant snakes are not native to America but most were pets that got
released by their owners.
So now the Burmese Python is competing with the American alligator for food in
the Everglades.
Since 2002, park officials have removed more than 1,800 pythons from the wetland
area.
And that's a good reminder for us all.
Take good care of your pets.
And don't buy any pets you don't plan on taking care of.
And never release your pets into the wild.
And we'll see you all here next time on...
InformationStation.