Pristine wilderness in Princess Louisa Inlet was rescued

題材體裁 篇幅 建議用時338 6分鐘自然 說明文

Princess Louisa Inlet, a fjord(峽灣) located 60 miles from Vancouver, Canada, is a stretch of wilderness. Accessible only by boat or plane, the 6-kilometer-long area is popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Its dense forests are home to a variety of wildlife, including mountain goats, eagles, etc.Now, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, the land will be preserved forever for future generations to enjoy.

The chain of events began in June 2019, when three neighboring privately-owned land parcels came up for sale. With several logging companies expressing interest, BC Parks Foundation knew it had to do something to save the property. Despite having “zero funds”, the charitable foundation agreed to acquire the land for CAN$3 million. Fortunately, the owners gave the nonprofit three months to come up with the money.

BC Parks Foundation CEO Andrew Day says, “We were very familiar with the beauty of the fjord and these properties in particular, and felt that it was really important to try to step in and see what we could do.”

After much consideration, the nonprofit decided to reach out to the general public through a crowdfunding campaign. To its surprise, money started trickling in from people worldwide.Among the donors was a class of fifth-grade students from Cambridge Elementary School in Surrey, who raised an impressive CAN$1,109 for the cause.

But despite the outpouring of support, on August 28, 2019—the day of the sale deadline—the nonprofit was still short of CAN$100,000. Just as the officials were forlorn, a businessman from Vancouver stepped in with the funds. He wrote, “These protected areas are our crown jewels, and I think it's madness to consider letting them go for short-term economic gain when they always provide much more.”

“It's just an amazing thing people have done,” said Day. “Hopefully we do see more of this kind of thing, in the right places at the right time.” BC Parks Foundation next plans to create a protected area of 2,233 acres in Princess Louisa Inlet.

閱讀檢測

1. Which words can best describe Princess Louisa Inlet according to the text?

A. Broad and thrilling. B. Impressive and remote.

C. Crowded and profitable. D. Resourceful but endangered.

2. What does the underlined word “forlorn” in paragraph 5 mean?

A. Confused. B. Excited.

C. Delighted. D. Desperate.

3. What is beyond the expectation of BC Parks Foundation?

A. People's passion for the government.

B. The large number of the donations.

C. People's support for the campaign.

D. The permission to purchase the land.

4. Why are Andrew Day's words mentioned in the text?

A. To stress the significance of the campaign.

B. To introduce the beauty of the wilderness.

C. To show the benefits of protecting the fjord.

D. To evaluate the value of Princess Louisa Inlet.

語言學習

難句分析

Among the donors was a class of fifth-grade students from Cambridge Elementary School in Surrey, who raised an impressive CAN$1,109 for the cause. 在這些捐助者中有來自薩里市劍橋小學五年級的一個班的學生，他們為這項事業籌集了令人印象深刻的1,109加元。

該句為倒裝式主從復合句，句中who引導定語從句修飾a class of fifth-grade students。