一项新研究显示，英国森林锁住的导致全球变暖的碳是此前认为的两倍。这项使用激光和三维扫描的研究表明，古树在应对气候变化中起到的作用尤为关键。

Professor Kim Calders from Ghent University is laser-scanning what's said to be the UK's most scientifically studied forest: Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire. For their research, he and his colleagues scanned nearly a thousand trees, producing detailed three-dimensional maps from which they could work out the weight of each one.

根特大学的金·考尔德斯教授正在用激光扫描据说是英国被研究最多的森林：牛津郡的威萨姆森林。在他们的研究中，考尔德斯教授及其同事扫描了近一千棵树，绘制了详细的三维地图，从中可计算出每棵树的重量。

This revealed that an average patch of UK woodland is heavier than was estimated and therefore contains much more carbon – almost twice as much as previously thought. The scientists say their findings show the value of established, mature woodland for fighting climate change has been underestimated.

计算得出，英国一块普通林地的重量比估计的要重，因此碳含量更高，几乎是之前估计的两倍。科学家们表示，他们的发现表明，生长已久的成熟林地在对抗气候变化方面的价值被低估了。

词汇表

laser-scanning 激光扫描
scanned 扫描了
three-dimensional 三维的
patch 小块
carbon 碳
established（植物）生长已久的，长势良好的
mature 成熟的
underestimated 被低估的

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. According to the report, what is significant about Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire, UK?

2. How did the researchers work out the weight of each tree?

3. What were researchers able to work out from the weight of the woodland?

4. True or false? This research concluded older woodland can help fight climate change more than was first thought.

答案  

1. According to the report, what is significant about Wytham Wood in Oxfordshire, UK?
Wytham Wood is said to be the UK's most scientifically studied forest.

2. How did the researchers work out the weight of each tree?
Researchers scanned nearly a thousand trees, producing detailed three-dimensional maps from which they could work out the weight of each one.

3. What were researchers able to work out from the weight of the woodland?
By calculating the weight of a patch of woodland, they could work out how much carbon it contains.

4. True or false? This research concluded older woodland can help fight climate change more than was first thought.
True. The scientists say their findings show the value of established, mature woodland for fighting climate change has been underestimated.