Level 3 · Reading series
Lesson 35 · How a Small Habitat Helps
Audio track 35
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Our school had a narrow strip of empty ground beside the fence. The gardening club wanted to turn it into a place for insects. We did not buy the brightest flowers at once. First, we asked which plants could grow there and flower at different times.
We planted several kinds and left a small area of dry leaves. A month later, we saw bees visiting some flowers. We also saw a spider and a beetle. We could not tell whether our little garden had increased the number of insects in the whole town.
Still, it gave us a place to observe them without leaving school. Our small habitat was not a complete solution for nature. It was a start, and it made us ask what other places nearby might matter.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
学校围栏旁有一条狭长的空地。园艺社想把它变成昆虫的栖息处。我们没有马上买来最鲜艳的花，而是先了解哪些植物适合这里、会在不同时节开花。
我们种了好几种植物，还留出一小块地铺着干树叶。一个月后，我们看见蜜蜂来访，也见到了蜘蛛和甲虫。不过，我们无法判断这座小花园是否让全镇的昆虫总数增加了。
至少，它给了我们一个不用离开校园就能观察昆虫的地方。这个小小的栖息地不是解决自然环境问题的全部办法，却是一个起点，也让我们开始思考：附近还有哪些地方同样重要？
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- narrow strip
- 狭长的一条地；围栏旁的空地。
- fence
- 围栏；空地所在的位置。
- habitat
- 栖息地；供昆虫停留生活的地方。
- at once
- 立刻；小组先调查再购买植物。
- at different times
- 在不同时间；植物花期各异。
- plant
- 种植；园艺社栽下几种植物。
- area
- 区域；保留了一块干树叶地。
- increase
- 增加；无法证明全镇昆虫数量增多。
- observe
- 观察；可以在校园看昆虫。
- matter
- 重要；思考附近其他地点的作用。
Background notes (Chinese)
为昆虫提供不同花期的植物和落叶区域，可以创造观察机会。文中只记录了本校花园的来访者，没有把局部所见夸大为全镇昆虫数量的变化。