High 3 · Reading series
Lesson 27 · The Coastline in Two Photos
Audio track 27
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
At the community center, we found two photographs of the same beach taken thirty years apart. In the older picture, sand stretched far beyond a row of houses. In the recent one, waves appeared closer. We were tempted to label the display “The beach is disappearing.”
A coastal engineer asked about the season, the tide, and the camera position. None was written on the old photograph. We looked for maps and additional images from nearby years. They suggested changes in several places, but the coastline did not move evenly, and the two photographs alone could not identify a single cause.
We redesigned the display. Instead of presenting one dramatic pair as proof, we showed the pair beside a timeline and questions about what else should be measured. Residents added memories of storms and repairs to the shore, which we recorded as experiences rather than measurements.
The photographs were valuable because they started an investigation. They became more informative when we stopped asking them to answer questions beyond what their frames contained.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
-
At the community center, we found two photographs of the same beach taken thirty years apart.
-
In the older picture, sand stretched far beyond a row of houses.
-
In the recent one, waves appeared closer.
-
We were tempted to label the display “The beach is disappearing.”
-
A coastal engineer asked about the season, the tide, and the camera position.
-
None was written on the old photograph.
-
We looked for maps and additional images from nearby years.
-
They suggested changes in several places, but the coastline did not move evenly, and the two photographs alone could not identify a single cause.
-
We redesigned the display.
-
Instead of presenting one dramatic pair as proof, we showed the pair beside a timeline and questions about what else should be measured.
-
Residents added memories of storms and repairs to the shore, which we recorded as experiences rather than measurements.
-
The photographs were valuable because they started an investigation.
-
They became more informative when we stopped asking them to answer questions beyond what their frames contained.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我们在社区中心找到同一片海滩相隔三十年拍摄的两张照片。旧照片里，沙滩伸出房屋前很远；新照片中，海浪似乎更近了。我们很想把展板标题写成“海滩正在消失”。
一位海岸工程师问起季节、潮位和拍摄位置。旧照片一项也没注明。我们寻找地图和邻近年份的更多照片。资料显示几处地点发生了变化，但海岸线并非均匀移动；单靠两张照片也无法确定唯一原因。
我们重新设计展板，不再把戏剧性的照片对照当作证据，而是加上时间线和仍需测量什么的提问。居民补充了风暴和海岸修复的回忆；我们把这些记录为亲身经历，而不是测量数据。
照片的价值在于开启调查。当我们不再要求它们回答画面以外的问题，它们反倒提供了更多信息。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- coastline
- 海岸线；两张照片的研究对象。
- stretched
- 延伸；旧图沙滩较宽。
- tempted
- 很想；展板标题曾想下定论。
- coastal
- 海岸的；工程师提出核查问题。
- tide
- 潮位；会改变沙滩外观。
- position
- 位置；旧图机位不详。
- evenly
- 均匀地；变化并非处处一样。
- timeline
- 时间线；重新设计展板。
- residents
- 居民；分享风暴经历。
- investigation
- 调查；照片应引出问题。
Background notes (Chinese)
同一海滩的照片若缺少潮位、季节与机位信息，不能单独证明海岸变化的原因。回忆与测量也须分开呈现。