文章结构
The Amazon rainforest: natural treasure
Welcome to the jungle, a huge sea of green alive with the sounds of animals. This is the Amazon rainforest. As the largest rainforest in the world, it plays a significant role in maintaining the fine balance of the Earth’s ecosystem.
Paragraph 1 – “Hook（吸引） + Macro-theme（全局/宏观主题）”
Topic Sentence/主题句:
“Welcome to the jungle, a huge sea of green alive with the sounds of animals.”
Supporting Detail & scenario/支撑句及细节场景:
无具体数据，而用听觉意象“sounds of animals”把读者直接“拉进”雨林。
Cohesion & transition/起承转合句:
“This is the Amazon rainforest.” – 指示代词“This”瞬间收拢画面，完成从泛写“jungle”到专指“Amazon”的过渡；第二句“As the largest rainforest in the world…”用“As”原因状语从句，把“最大”直接升格为“global significance”，为全文奠定“treasure”评价基调。
The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries, including Brazil and Peru, and 5 one overseas region of France, all on the South American continent. With an area of around 6 million square kilometres, the Amazon rainforest is more than half the size of China. The Amazon River, from which the rainforest gets its name, is close to 6,400 kilometres in length-roughly 100 kilometres longer than the Yangtze River. On its journey from the mountains to the ocean, the river supports many different ecosystems. They give this area the richest biodiversity on the Earth: one in ten known species in the world can be found here.
Topic Sentence/主题句:
“The Amazon rainforest crosses into eight countries … and one overseas region of France…”
Supporting Detail & scenario/支撑句（事实/数据/细节/场景）:
① 空间数字 – 8 countries + 1 French region；
② 面积对比 – “more than half the size of China”；
③ 河流长度 – “close to 6,400 kilometres … roughly 100 kilometres longer than the Yangtze River”；
④ 结果场景 – “richest biodiversity on the Earth: one in ten known species …”
Cohesion & transition/起承转合句:
“With an area of around 6 million square kilometres,” – 介词短语置于句首，承上启下，把“跨多国”自然衔接到“具体面积”；“On its journey from the mountains to the ocean,” – 拟人化旅程隐喻，将“river”转为“supporting character”，无缝引入“ecosystems → biodiversity”因果链。
Of the 390,000 plant species known to us, more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon. This tall and ancient brazil nut tree produces nuts that we can eat; these water lilies are big enough to lie down on. The forest’s different levels support an unbelievable variety of wildlife. At the bottom, there is a system of roots beneath the ground. Above that is the mass of leaf litter on the dark forest floor. The next level is made up of shorter plants with large leaves. Then there are the towering ancient hardwoods, and finally the tops of the tallest trees many metres above the ground. Each level of the forest forms its own little world, home to different kinds of living things.
Topic Sentence/主题句:
首句并非显性，而是隐含于“Of the 390,000 plant species … more than 40,000 can be found in the Amazon.” 随后用两个具体例子“this tall and ancient brazil nut tree … these water lilies …”把“plant richness”实体化，第二句“The forest’s different levels support an unbelievable variety of wildlife.” 实为段落核心TS。
Supporting Detail & scenario/支撑句（事实/数据/细节/场景）:
五级垂直微缩景观 – “a system of roots … leaf litter … shorter plants … towering ancient hardwoods … tops of the tallest trees”；每一层都配“home to different kinds of living things”形成阶梯式画面。
Cohesion & transition/起承转合句:
“At the bottom … Above that … The next level … Then … finally” – 空间顺序衔接词组，像镜头逐层上移，完成“floor → canopy → emergent”转场；“Each level … forms its own little world” – 总结式比喻，把段落收束并预示“animal”话题即将登场。
More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungle’s plant life. This jaguar is one example. It has a yellowish-brown coat with black spots. While a significant number of jaguars survive here, they are only one element of this forest’s food chain. They feed on at least 87 species, including frogs. These frogs, in turn, feed on insects which eat leaves and fruit. When a jaguar dies, a tiny army of microorganisms helps break down its body and return the nutrients to the earth.
