2017年12月英语四级听力VOA慢速英语原文（十六）思维导图

Coralreefsarehometomany--likethisclownfish!Buttheyareindanger.Scientistsarearoundtheworldaretryingtoraiseawareness.(Thisphotographisfromanexhibitcalled'CoralReef-SecretCitiesoftheSea'attheNaturalHistorymuseuminLondon,March2015.APPHOTO)

Thelanguageusedbyscientiststoexplaincomplexideascanbedifficultand--well,let’sfaceit--sometimesboring.

Thelanguage,withitsLatinwordsandlongscientificterms,couldbeonereasonsomepeopleavoidlearningaboutscience,especiallychildren.

AmericanDanielleDixsonisamarinebiologist.Shewantstomakesciencefunforchildren.Dixsonhasturnedthatideaintoaseriesofchildren’sbooks.Theninebooksarewrittensothatherresearchiseasytounderstand.

"Ijustdon'treallythinkkidsshouldbeleftoutofitandIthoughtthatstorybooksmaybeoneoftheeasiestwaystosortofcaptivatethemandhavethemunderstand."

Dixson’sresearch

DanielleDixsonisanassistantprofessorattheUniversityofDelaware.Dixsonsaysanothergoalofhersciencewritingistohelpincreaseunderstandingoftheoceanenvironment.

ShespentalmosttwoyearsintheSouthPacificworkingonherpost-doctoralresearch.ShewenttotheislandnationofFijitoinvestigatecoralreefsthatarecollapsingor,asshesays,degrading.

Thegoalofherresearchistoidentifywhysomehealthycoralreefsarebreakingdown.Shealsowantstofindouthowthisdegradationaffectsfishthatliveinandaroundthereefs.

"Anumberofthereefsareconvertingfrombeing,youknow,thesebeautifulcoralreefsystemsthathavealotofholesforanimalstohidein,intoreefsthatthecoral’sdegradingandcollapsingandthenthereisnotasmuchhidingspacesforfishesandthingslikethat.”

Earlyinherresearch,DixsonmadesomevideosforpeopleinFiji.Thevideosexplainedherworktothelocalcommunity.Shesaysshewantedthemtounderstandhowherresearchwouldhelpthem.

Forthelocalchildren,Dixsonstartedmakingbooksexplainingherwork.Thishelpedtokeepthemfromwalkingthroughher“laboratory”–babypoolsfilledwithwatershewasusingforherexperiments.

"Iwasliving,actually,inthevillagewithsomeofthelocals.ItwasaloteasiertogetresearchdoneiftheyunderstoodwhatIwasdoingandhowitwouldhelpthem.AndoneofthewaysthatIwasabletoconnectwiththeadultswasIwouldmakethesevideosforthem.AndthenIstartedmakingchildren'sbooksforthekidssothattheywouldhaveabetterideaofwhyIwasthere,sothatwhenIaskthemnottowalkthroughthebabypoolsIwasusingforexperimentsorsomethinglikethat,thatthatwouldactuallyhappen.”

WhenDixsonreturnedtotheUnitedStates,shestarteddoingthesamethingforchildreninthiscountry.Sheusescolorfulstorybookstocapturetheimaginationofchildren.Whileshehastheirattention,sheprovidesveryusefulinformationaboutscience.

Homeiswheretheheartis.

Homeandfamilyareattheheartofmanygreatstories.Thesearchforone’shomeorprotectingone’shomeisuniversal.

Inoneofherbooks,DanielleDixsontellsyoungreadersabouttwofish--Mr.andMrs.Goby.Thefishliveinacoralreef.Andtheirhomeissick.

"Mr.andMrs.Gobylivedintheircoralhomeandallifasuddencoralstartstogetsick,buttheyneededtheirhousetostayalive.Sowhatwouldtheydotohelpit?Itsortofgoesthroughallthescientificfindings,butitdoesitinthesenseofthosetwogobiesaretryingtosavetheirhome."

ThestoryaboutthelittlefishwasbasedononeofDixson'sstudies.Sheexplainsthatoneformofseaweedkillscoraloncontact.

"Wedoknowthatthereisonespeciesoftheseaweedthatifyouputincontactwithcoralfor48hours,thecontactpointofthecoralwillbedead.Thereareanumberoforganismsthatliveinsidecorals--thistinylittlegobybeingoneofthem.”

Thegobyfishhaveastronginterestinkeepingtheircoralhomehealthy.Whencoralareindangerfromtheseaweed,themarineorganismssendadistresssignaltoMr.andMrs.Goby.

“Pleasecomehelp!”Andthat’sjustwhatthefishdo.Dixsonexplains.

“Soitwassointerestingtoseesincegobylivesinthecoral,that'sreallyitshome,itshouldhaveavestedinterestinprotectingitshome.SoIranaseriesofexperimentstofigure,youknow,doesthegobyhelpthecoralfighttheseaweed?Anditendsupthattheydo.Wefoundoutthatthecoralactuallycanchemicallycommunicatewiththegobytotellit,like,‘Comehelpme!I'mhurtrighthere!’"

Asamarinescientist,Dixsonwantsherstoriestobebotheducationalandinspirational,servingasanagentforchange.Shealsoincludesinherbooks“acalltoaction,”askingreaderswhattheycandotomakeadifference.

"OneofthethingsIdointhosestorybooksisIhavealastpage.Andthelastpagetalksaboutwhatyoucandotohelp.Youknow,thereisalotofthingsthatevena6-year-oldisabletodo,whetherit'sshuttingyourlightsoffwhenyouleavearoom,orridingyourbiketoyourfriend'shouseinsteadofhavingyourparentsdriveyou.Thereisalotofstuffthattheycandoandstillfeelthey'remakingadifference."

DanielleDixson’sbooksshinealightontheenvironmentalproblemsfacingourworld’soceans.Theyalsomakesciencefunandunderstandableforchildren.

Butherbooksmayhaveanunintendedconsequence,somethingshemaynothaveplannedon.

WhenDaniellevisitedanaquariumatagefive,atourguidegaveherabookaboutwhales.TheconversationsthatresultedfromthatbookinspiredDixsontobecomeamarinebiologist.Perhapsherbookswillinspireachildtomakescienceacareer.

WordsinThisStory

boring-adj.dullanduninteresting

marinebiologist-n.ascientistwhostudieslifeinthesea

captivate-v.togetandholdtheattentionof(someone)

degrade-v.tocause(somethingcomplex)tobreakdownintosimplesubstancesorparts

vestedinterest–combinationnoun/setphraseapersonalorprivatereasonforwantingsomethingtobedoneortohappen

inspirational-adj.causingpeopletowanttodoorcreatesomething

unintendedconsequence–combinationnoun/setphraseunforeseenoutcomesthatarenottheonesforeseenandintendedbyapurposefulaction

aquarium-n.aglassorplasticcontainerinwhichfishandotherwateranimalsandplantscanlive:abuildingpeoplecanvisittoseewateranimalsandplants