The tale of“Uncle Bird”松花江畔护鸟人

江海连

日复一日，年复一年，他就这样守护了候鸟二十多载……

主题语境：自然环境保护 篇幅：351词 建议用时：7分钟

1 Even in December， 63?year?old Ren Jianguo getsup early before 5 am every day to spread corn on the river?banks to make sure thousands of migratory birds haveenough energy to make it through the winter.

2“Every day at 6 oclock in the morning， these birdsleave their nests for food. We spread 150 kilograms of corn kernels on the riverbanks be?fore the birds go home，”Ren said. Over the past 27 years， Ren has been one of many volun?teers protecting migratory birds on Changbai Island in the town center， where local resi?dents label him as“Uncle Bird”.

3 Winter is the busiest time for Uncle Bird， as it is the season when massive amountsof migratory birds fly to Changbai Island to avoid the biting cold days in Siberia， Russia.

4“As long as they choose to stay in this city， there should be people to take care ofthem. When it comes to the harsh winter and it becomes difficult to find food， I call for do?nations or sometimes pay for the food myself to guarantee their survival during the winter，”Ren said.

5 For Ren himself， a simple building near the riverbank has almost become his“sec?ond home”， a place from which he can patrol along the banks， observe the dynamics of thebirds， educate the public about bird conservation， and after a long day of work， light a fire and enjoy a warm meal. When he receives a report of an injured bird， he takes his boat orhis electric scooter to provide help.“I simply want this to be a warm and welcoming placefor birds when they choose to stay here for a temporary rest，”he said.

6“Theres no need to describe the changes in the past 30 years， as we can see with ourown eyes that the entire environment is getting better and better. Thirty years ago， it wasimpossible to see more than 8，000 birds together in the urban area. However， I think thereis still a long way to go to raise public awareness，”Ren said.

Reading Check

Detail

1. Why does Ren get up early every day？

A. To do morning exercise.

B. To raise animals in his backyard.

C. To give food to migratory birds.

D. To call on his old friends.

Detail

2. In which season is Ren the busiest one according to the text？

A. Spring.

B. Summer.

C. Autumn.

D. Winter.

Vocabulary

3. What does the underlined word“they”in paragraph 5 refer to？

A. The public.

B. Migratory birds.

C. Simple buildings.

D. Reporters.

Gist

4. Whats the last paragraph mainly about？

A. The need to talk about environmental issues.

B. The history of protecting the entire environment.

C. How Ren thinks of protecting migratory birds.

D. Why Ren chooses to live near the riverbank.

Language Study

Useful expressions

make sure 確保

make it through the winter 度过冬天

corn kernel 玉米粒

avoid the biting cold days 避开刺骨严寒的日子

as long as 只要

take care of 照顾

when it comes to 当涉及……

harsh winter 严冬

light a fire 点火

electric scooter 电动车

raise public awareness 提高公众意识