（本節目使用的音頻資源于2021年10月底發表。）

由于人類活動和氣候變化導致森林退化，世界上最受保護的森林中已有十處成為凈碳排放源。

There are 257 forests with Unesco World Heritage status. They cover an area twice the size of Germany and are formally listed, studied and protected for their global scientific and natural significance.

有257處森林被列為聯合國教科文組織世界遺產。其總面積是德國的兩倍。這些森林因在全球科學和自然方面的重要性被正式列入名單，并成為研究和保護的對象。

This was the first assessment of exactly how much planet-warming gas they absorb from the atmosphere. It showed that collectively, these forests soak up 190 million tonnes of carbon every year. But it also revealed that human activity has turned some of them into net emitters of carbon.

這是第一次評估這些森林從大氣中吸收的確切溫室氣體量。結果顯示，它們每年總共吸收1.9億公噸碳。但另一方面，研究也揭示了人類活動已經使其中一些森林成為凈排放源。

Illegal logging, agriculture and increasingly frequent wildfires, driven by climate change over the past two decades, have resulted in ten protected forests releasing more greenhouse gas than they absorb.

非法伐木和農業，再加上過去20年氣候變化導致日益頻繁的野火，使十個受保護森林釋放的溫室氣體量超過其吸收量。

Just days ahead of the critical UN Climate Conference in Glasgow, the researchers say the world needs to act now to slash the emissions that have turned some of the most protected forests on Earth into sources of planet-warming gas.

就在聯合國在格拉斯哥召開重要氣候會議的幾天前，研究人員指出，需要全世界立即采取行動，大幅削減排放，溫室氣體排放已將地球上一些最受保護的森林變成了全球變暖氣體的來源。

詞匯表

significance 重要性，意義
assessment 評估
planet-warming 導致全球變暖的
absorb 吸收
soak up 吸取
net emitters 凈排放源（釋放量大于吸收量的事物）
logging 伐木
releasing 釋放
greenhouse gas 溫室氣體
slash 大幅削減

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. How big is the area covered by forests with Unesco World Heritage status?

2. How many tonnes of carbon do these forests absorb every year?

3. What have illegal logging, agriculture and wildfires caused some of the protected forests to do?

4. According to researchers, when should we do something to cut the emissions which the forests are releasing?

答案  

1. How big is the area covered by forests with Unesco World Heritage status?
They cover an area twice the size of Germany.

2. How many tonnes of carbon do these forests absorb every year?
These forests soak up – or absorb – 190 million tonnes of carbon every year.

3. What have illegal logging, agriculture and wildfires caused some of the protected forests to do?
They have caused ten of these protected forests to release more greenhouse gas than they absorb.

4. According to researchers, when should we do something to cut the emissions which the forests are releasing?
Researchers say the world needs to act now to slash the emissions.