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　　Coral Gardens Beneath the Waves

　　瑰丽珊瑚海

　　June 1-2 As bright sunlight streams down through the blue water, divers explore an underwater paradise.1 Green sponges, colorful fish, and red crabs live in this rich garden beneath the waves. The rainbow of ocean creatures fills the divers with a sense of wonder. They've entered the wonderful world of a coral reef.

　　Coral is actually the exoskeletons of coral polyps. Made of limestone, these skeletons build up over time, forming the reef. New corals are born each April. At a certain hour, on a certain night, mature2 corals suddenly release clouds of eggs and sperm into the sea. After the fertilized eggs take root on the seafloor, they can grow up to 15 centimeters per year.

　　Only clear, warm salt water can support a coral reef. And because sunlight is crucial3 to the reef's survival, the water must also be shallow.4 The algae that grow on coral provide much of the corals' food. In deeper water, algae cannot get the sunlight they need to grow. Most coral reefs are in the tropics because natural conditions there are perfect.

　　耀眼的阳光穿透湛蓝的海水，潜水夫在海底乐园里探索着。绿色的海绵、五彩斑斓的鱼类与红色的螃蟹都住在这座丰饶的海底花园里。彩虹般形形色色的海洋生物让潜水夫惊奇不已。他们进入了珊瑚礁的奇妙世界。

　　珊瑚其实是珊瑚虫的外骨骼。这些骨骼由石灰石组成，随着时间推移而层层堆积，形成礁脉。新的珊瑚诞生于每年四月。某个特定夜晚的特定时刻，成熟的珊瑚在海洋中突然释出成团的卵子和精子。受精卵在海底生根后，每年成长可达15厘米。

　　珊瑚礁只有在干净、温暖的咸水里才能生存。此外，由于阳光对珊瑚礁的生存而言非常重要，所以珊瑚必须生活在浅海。附着于珊瑚表面的海藻提供给珊瑚大部分食物来源，而在深海里，海藻无法取得生长所需的阳光。大部分的珊瑚礁生长在热带地区，因为那里的自然条件最理想。

　　Vocabulary

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　　1. paradise n. a perfect, wonderful place乐园

　　As he walked into the toy store, the little boy felt that he'd found paradise.

　　小男孩走进玩具店时，觉得自己像是发现了天堂。

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　　2. mature adj. fully grown成熟的

　　Although these young men are physically mature, they still act like children.

　　虽然这群年轻小伙子就生理而言是成熟的，他们却表现得像孩子一样。

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　　3. crucial adj. absolutely necessary必要的

　　If you go traveling in the desert, it's crucial that you bring water with you.

　　如果你到沙漠旅行，携带充足的水是很重要的。

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　　4. shallow adj. not deep浅的

　　The lake was so shallow that we could see the bottom.

　　这座湖泊非常浅，我们都可以看到湖底了。

　　Phrase of the Day

　　up to长达；多达

　　A: This boat can carry up to five people.

　　B: Since we have ten people, I guess we'll need two boats.

　　A:这艘船最多可载五个人。

　　B:我们有十个人，我想我们需要两艘船。

　　More Information仅供参考，不须强记

　　●diver n.潜水夫

　　●sponge n.海绵动物

　　●coral reef n.珊瑚礁

　　●exoskeleton n.外骨骼

　　●coral polyp n.珊瑚虫

　　●limestone n.石灰石

　　●sperm n.精子

　　●fertilized egg n.受精卵

　　●algae n. pl.海藻（单数为alga）

　　●tropics n.热带地区