江蘇泗洪縣洪翔中學(xué) 顧守連

The killdeer is a small bird known for its high-pitched(音調(diào)高的)call.

The first hint of trouble for Ottawa's Bluesfest,an outdoor festival that draws around 300,000 people each year,came last week after workers at the site found one of the birds.

It had laid four eggs nearby,effectively claiming the main stage area as its nesting ground.“This is one of the most challenging problems we've been presented with,but we feel we can work through this,”said Mark Monahan,executive director of the festival.“Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect,so we're taking it very seriously.”

The discovery meant that government officials rushed to protect the nest and the eggs,hiring a security guard to watch over them 24 hours a day.Environmentalists were also brought in.

“We don't know when the eggs might hatch,” said Monahan. “What is known is that the young killdeer will likely leave the nest soon after they are hatched,leading many to hope that the eggs hatch in the next day or so.”

The festival is now seeking permission from Environment Canada to relocate the nest some 50 meters away or take it to a wildlife center.

Moving the nest would also ensure the bird and its young would be protected during the festival's 11-day-run,said Monahan.It's highly likely that the festival's thousands of attendees would cause huge problems for the bird and its eggs.

Monahan was confident that the festival would go on as planned,however.

“Most of the people we're working with are looking for a positive solution,” Monahan said.“There is no one saying that the festival can't go on.”

As news of the dilemma spread,it left residents divided.Some supported the bird,saying that moving the nest might result in the eggs being abandoned.

Others expressed annoyance that protecting the eggs of the small bird,which is widespread across North America,was risking an annual festival that contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.

The killdeer's tendency to build its nest in open fields or flat areas has caused issues in other areas of the US:Earlier this year,construction on a health center in Wisconsin was temporarily stopped after a killdeer and its four eggs were discovered.

文章來(lái)源：電子音樂(lè)節(jié)網(wǎng)2018年6月發(fā)布

Reading Check

1.What can we learn about Bluesfest?

A.It is an important event for music lovers.

B.It is the first music festival in Canada.

C.It is a music festival held every two years.

D.It is a challenging outdoor activity in Ottawa.

2.What was especially challenging for Bluesfest then?

A.Disagreements among the public.

B.Pressure from the government.

C.The need to protect the bird's eggs.

D.The lack of experience in hosting the event.

3.How would the festival plan to deal with the problem?

A.Hire security guards to protect the eggs.

B.Seek advice from environmentalists.

C.Ask government officials for help.

D.Move the nest to another place.

4.What was Monahan's attitude toward hosting the festival?

A.Positive. B.Unsure. C.Negative. D.Indifferent.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect,so we're taking it very seriously.

【翻譯】_____________________________________________________________________________

【點(diǎn)石成金】本句是一個(gè)復(fù)合句。Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect是主句，其中關(guān)系代詞that引導(dǎo)限制性定語(yǔ)從句。