外国人最想和你聊的文化话题：袋鼠与大堡礁

　Realize Kangaroos and Great Barrier Reef　认识袋鼠与大堡礁

     1　认识袋鼠与大堡礁
     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　关于澳大利亚景点及其动物的表达方式
     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　鸸鹋
     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　鸭嘴兽
     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　木蠹蛾幼虫
     The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths.
     Ayers Rock　红色巨岩
     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　奇迹波浪岩
     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　悉尼歌剧院
     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长的珊瑚礁群，位于南半球。它纵贯于澳洲的东北沿海，北从托雷斯海峡，南到南回归线以南，绵延伸展共有2011公里，最宽处达161公里。有2900个大小珊瑚礁岛，自然景观非常特殊。大堡礁的南端离海岸最远有241公里，北端较靠近，最近处离海岸仅16公里。所有澳大利亚袋鼠，动物园和野生动物园里的除外，都在野地里生活。不同种类的袋鼠在澳大利亚各种不同的自然环境中生活，从凉性气候的雨林和沙漠平原到热带地区。