外國人最想和你聊的文化話題：袋鼠與大堡礁

　Realize Kangaroos and Great Barrier Reef　認(rèn)識袋鼠與大堡礁

     1　認(rèn)識袋鼠與大堡礁
     The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.
     The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. This reef supports a wide diversity of life, and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labeled it one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.
     A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
     The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating 1 billion per year.
     The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It includes the smaller Murray Islands.It reaches from Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay, its northernmost island, and the south coast of Papua New Guinea) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island) and Fraser Island in the south. Lady Elliot Island is located 1,915 km (1,190 mi) southeast of Bramble Cay as the crow flies.
     2　關(guān)于澳大利亞景點及其動物的表達(dá)方式
     koala　考拉
     The koala is found in coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, from Adelaide to the southern part of Cape York Peninsula.
     emu　鴯鹋
     The Emu is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich.
     platypus　鴨嘴獸
     Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.
     Witchetty grub　木蠹蛾幼蟲
     The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths.
     Ayers Rock　紅色巨巖
     Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs.
     Wave Rock　奇跡波浪巖
     Wave Rock is a natural rock formation located east of the small town of Hyden in Western Australia. It derives its name from the fact that it is shaped like a tall breaking ocean wave.
     Sydney Opera House　悉尼歌劇院
     The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney.
     大堡礁是世界最大最長的珊瑚礁群，位于南半球。它縱貫于澳洲的東北沿海，北從托雷斯海峽，南到南回歸線以南，綿延伸展共有2011公里，最寬處達(dá)161公里。有2900個大小珊瑚礁島，自然景觀非常特殊。大堡礁的南端離海岸最遠(yuǎn)有241公里，北端較靠近，最近處離海岸僅16公里。所有澳大利亞袋鼠，動物園和野生動物園里的除外，都在野地里生活。不同種類的袋鼠在澳大利亞各種不同的自然環(huán)境中生活，從涼性氣候的雨林和沙漠平原到熱帶地區(qū)。