Spring is usually a season for people in Beijing to enjoy themselves. Nature takes on a new look as trees turn green, flowers blossom and the sun shines brightly. It is a fine time to go out and to appreciate the beautiful scenes of nature. But over the past few years, spring has been covered by a blanket of thick orange haze because of sandstorms in Beijing. Nowadays more and more citizens participate in planting trees to curb air pollution.
lì li: hěn jiǔ méi yǒu chū qù le, zhè gè zhōu mò zán men qù jiāo yóu ba.
丽丽：很久没有出去了，这个周末咱们去郊游吧。
Lili: It has been ages since we went out. Let’s take an outing to the suburbs this week.
mài kè: hăo zhú yi! zán men kě yǐ qí zì xíng chē qù.
麦克：好主意！咱们可以骑自行车去。
Mike: Good idea! We could go there by bicycle.
lì li: qì xiàng tái yù bào shuō zhè gè zhōu mò shì hăo tiān qì.
丽丽：气象台预报说这个周末是好天气。
Lili: According to the weather forecast, the weather will be fine this weekend.
mài kè: dàn yuàn rú cǐ. zhōng guó běi fāng dì qū chūn tiān fēng shā hěn dà.
麦克：但愿如此。中国北方地区春天风沙很大。
Mike: I hope so. It’s very windy and dusty in north China in the spring.
lì li: shì de, shā chén bào wū răn kōng qì, yǐng xiăng rén men de rì cháng shēng huó.
丽丽：是的，沙尘暴污染空气、影响人们的日常生活。
Lili: Yes, dust storms pollute the air and disturb the daily lives of people.
mài kè: zhòng dù kōng qì wū răn hái huì dăo zhì rén men huàn hū xī dào jí bìng.
麦克：重度空气污染还会导致人们患呼吸道疾病。
Mike: Heavy polluted air will also lead people to suffer from respiratory diseases.
lì li: zhè jǐ nián zhèng fǔ yǐ jīng căi qǔ le hěn duō cuò shī zhì lǐ wū răn.
丽丽：这几年政府已经采取了很多措施治理污染。
Lili: Over the past few years, the government has taken many measures to control the pollution.
mài kè: qí zhōng zhí shù zào lín shì zuì yǒu xiào de cuò shī, duì ma?
麦克：其中植树造林是最有效的措施，对吗？
Mike: One of the most effective measures is forestation, isn’t it?
lì li: duì, zuó tiān wǒ de yī xiē péng yǒu jiù qù jiāo qū zhí shù le.
丽丽：对，昨天我的一些朋友就去郊区植树了。
Lili: Yes. Yesterday some of my friends went to the suburbs to plant tress.
mài kè: nǐ néng gào sù wǒ běi jīng cháng jiàn de shù zhǒng yǒu nă xiē ma?
麦克：你能告诉我北京常见的树种有哪些吗？
Mike: Could you tell me what the common trees are in Beijing?
lì li: yǒu hěn duō zhǒng, bú guò zuì cháng jiàn de shì yáng shù hé yín xìng shù.
丽丽：有很多种，不过最常见的是杨树和银杏树。
Lili: There are lots. Among the most common ones are poplars and ginkgo trees.
mài kè: wǒ jiàn yì zhè gè zhōu mò zán men yě qù jiāo qū zhí shù ba.
麦克：我建议这个周末咱们也去郊区植树吧。
Mike: I suggest we go to the suburbs to plant trees this weekend, too.
lì li: hăoa! zhè gè huó dòng huì hěn yǒu yì yi.
丽丽：好啊！这个活动会很有意义。
Lili: Good! Such an activity will be very significant.
mài kè: yì yán wéi dìng, wǒ zhè jiù qù zhào jí wǒ de péng yǒu.
麦克：一言为定，我这就去召集我的朋友。
Mike: Well, that’s settled then. I’ll call together my friends right now.
New Words
生词
植树 zhí shù: to plant (a) tree(s)
郊游 jiāo yóu: to take an outing to the suburbs
骑 qí: to ride (a bicycle, horse, etc.)
自行车 zì xíng chē: bicycle
气象台 qì xiàng tái: meteorological observatory
预报 yù bào: forecast
风沙 fēng shā: dust storm
沙尘暴 shā chén bào: sandstorm
污染 wū răn: pollution, pollute
影响 yǐng xiăng: disturb, influence
日常生活 rì cháng shēng huó: daily life
导致 dăo zhì: lead to
患 huàn: suffer from
呼吸道 hū xī dào: respiratory
疾病 jí bìng: disease
政府 zhèng fǔ: government
有效的 yǒu xiào de: effective
措施 cuò shī: measure
郊区 jiāo qū: suburbs
杨树 yáng shù: poplar
银杏树 yín xìng shù: ginkgo tree
召集 zhào jí: call together
(Source: china.org.cn)