Topic Sentence/主题句:
“More than 1,300 species of birds and over 400 species of mammals hide among the jungle’s plant life.” – 数字 + 动词“hide”制造“寻觅”张力。
Supporting Detail & scenario/支撑句（事实/数据/细节/场景）:
① 典型捕食者 – “This jaguar … yellowish-brown coat with black spots”；
② 食物链连环套 – “jaguar → frogs → insects → leaves/fruit”；③ 死亡分解闭环 – “a tiny army of microorganisms helps break down its body …”
Cohesion & transition/起承转合句:
“While … they are only one element …” – “While”让步状语从句，把“jaguar”从明星地位拉回“merely a part of the chain”，实现宏观视角切换；“When a jaguar dies,” – 时间状语从句，启动“decomposition”场景，形成生死循环，暗扣“ecosystem balance”。
The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 per cent of all the Earth’s oxygen. Thus, it is often known as the “lungs of the planet”. Moreover, the Amazon rainforest is a treasure house of species that can be used for food or medicine. Yet there is one major danger to these irreplaceable plants and animals: us. Over the past 50 years, about 17 per cent of the rainforest has disappeared due to human activities such as agriculture and cattle farming. As the impact of human activities continues to grow and the list of species in danger of extinction becomes longer, we are left with a question: can we afford to damage the “lungs of the planet”?
TS:
复合主题句，第一句功能句“The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by fixing carbon and producing over 20 per cent of all the Earth’s oxygen.” + 第二句价值句“… a treasure house of species …”
Supporting Detail & scenario/支撑句（事实/数据/细节/场景）:
① 生态系统服务 – “lungs of the planet”；
② 人类利用价值 – “food or medicine”；
③ 威胁数据 – “about 17 per cent … has disappeared due to human activities …”
Cohesion & transition/起承转合句:
“Thus, it is often known as…” – “Thus”因果连接，把科学事实直接升格为文化符号；“Yet there is one major danger … us.” – 转折副词“Yet”+ 冒号后直指“us”，形成强烈反差；结尾“As … continues … becomes longer … we are left with a question: can we afford to …?” – “As”时间从句叠加动词三态“continues → becomes → are left”，节奏加速，把读者推向无法回避的修辞问句，完成从“treasure”到“crisis”的终极转合。
归纳总结
全文五段呈“倒金字塔—沙漏”复合结构：
吸引（hook）→ 2. 宏观尺度（space）→ 3. 垂直剖面（structure）→ 4. 食物网微缩（interaction）→ 5. 全球意义+人类威胁（evaluation + appeal）。
段间逻辑链：地理规模 → 内部结构 → 生物互动 → 地球功能 → 人类冲击，层层递进，最后用修辞问句把“natural treasure”的赞美反转成“we are left with a question: can we afford to lose it?” 的警示，实现首尾呼应。
中文翻译
我们生活的世界充满了自然的奇迹。下面的纪录片脚本描述了亚马逊雨林，这里是众多野生动物的家园。在阅读脚本之前，请思考以下问题：
你知道哪些植物或动物？它们有什么特别之处？
根据标题和图片，你认为这个脚本是关于什么的？
欢迎来到丛林，这是一片绿色的海洋，到处都可以听到动物的声音。这就是亚马逊雨林。作为世界上最大的雨林，它在维持地球生态系统的微妙平衡中扮演着重要角色。
亚马逊雨林横跨八个国家，包括巴西和秘鲁，以及法国的五个海外地区，全部位于南美洲大陆。亚马逊雨林面积约为600万平方公里，比中国的一半还要大。亚马逊河是雨林的名字来源，全长接近6400公里，比长江长约100公里。从山脉到海洋的旅程中，这条河流支持着许多不同的生态系统。这些生态系统使该地区拥有地球上最丰富的生物多样性：世界上已知的每十种物种中就有一种可以在这里找到。
在我们所知道的39万种植物中，有超过4万种可以在亚马逊找到。这种高大古老的巴西坚果树可以产出我们食用的坚果；这些睡莲足够大，可以躺在上面。森林的不同层次支持着难以置信的野生动物多样性。在底部，有一个地表下的根系。其上是黑暗森林地面上的落叶层。下一层是由高大植物组成的，然后是高耸的古老硬木，最后是高出地面数米的最高树木的顶部。森林的每一层都形成了自己的小世界，成为各种生物的家园。
在丛林的植物生活中，隐藏着超过1300种鸟类和400多种哺乳动物。美洲豹就是一个例子。它有着黄褐色的皮毛和黑色的斑点。虽然许多美洲豹在这里生存，但它们只是这个森林食物链的一部分。它们以至少87种动物为食，包括青蛙。而这些青蛙则以吃树叶和水果的昆虫为食。当美洲豹死亡时，一群微生物会帮助分解它的身体，将养分返还给大地。
亚马逊雨林通过固定碳并产生超过全球总量20%的氧气，使得地球生生不息。因此，它常被称为“地球之肺”。此外，亚马逊雨林是一个物种宝库，可以用于食物或药物。然而，对这些不可替代的植物和动物来说，有一个主要的威胁：我们（人类）。在过去50年里，由于农业和养牛等人类活动，约17%的雨林已经消失。随着人类活动的影响不断增加，濒危物种的名单越来越长，这就留给我们一个问题：我们能承担得起损害“地球之肺”的后果吗？