Birds help villagers shake off poverty鸟儿帮助村民们脱贫致富

福建 张语艳

Hou Tiguo has a very special talent—he can tell what kind of birds are around simply by their chirps.His skills do not stop there,as he has developed his “bird guide” abilities from working at a nature reserve in Southwest China's Yunnan Province for more than 30 years.“It's not difficult to tell whether they are in a good mood or a bad mood,”the 52-year-old man says.

Hou lives in Baihualing Village of Baoshan City,which is located in the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve,a paradise of wild birds.More than 520 bird species,or nearly a third of the country's total,have been recorded in the village,making it a top birdwatching destination.However,the story was very different in the past.Poverty-stricken villagers deep in the mountains had to hunt wild birds to stave off hunger.

In December 1995,initiated by the nature reserve,the village established an association for biodiversity conservation.Local officials,villagers,teachers,students and forest rangers became members of the association and started to protect the wild animals and ecosystem.With the help of the local government,villagers were encouraged to make use of wild bird resources to develop the local economy.

Since an increasing number of birdwatchers and shutterbugs(摄影爱好者)have been attracted to the birdwatching destination in recent years,more villagers have engaged in work to accommodate bird-loving tourists.

Apart from working as a birdwatching guide,Hou also runs a homestay.In Baihualing Village,there are more than 60 “bird guides” like Hou,and many villagers who left to find work in cities have returned to jump on the bird watching bandwagon.The booming birdwatching industry in Baihualing not only helps villagers shake off poverty but also strengthens their awareness of environmental protection.

To promote the development of birdwatching tourism and gain more fame,Baoshan City has held international photography com-petitions.The success of Baihualing Village has now spread to other places across Yunnan.Since realizing the small birds are cash cows,villagers have given up hunting them and now conduct regular patrols in the forest,stopping birdhunting and deforestation instead.In Sanhe Village,Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture,many bird hunters have transformed into bird protectors and shaken off poverty.

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1.What special skills does Hou Tiguo have?

A.He can know birds'moods from their activities.

B.He can tell the kinds of birds from their sounds.

C.He can recognize the species of birds from their shape.

D.He can know birds'moods from their appearance.

2.Who proposed the conservation of biodiversity?

A.The nature reserve.

B.Birdwatchers.

C.Local officials.

D.Local villagers.

3.Which is the effect of the increasing birdwatching industry in Baihualing?

A.Many tourists result in birds flying away.

B.Many tourists lead to amounts of garbage.

C.Villagers feed birds instead of hunting them.

D.Villagers'environmental awareness is improving.

4.What's the last paragraph mainly about?

A.The success of Baihualing Village of Baoshan City.

B.More villagers get rid of poverty by the birdwatching industry.

C.More villagers participate in ecological protection in Yunnan.

D.Baoshan City holds birdwatching festivals and photography competitions.

Language

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Difficult sentences in the text

1.Since an increasing number of birdwatchers and shutterbugs have been attracted to the birdwatching destination in recent years,more villagers have engaged in work to accommodate bird-loving tourists.近年来，自从观鸟目的地吸引了越来越多的观鸟者和摄影爱好者，越来越多的村民开始从事为爱鸟游客提供住宿的工作。

【点石成金】句中的since引导的是时间状语从句，表示“自……以来”；in recent years、recently、lately、since、for+一段时间、in the past few years、so far、up to now等都与现在完成时连用。engage in意为“从事；参加”；be attracted to意为“被吸引”。

2.The booming birdwatching industry in Baihualing not only helps villagers shake off poverty but also strengthens their awareness of environmental protection.百花岭蓬勃发展的观鸟业不仅帮助村民摆脱了贫困，也增强了他们的环保意识。

【点石成金】not only...but also...意为“不但……而且……”，可以在句子中连接两个并列的谓语，如 “The American and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs.”。 shake off意为“摆脱；抖落”。