2005年6月英语四级 - 阅读理解D

Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
距离曼哈顿和费城的高楼两小时的车程，生活着一些世界上最大的黑熊。它们位于宾夕法尼亚州北部的波科诺山脉，与许多其他野生动物共享家园。

The streams, lakes, meadows, mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”.
使波科诺斯成为黑熊理想之地的溪流、湖泊、草地、山脊和森林也吸引了更多的人来到该地区。开放空间受到住宅区计划的威胁，重要栖息地也受到公路建设的威胁。为了保护波科诺斯的自然美景被随意开发，大自然保护协会将该地区命名为美国“最后的伟大之地”之一。

Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By developing partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
保护协会的创始人库克在宾夕法尼亚州Long Pond村的一所百年校舍里工作，他正与当地人和商界领袖合作，在经济增长与环境保护之间取得平衡。通过与Francis Altemose等人士发展伙伴关系，保护协会已经能够保护该地区14000多英亩对环境重要的土地。

Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Altemose一家几代人在波科诺地区有农场。两年前，Francis与保护协会合作，将他的农场纳入了县农田保护计划。因此，他家的土地可以得到保护，不受开发，Altemose夫妇将能够更好地为他们7岁的孙子提供一个安全的经济未来。

Cook owes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.
库克将保护协会在波科诺斯的成功归功于其在当地的存在以及与当地居民合作的承诺。

“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said. “The people who live there respect the land．They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife．They are eager to help with conservation effort．
库克说：“保护这些重要土地的关键是与当地社区建立联系。居住在那里的人们尊重这片土地。他们珍视宁静的森林、清澈的溪流和丰富的野生动物。他们渴望帮助保护工作”。

For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org．
有关如何帮助自然保护协会保护波科诺斯和世界上其他“最后的伟大之地”的更多信息，请致电1-888-564 6864或访问我们的网站www.tnc.org。