Wild Animals Came Back to Chernobyl, 40 Years Later

In 1986, a powerpower: The ability to control things, or energy like electricity. — 力量；权力；电力 plantpower plant: a large facility that produces electricity — 发电厂 explodedexplode: To burst or break apart violently with a loud noise. — 爆炸；爆裂 in Chernobyl, Ukraine. It was the world's worst nuclearnuclear: relating to the energy created when atoms are split or combined — 核能的；核武器的 disasterdisaster: A very bad event that causes a lot of damage or harm. — 灾难；灾害nuclear disaster: a major accident at a nuclear power station that releases radiation — 核灾难. The accidentaccident: Something bad that happens by chance, often causing injury or damage. — 事故；意外 sent radioactiveradioactive: Exhibiting radioactivity — 放射性的 materialmaterial: A substance from which things are made. — 材料；物质radioactive material: matter that gives off harmful radiation — 放射性物质 high into the air, and windwind: Real or perceived movement of atmospheric air usually caused by convection or differences in air pressure — 风 carried it to many other countries. Many people livedlive: To have permanent residence somewhere, to inhabit, to reside — 居住 near the power plant, and they had to leave their homes very quickly.

The land around the power plant is still closedclosed: Not open; shut or not available to enter or use. — 关闭的；关着的, and people are not allowedallow: To let someone do something or let something happen. — 允许；让 to live there. This areaarea: The extent, scope, or range of an object or concept — 范围，领域 is called the exclusionexclusion: The act or state of being kept out or denied access to a place, group, or privilege. — 排斥；排除；隔离 zonezone: An area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic. — 地带；区域exclusion zone: an area people are not allowed to enter, set up around a hazard — 隔离区；禁区, and it is very large. The land has dangerous radiationradiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or particles, especially high-energy particles. — 辐射；放射, so the area will stay closed for many more years.

At first, many people thought all the animals would die from the radiation. But 40 years later, many animals are living in this area. There are wolveswolf: The gray wolf, specifically all subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) that are not dingoes or dogs — 狼, bearsbear: A large, heavy wild animal with thick fur and strong claws. — 熊, and deerdeer: A ruminant mammal with antlers and hooves of the family Cervidae, or one of several similar animals from related families of the order Artiodactyla — 鹿 in the forests. There are also wild boarboar: A wild boar (Sus scrofa), the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig — 野猪wild boar: a wild relative of the domestic pig, found in forests — 野猪 and many kinds of birds. In 2014, a camera took a photo of a brown bear inside the area. Brown bears have not lived here for a very longlong: Lasting for a great amount of time — 长久的 time.

Some scientists go to Chernobyl to study these animals. They want to know if the animals changed because of the radiation. In 2016, a scientist named Burraco came to Chernobyl on a science trip. One night, he walked into the forest with a small light. He found a small tree frogfrog: A small green animal that lives near water and can jump. — 青蛙tree frog: a small frog that lives in trees — 树蛙 and noticednotice: To see or become aware of something. — 注意到；察觉 it was darker than other frogs of the same kind. Burraco thinks the dark colour might protectprotect: To keep someone or something safe from harm. — 保护；防护 the frog from radiation, but he has no clearclear: Easy to understand or see; not confusing or blocked. — 清晰的；清楚的；晴朗的 proofproof: Evidence or argument establishing a fact or the truth of a statement. — 证据；证明 yetyet: Used in negative sentences and questions to say something has not happened up to now. — 还（未）；尚（未）.

Other scientists are not sure about Burraco's idea. They say the animals came back mainlymainly: for the most part; more than anything else — 主要地；大部分 because no people live in the area now. With no people, the animals have more food and more space to live. The story is more complicatedcomplicated: Consisting of many interconnecting parts; difficult to understand or analyse. — 复杂的；难懂的 than it seemsseem: To appear to be a certain way. — 似乎；好像. There is still a lot to learn about Chernobyl, eveneven: Exactly, just, fully — 正好 after 40 years.