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Practice dictation & shadowing on the daily life story: North America’s Rainforest
North America’s Rainforest
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North America's rainforest
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When people think of rainforests, they usually think of the tropical jungle.
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But heavy rain can also produce dense forests in temperate areas.
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Along the northwest coast of North America, there are some of the largest trees in the world.
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This forest runs along the Pacific Coast from Alaska down to Northern California.
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About half of it is in British Columbia, Canada.
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Several species of trees grow to an immense size.
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Some grow up to 95 meters, 312 feet high and 12 meters 40 feet in circumference.
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They may be as much as 1000 years old.
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Because the trees are so tall, the forest has various levels of growth.
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Small plants attach themselves to the toll trees and may form a kind of garden in the air.
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Further down are the tops of the younger trees.
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Closer to the ground are shrubs and bushes.
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Along the ground are Moss, ferns, berries and other plants.
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These old forests have developed over several thousand years.
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The toll trees are at least several 100 years old.
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This old forest has several special features.
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Some of the dead tall trees remain standing and become homes for insects, birds and small animals.
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Trees that fall to the ground can become nurse logs for new plants or trees to grow on.
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Trees that fall across rivers and streams can provide natural dams which provide quiet water for animals to live in.
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In recent years it has become common for logging companies to clear cut this old forest.
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To clear cut a forest means to go into a section of forest with heavy machinery and cut down every tree.
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Sometimes these clear cuts are as large as some European countries.
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Logging companies are doing this because it is a cheap method of logging.
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The problem is that when an old forest is cut, it does not grow back again.
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Even with replanting, companies produce a tree farm, not an old forest.
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The complexity of an old forest, which grew over thousands of years is lost forever.
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The old forest can shelter many kinds of birds, mammals, fish, and plants that are replanted.
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Forest cannot.
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Another issue is that companies are cutting more and more old forest because they haven't done enough replanting.
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As long as governments have been willing to let companies cut old forests, neither logging companies nor governments have been much motivated to replant the forest.
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As a result, most of the old forest has been cut down and continues to be cut at a rapid rate.
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This situation has also worsened because new technology allows more rapid logging.
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Clear cut logging results in erosion, which in turn damages the quality of rivers and streams.
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This causes a decline in the salmon fishery.
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Animals like grizzly bears, elk and deer are harmed by the loss of habitat.
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Likewise, birds that nest in the Old Forest, such as bald Eagles, owls, woodpeckers and various seabirds are being threatened.
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Recently, public interest in the Old rainforest has resulted in an increase in tourism.
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People come to see these spectacular trees and the many plants and animals that depend on them.
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We hope that these unique temperate rainforests will remain for many more generations to enjoy.