媒體英語會帶大家一起學習 BBC 撰稿人在報道世界大事時常用到的單詞和短語。

《自然氣候變化》期刊最新發表的一項研究指出全球氣候變暖助長了農作物病蟲害發生程度加重。埃克塞特和牛津的大學的研究人員發現，隨著氣候變暖，農作物害蟲正在朝南北兩極方向移動。以下是 BBC 記者 Rebecca Morelle 的報道：

The researchers looked at more than 600 crop pests from around the world.

These included fungi, such as wheat rust, which is devastating harvests in Africa and the Middle East; insects like the mountain pine beetle that's destroying trees in the US; as well as bacteria, viruses and microscopic nematode worms.

They found that over the past 50 years, these destructive species have been on the move. On average, they're spreading 3km every year, shifting north and south towards the poles.

The scientists say this correlates with warming temperatures, allowing the pests to take hold in areas that were once too cold for them to live in.

Currently, between 10% and 20% of the world's crops are lost to pests - and the team warns that rising global temperatures could make the problem worse. The researchers say that improved surveillance of the problem is needed.