High 3 · Reading series
Lesson 53 · A Bird That Ignored the Border
Audio track 53
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
At the wetland, we observed a small bird with a numbered band on its leg. A local researcher helped us report the number through an approved project. Weeks later, we learned that the bird had been recorded in another country during an earlier season.
I drew a line between the two places on a map and called it the bird's route. The researcher corrected me: two observations did not reveal every stop in between. They showed that the same individual had been seen in both places. That alone was remarkable, and we did not need to invent the rest.
Our class compared the bird's movement with the borders drawn on the map. Wetlands in different countries might all matter to its journey, but our one record could not tell us which places were most important. We wrote down what further observations would help.
The bird had crossed a political line without knowing it. To understand its journey responsibly, we needed cooperation across that line and care with every claim we made from a single sighting.
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.
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At the wetland, we observed a small bird with a numbered band on its leg.
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A local researcher helped us report the number through an approved project.
-
Weeks later, we learned that the bird had been recorded in another country during an earlier season.
-
I drew a line between the two places on a map and called it the bird's route.
-
The researcher corrected me: two observations did not reveal every stop in between.
-
They showed that the same individual had been seen in both places.
-
That alone was remarkable, and we did not need to invent the rest.
-
Our class compared the bird's movement with the borders drawn on the map.
-
Wetlands in different countries might all matter to its journey, but our one record could not tell us which places were most important.
-
We wrote down what further observations would help.
-
The bird had crossed a political line without knowing it.
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To understand its journey responsibly, we needed cooperation across that line and care with every claim we made from a single sighting.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
在湿地，我们看到一只小鸟腿上有带编号的脚环。本地研究人员帮我们通过认可的项目上报编号。几周后，我们得知这只鸟在更早的季节曾被另一个国家记录。
我在地图上把两地连成一条线，称作小鸟的路线。研究人员纠正我：两次观测无法揭示途中每一个停留点，只能说明同一个体曾在这两个地方出现。这已足够令人惊叹，没必要编出其余路程。
班上把小鸟的活动与地图上的国界比较。不同国家的湿地或许都对它的旅程重要，但单靠我们的一条记录，无法判断哪里最关键。我们写下还需要哪些观测。
小鸟越过一条它并不知道的政治分界线。要负责任地了解它的旅程，我们需要跨越这条线合作，也要谨慎对待每一次目击所能支持的说法。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- wetland
- 湿地；首次发现脚环鸟。
- observed
- 观察；记录具体目击。
- numbered band
- 编号脚环；可识别个体。
- researcher
- 研究人员；帮助上报并纠错。
- approved
- 获认可的；项目有正规渠道。
- individual
- 个体；两地记录属于同一只。
- remarkable
- 惊人的；无需编造也有价值。
- political
- 政治的；国界由人划定。
- cooperation
- 合作；需跨国共享记录。
- sighting
- 目击；单次记录有边界。
Background notes (Chinese)
脚环证明同一只鸟在两国出现，却不能还原完整迁徙路线；后续观测与跨境合作仍必要。