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U.S. Government Considers Mandatory COVID Testing For All Domestic Flight Passengers; Conservationist Works To Protect The Sierra Gorda Region

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Getting a new edition of CNN 10 off the ground, I`m Carl Azuz. It`s always great to have you watching. There`s a debate

taking place over COVID testing for U.S. airline passengers.

We told you late last year how travelers on some international flights are required to take a rapid coronavirus test and prove they don`t have the

virus before they can fly. The Biden Administration is thinking about requiring a negative COVID test for everyone traveling domestically.

Meaning Maine, Montana or Mississippi, you`ll have to prove you`ve recently tested negative for COVID-19. To be clear, this is not a requirement yet.

The government does now mandate that people on public transportation wear masks but it doesn`t require negative coronavirus tests to fly within the

United States.

The U.S. Transportation Secretary says the decision on that hasn`t been made yet but he says quote, "there has got to be common sense medicine and

science really driving this". The Chief Executive Officer of Delta Airlines says that since the pandemic started, coronavirus transmission on planes

has been quote, "absolutely minimal" and he says requiring tests for all domestic airline passengers would create a logistical nightmare that would

not make travelers safer but would take tests away from other people who are sick.

So we`ll see where the government lands on this. The airline industry is an important part of the U.S. economy. It accounts for about five percent of

the nations` gross domestic product every year. And whether they`re in the air or on the ground, people in America and beyond are trying to balance

health concerns with the desire to get back to normal. In some places it`s business as usual with few signs and restrictions related to the pandemic.

In others --

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SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Salma Abdelaziz in London. British authorities say they will come down hard on any traveler that breaks coronavirus

come down on 严厉处罚; 斥责; 训斥

border restrictions. The UK Health Secretary introducing a three-part system. First, there`s going to be a hotel quarantine for anyone arriving

from 33 red list countries.

Secondly, there`s going to be more testing for all international arrivals into the UK and finally there`s going to be tougher enforcement. Those who

lie on passenger locator forms could face up to 10 years in jail or a 10,000 pound fine.
 

passenger locator form 入境旅客追踪表格

locator [loˋketɚ] n. 定位器

STEVEN JIANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Steven Jiang in Beijing. A team of World Health Organization experts are leaving the city of Wuhan after wrapping up
 

wrap up【美】【口】完成, 结束

their investigation into the origins of the COVID virus drawing no conclusions from their two weeks of field studies.
 

draw [drɔ] v. 作出；形成

In a press conference Tuesday, they largely echoed their Chinese counterparts in saying there`s no sufficient evidence that the virus jumped
 

echo [ˋɛko] v. 重复他人的话（或行动等）

directly from bat into humans in the city and also dismissing the lab leak theory. They did point to a possibility that a virus may have entered Wuhan

from outside of China through frozen food. A claim increasingly promoted by Chinese officials and state media here.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I`m Melissa Bell in Paris. France is to extend its state of emergency until June 1st even as the restrictions lead

to the beginning of a stabilization in terms of COVID-19 figures. In Germany, Angela Merkel will meet with state premiers today to decide
 

stabilization [͵steb!əˋzeʃən] n. 稳定，安定

whether or not the current lockdown needs to be extended over the next few weeks.

This is European leaders keep a close eye on the variants now making fast progression here in the European Union. The British variant which could be

dominant here in France by the first of March according to a member of the scientific council that advises the government. And also the South African

variant with Austria introducing travel restrictions on its southern Tirol region after 165 cases of the South African variant were confirmed there.

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AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. Which of these countries is home to the Sierra Gorda Ecological Region? Chile, Mexico, Philippines, or Portugal. It is in

the North American country of Mexico that you`ll find the Sierra Gorda Mountains.

Deforestation, the clearing of wide natural areas, is often cited as a threat to the world`s woodlands. One main reason it occurs is because

people are trying to build or expand farmland.

In Mexico, more than 13 percent of workers are in the field of agriculture and in a country where more than 45 percent of people live below the

poverty line, agriculture is crucial to many Mexicans livelihood. But for years, a conservationist has been working to preserve the Sierra Gorda

while still maintaining some jobs for people in the region.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is Sierra Gorda. Located in the heart of Central Mexico, this remote mountain range is one of the most ecologically diverse,

protected areas in the country. With everything from deserts to tropical forests, all this was once under threat until Martha "Pati" Ruiz Corzo

moved to the region. Until then, she had only lived in cities.

MARTHA "PATI" RUIZ CORZO: I was surrounded by such beauty. I have never seen such bluer skies and the mist in the middle of the forest. It was like a shock for me.
 

mist [mɪst] n. 薄雾，霭

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was more than three decades ago. Today, she may be the region’s most trusted guardian. To protect that beauty, she co-

founded the Sierra Gorda Ecological Group in 1987 after witnessing deforestation as a result of agriculture, manmade fires and illegal

logging. In 1997, her grassroots organization helped the region achieve biosphere reserve status protecting nearly 400,000 hectares of land.
 

biosphere reserve 生物圈保留区

biosphere [ˋbaɪə͵sfɪr] n. 生物圈

Roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

Today, Sierra Gorda or the "Fat Mountains" is valued for its wealth of biodiversity. The group says it is home for 345 species of birds, 800 types
 

value [ˋvælju] v. 尊重；重视，珍视

of butterflies, more than 110 different mammals like the jaguar and around 2,400 plant species. For Corzo, it was possible by collaborating with the

local communities, many who live in poverty. Instead of logging, she helped find them alternative ways to make a living.

CORZO: Sierra Gorda, 97 percent of the land is private land of 637 communities. You have to give them an opportunity because that`s all what

they have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Raising money by working with partner organizations and the government, she created economic opportunities through protection

of the environment. This helped created paid jobs in reforestation, waste management, eco-tourism and education. Planting the seeds of change, Corzo
 

reforestation [͵rifɔrɪsˋteʃən] n. 重新造林

hopes that her work will inspire people across the world.

CORZO: Modern society so far, we need to talk about Mother Nature to connect them. Not everyone is going to -- to recognize her but there are

many people that is ready to act that are really worried about the future and that -- are looking for answers. I am convinced that there she is for

everyone because she is everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Conservation, helping preserve the beauty of Sierra Gorda for future generations and sustain livelihoods through nature.

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AZUZ: From tiger cars to courtroom cats. Virtual meetings just ain`t the same as in person ones. This is from a recent courtroom hearing in Texas.

One of the lawyers didn`t quite look himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you hear me judge?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can hear you. I think it`s a filter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is -- don`t know how to remove it. I`m prepared to go forward with it. That`s -- I`m here live. I`m not a cat.

AZUZ: Oh, contraire. The judge later said if a child used your computer check the video options to be sure filters are off. Because otherwise your

colleagues may think you`re "kitten" around and they may say obnoxious things like you seem "catatonic".
 

obnoxious [əbˋnɑkʃəs] adj.【文】令人非常不快的，讨厌的

Are you "feline" OK? Have you got "cat scratch" fever? Do you need a bit of "milk"? Have you just had a "fancy feast"? How many "lives" you got left?

Did something "rub" you the wrong way? Have you been out "littering"? Has "cat" got your tongue.

And how in the world do you "meowve" on from all that. I`m Carl Azuz with cat puns for CNN 10. This show goes out to Lyford Cay International School.

It is located in Nassau, Bahamas. Thank you for watching, subscribing and commenting at YouTube.com/CNN10.

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