新研究显示，英格兰的所有树篱连起来共有39万公里长。生态学家们希望这个新数据能使树篱得到更好的保护，因为它们不仅可以为野生动物提供食物和住所，还能吸收并储存大量的碳。
The researchers say if you joined up all the hedgerows in England, they would stretch almost ten times around the Earth. Their map, which is based on laser scanning hedges from the air rather than scaling up information from field surveys, gives a more complete picture of the quality and quantity of hedgerows across the country.
研究人员们说，如果你把英格兰所有的树篱连起来，得到的长度可以绕地球近十圈。研究人员使用的地图是基于从空中对树篱进行激光扫描绘制而成的，不是靠扩大实地调查得到的信息制成的，因此更全面地反映了英格兰各地树篱的质量及数量。
The South West boasts the most hedges, led by Cornwall. Excluding big urban areas such as London and Merseyside, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire are the counties with the least.
英格兰西南部拥有的树篱数量最多，其中康沃尔郡排在首位。除去伦敦、默西塞德等大城市地区，萨里郡、汉普郡和伯克郡拥有的树篱数量最少。
The scientists hope their new data will help restore a vital habitat for wildlife that also stores large amounts of carbon. Thousands of miles of hedgerows have been lost since the 1950s to intensive farming and development. And the government has set ambitious new targets to reverse this decline.
科学家们希望新数据将有助于使树篱恢复生机，它不仅是野生动物的重要栖息地，还能吸收并储存大量的碳。自20世纪50年代以来，由于集约型农业和土地开发，数千英里的树篱已经消失不见。为了扭转树篱数量减少的趋势，英国政府已定下一系列重大的生态保护新目标。
词汇表
joined up 连起来，连接
hedgerows （尤指田间或路边的）树篱
laser scanning 激光扫描
scaling up （按比例）扩大
field surveys 野外调查，实地考察
boasts 拥有（值得自豪的事物）
counties 郡
restore 修复，使恢复
reverse 扭转
阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。
1. How did the researchers map the hedges?
2. True or False? Cornwall has the fewest hedges.
3. Why do researchers want to protect the hedges?
4. Why have thousands of miles of hedgerows been lost since the 1950s?
答案
1. How did the researchers map the hedges?
The researchers used laser scanning to map the hedges.
2. True or False? Cornwall has the fewest hedges.
False. Cornwall has the most hedges.
3. Why do researchers want to protect the hedges?
The researchers want to protect the hedges because they provide a vital habitat for wildlife and store large amounts of carbon.
4. Why have thousands of miles of hedgerows been lost since the 1950s?
Thousands of miles of hedgerows have been lost since the 1950s due to intense farming and development.