一份新報告稱，在 2021 年，每分鐘約有面積相當于 16 個足球場的樹木被森林大火燒毀。

This report confirms what many people have long suspected. More and more trees are being destroyed as forest fires are getting worse all over the world.

這份報告證實了許多人長期以來的猜測：森林大火在世界各地頻繁發生，越來越多的樹木被燒毀。

In 2021, an area the size of Portugal was lost, almost doubling the level of destruction since the turn of the century. Climate change is seen as a key driver of these fires with the rising temperatures creating the drier conditions that make trees susceptible to burning.

在2021年，一片面積相當于葡萄牙的森林消失了，樹木被燒毀程度幾乎是世紀初的兩倍。氣候變化被視為森林大火發生的主要驅動因素：氣溫上升造成了更干燥的條件，使樹木易于燃燒。

Forests in northern areas, including Russia, are warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world. And this leads to longer fire seasons. In tropical locations, such as the Amazon, cutting down trees for agriculture and logging predominate. But the removal of tree cover dries out the land and makes the area more prone to fires.

包括俄羅斯在內的北部地區的森林正以比世界其它地區更快的速度升溫。這會導致火災季節變長。在亞馬遜等熱帶地區，農業伐木和木材采伐很常見。然而，去除遮蔽地表的樹木使土地變干，該地區因而更容易發生火災。

The researchers say that curbing carbon emissions globally is key to stemming these losses. They say priorities also need to change with too much money currently spent fighting fires, and not enough on planning and preparation.

研究人員們表示，抑制全球碳排放是止損的關鍵。他們說，資金用途的優先次序也需要改變，目前用于滅火的資金太多，而用于規劃和準備的資金不足。

詞匯表

doubling 翻一番
susceptible 易受傷害的
predominate 占主導地位
prone 易遭受（問題或疾病）的
curbing 抑制，遏制
stemming 阻止

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. In 2021, how big was the area of forest destroyed by fires?

2. Why is climate change seen as a key driver of forest fires?

3. Where in the world are forests warming at a faster rate?

4. What action do researchers suggest to reduce the number of forest fires?

答案  

1. In 2021, how big was the area of forest destroyed by fires?
An area the size of Portugal was lost.

2. Why is climate change seen as a key driver of forest fires?
Rising temperatures and drier conditions mean the trees are more prone to burning.

3. Where in the world are forests warming at a faster rate?
Forests in the northern part of the world are warming faster than elsewhere.

4. What action do researchers suggest to reduce the number of forest fires?
They suggest reducing carbon emissions and spending more money on planning and preparation for fires.