Trees

Since the earliest times, trees have always been very useful and important to man who made use of them in numerous ways for his daily life. Even today trees continue to serve man in so many useful ways.

They provide man with food, fuel, for burning and building material in the form of wood. Without trees it would be impossible to build houses, boats and even bridges. Furniture such as tables, chairs, and cupboards is also made from wood.

In tropics where it is very warm throughout the year, trees protest man from the fierce heat of the sun. They are useful in preventing good and fertile topsoil from being washed away during heavy rains which are so common in the tropics.

If there are no trees or vegetation of some sort to hold back the soil with their roots, heavy rains would wash away the rich surface soil so essential for agriculture. The result is that the land becomes useless and unproductive.

There are many desert areas in the world. A long, long time ago these areas must have been very rich, fertile areas, but because of ignorance people ancient times cut down trees indiscriminately. They never bothered to plant new trees. Strong winds gradually blew away the rich surface soil and eventually the land was turned into useless deserts where nothing could grow.

Vocabulary:

l   since the earliest time因為最早的時候

l   numerous[tnsbmQqQk](a.)許多的,很多的;為數眾多的

l   fuel[tisNQp](n.)燃料

l   material[mQtfaqaQp](a.)物質的,有形的(n.)材料,原料

l   furniture[tiPnafXR](n.)傢俱

l   tropics熱帶

l   tropic[tfqFdah] (n.)熱帶;回歸線

l   warm[rOqm](a.)溫暖的,暖和的

l   throughout[ZqbtANf](prep.)貫穿,從頭到尾;遍及,遍佈

l   fierce[iaqk](a.)猛烈的,激烈的;兇猛的;殘酷的;好鬥的

l   heat[o`f](n.)暑熱;高溫

l   fertile[tiPfx](a.)肥沃的,富饒的,豐產的

l   topsoil[tfFdukOap](n.)表土

l   vegetation[ujUgYQtfTXQn](n.)植物;草木;【植】植被

l   sort[kOqf](n.)種類,品種,類型;【電腦】排序

l   wash away洗掉

l   surface[tkPiak](a.)地面上的,水面上的;表面的,外觀的

l   essential[atkUnXQp](a.)必要的,不可缺的;本質的,實質的;基本的

l   agriculture[t@vqauhSpfXR](n.)農業,農耕;農藝,農學

l   useless[tsbkpak](a.)無用的;無價值的;無效的;無益的

l   unproductive[uSndqQtgShfaj](a.)不生產的;無收益的;沒有結果的,徒勞的

l   a long, long time ago很久很久以前

l   ignorance[tavnQqQnk](n.)無知,不學無術;愚昧;不知

l   ancient(a.)古代的;古老的;古舊的,舊的;自古以來的;

l   indiscriminately(ad.)不加區別地;不加選擇地;隨意地;任意地

l   bother[bothered-bothered-bothering](v.)煩惱,; 麻煩,費心;煩擾,

l   gradually[tvq@gYNQpa](ad.)逐步地,漸漸地