| environmentally | 
      In a way that relates to the natural world and the impact of human activity on its condition | 
      环保地 | 
      Building near the ocean doesn’t make sense environmentally. | 
    
    
      | afford | 
      To be able to pay for something | 
      负担得起 | 
      We realized that we couldn’t afford any of the houses near the ocean. | 
    
    
      | coastal | 
      Located on or near the coast | 
      沿海的 | 
      The coastal environment is often unsuitable for building. | 
    
    
      | building site | 
      A place where construction occurs | 
      建筑工地 | 
      The land near the ocean is not a suitable building site. | 
    
    
      | zones | 
      Areas that are divided based on different characteristics | 
      区域 | 
      Coastal zones include the beach, dunes, and troughs. | 
    
    
      | edge | 
      The boundary or border of something | 
      边缘 | 
      Imagine standing at the water’s edge. | 
    
    
      | come across | 
      To find or encounter something by chance | 
      偶然发现 | 
      We come across different coastal zones as we move away from the ocean. | 
    
    
      | familiar | 
      Well known from long or close association | 
      熟悉的 | 
      The beach is a coastal zone most people are familiar with. | 
    
    
      | primary | 
      Of chief importance; principal | 
      主要的 | 
      The primary dune is the most fragile zone. | 
    
    
      | fragile | 
      Easily broken or damaged | 
      脆弱的 | 
      The primary dune is very fragile and cannot support building. | 
    
    
      | advisable | 
      Recommended; wise | 
      明智的 | 
      It is not advisable to build houses on the beach. | 
    
    
      | shoreline | 
      The line along which a large body of water meets the land | 
      海岸线 | 
      The shoreline is constantly moving and changing. | 
    
    
      | supportive | 
      Providing encouragement or emotional help | 
      支撑的 | 
      The sand is not supportive enough for building structures. | 
    
    
      | tidal | 
      Relating to or affected by tides | 
      潮汐的 | 
      Daily tidal fluctuations make beach building difficult. | 
    
    
      | fluctuations | 
      Irregular rising and falling in number or amount | 
      波动 | 
      Tidal fluctuations affect the stability of beach structures. | 
    
    
      | shifting | 
      Changing or moving | 
      移动 | 
      The sands are always shifting, making the shoreline unstable. | 
    
    
      | peninsula | 
      A piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out into a body of water | 
      半岛 | 
      Sandy Peninsula is an example of how coastlines change over time. | 
    
    
      | inshore | 
      Towards or near the shore | 
      近岸的 | 
      Coastal zones protect inshore areas from flooding. | 
    
    
      | flooded | 
      Covered or submerged with water | 
      被淹 | 
      Coastal zones prevent inland areas from being flooded with salt water. | 
    
    
      | salt water | 
      Water containing a significant amount of salt | 
      盐水 | 
      The coastal zones protect against the intrusion of salt water. | 
    
    
      | damaged | 
      Harmed or impaired | 
      受损的 | 
      Coastal zones protect inland areas from being damaged during storms. | 
    
    
      | vegetations | 
      Plants in general, especially those found in a particular area | 
      植被 | 
      Coastal zones allow vegetations to grow further inland. | 
    
    
      | inland | 
      Situated away from the coast | 
      内陆的 | 
      Vegetation grows more inland thanks to coastal protection. | 
    
    
      | buffer zone | 
      An area that serves to separate or protect | 
      缓冲区 | 
      Coastal zones act as a buffer zone against wind and salt spray. | 
    
    
      | spray | 
      Liquid that is blown or driven through the air in the form of tiny drops | 
      喷雾浪花 | 
      Coastal zones protect inland areas from salt spray. | 
    
    
      | recreation | 
      Activity done for enjoyment when one is not working | 
      娱乐 | 
      The beach is suitable for recreation but not for building. | 
    
    
      | sensitive | 
      Easily affected or harmed by something | 
      敏感的 | 
      The primary dune is very sensitive and cannot support much activity. | 
    
    
      | windblown | 
      Carried or moved by the wind | 
      被风吹的 | 
      Sand dunes are often thought of as just windblown piles of sand. | 
    
    
      | pile | 
      A heap or stack of things | 
      堆 | 
      Sand dunes are more than just piles of sand; they support vegetation. | 
    
    
      | take hold | 
      To become established | 
      生根 | 
      Vegetation first begins to take hold on the primary dune. | 
    
    
      | disturbed | 
      Disrupted or interfered with | 
      被扰乱的 | 
      When vegetation is disturbed, sand dunes can migrate inland. | 
    
    
      | migrate | 
      To move from one region or habitat to another | 
      迁移 | 
      Sand from the dunes can migrate inland if the vegetation is disturbed. | 
    
    
      | erosion | 
      The process of being worn away by wind, water, or other natural agents | 
      侵蚀 | 
      Beach erosion is often caused by the destruction of primary dunes. | 
    
    
      | shrinking | 
      Becoming smaller in size | 
      缩小的 | 
      Beaches that used to be wide are now shrinking due to erosion. | 
    
    
      | tolerant | 
      Showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with | 
      容忍的 | 
      The trough is tolerant of limited recreational use. | 
    
    
      | limited | 
      Restricted in size, amount, or extent | 
      有限的 | 
      The trough allows for limited recreational use and some building. | 
    
    
      | thicker | 
      More dense or compact | 
      较厚的 | 
      The vegetation in the trough is thicker, providing more stability. | 
    
    
      | stable | 
      Not likely to give way or overturn; firmly fixed | 
      稳定的 | 
      The ground in the trough is more stable than in the dunes. | 
    
    
      | preserve | 
      To maintain something in its original or existing state | 
      保护 | 
      It is important to preserve the quality of the ground water in the trough. | 
    
    
      | in general | 
      Usually, mainly | 
      一般来说 | 
      In general, it is okay to build in the trough. | 
    
    
      | defense | 
      Protection from harm | 
      防御 | 
      The secondary dune serves as a final defense against the sea. | 
    
    
      | real estate | 
      Property consisting of land or buildings | 
      房地产 | 
      Coastal real estate is highly valuable but risky to build on. | 
    
    
      | edge | 
      The outer limit of an object, area, or surface | 
      边缘 | 
      The water’s edge can change due to tides and storms. | 
    
    
      | receded | 
      Moved back from a previous position | 
      后退 | 
      After the storm, the water receded, leaving the house unstable. | 
    
    
      | unstable | 
      Not stable; likely to change or fail | 
      不稳定的 | 
      The house became unstable after the sand was washed away. |