英国国家信托基金会（National Trust）开展的研究显示，果园正在从景观中消失，自1900年来，其消失的面积大小相当于怀特岛（the Isle of Wight）。

Apple and other fruit trees are among the first to bloom, but according to the National Trust, this burst of spring blossom is becoming a rarer sight as orchards are torn down to make way for housing developments and modern agriculture.

苹果树和其它果树是最早开花的树木之一，但据国家信托基金会称，由于果园被拆除，为开发住房和现代农业让地，满园春花欣欣向荣的景象将越来越罕见。

The Trust’s analysis of historic maps using artificial intelligence techniques suggests more than half of orchards in England and Wales have vanished in little over a hundred years. And that’s bad news for people and nature, they say.

该信托基金会使用人工智能技术对历史地图进行的分析表明，仅在100年多一点点的时间内，英格兰和威尔士超过一半的果园都消失了。该机构说，这对人类和自然来说都是坏消息。

Traditional orchards can be a haven for wildlife with flowers providing a food source for pollinating insects and branches giving a home to patrolling bats.

传统果园可作为野生动植物的庇护所，那里的花朵为传粉昆虫提供了食物来源，树枝为飞来飞去的蝙蝠提供了栖息处。

The National Trust has vowed to plant four million blossoming trees as part of its commitment to cultivate 20 million trees across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by 2030.

英国国家信托基金会承诺到2030年，将在英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰栽培2000万棵树，其中包括种植400万棵开花的树木。

词汇表

bloom 开花
blossom （树木）开花，花簇
orchards 果园
make way for 被…取代，给…让路
haven 庇护所
pollinating 传授花粉的
cultivate 栽培，种植

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. True or false? Apple trees are one of the first to bloom.

2. Why are orchards torn down?

3. What does the National Trust’s analysis of historic maps suggest?

4. How many blossoming trees is the National Trust committed to cultivating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by 2030?

答案  

1. True or false? Apple trees are one of the first to bloom.
True. Apple and other fruit trees are among the first to bloom.

2. Why are orchards torn down?
Orchards are torn down to make way for housing developments and modern agriculture.

3. What does the National Trust’s analysis of historic maps suggest?
It suggests more than half of orchards in England and Wales have vanished in little over a hundred years.

4. How many blossoming trees is the National Trust committed to cultivating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland by 2030?
20 million trees.