从在地下生长的 “森林” 到绚丽的兰花，邱园（英国皇家植物园林）的科学家们去年发现了 74 种新植物和 15 种新真菌。其中，有很多个物种是在意想不到的地方被人发现的。
Scientists from Kew Gardens described almost 100 plants and fungi that were new to science last year, from a red-flowered orchid that grows on the top of an extinct volcano, to lichens clinging to rocks in Antarctica and a palm tree that thrives underground.
邱园的科学家们记录了近100种新发现的植物和真菌，其中包括生长在死火山顶部的红色兰花、附着在南极岩石表面的苔藓和一棵在地下茁壮生长的棕榈树。
They say the new species are a reminder of the beauty and wonder of the natural world and also a stark warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change.
科学家们说，这些新物种让我们再次领略到了自然界的美丽与神奇，同时也对生物多样性丧失和气候变化的危险发出了严峻的警告。
The scientists are calling for immediate protection for the newly-identified plants and fungi, but say some may have gone extinct even before they were given a formal scientific name.
科学家们呼吁应立即对这些新命名的植物和真菌加以保护，但有些科学家说，一些新发现的植物和真菌可能在被给予正式的科学名称之前就已经灭绝了。
Around three in four undescribed plants are threatened with extinction. Among them may be new sources of food, medicines and other things useful to humanity.
约有四分之三尚未被描述的植物面临灭绝的威胁。而这些植物可能正是新的食物、药品和其它有益人类事物的来源。
词汇表
fungi 真菌
orchid 兰花
extinct （火山）不再活跃的，死的
lichens 苔藓，地衣
clinging to 附着
thrives 茁壮生长
underground 在地下的
stark warning 严峻的警告
biodiversity loss 生物多样性丧失
newly-identified 新发现的
extinct 灭绝的
threatened 受到威胁的
humanity 人类
阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。
1. What have been discovered in Antarctica?
2. What are described as a 'warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change'?
3. How many undescribed plants are threatened with extinction?
4. Why could new plants potentially be useful to humanity?
答案
1. What have been discovered in Antarctica?
Lichens clinging to rocks have been discovered in Antarctica.
2. What are described as a 'warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change'?
The new species are a stark warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change.
3. How many undescribed plants are threatened with extinction?
Around three in four undescribed plants are threatened with extinction.
4. Why could new plants potentially be useful to humanity?
Because they may be new sources of food, medicines and other things useful to humanity.
