Alnwick Garden houses the world’s most deadly plants.
Near the Scottish border in the North of England lies Alnwick Castle. The first parts of the castle were built around the year 1096. Many dukes, earls, lords, and other British noblemen have had control of the castle throughout its long history. In 1750, the first garden was added to the castle grounds, and it bloomed for 200 years. When World War II broke out, the garden’s decorativeflowers were replaced by crops to feed the country during wartime. Afterwards, the garden fell into ruin and finally closed in 1950.
In 1996, the Duchess of Northumberland decided to rebuild the garden. She began a very long and expensive project to build water features, tree houses, and pavilions, as well as replanting the area with trees and flowers. Today, Alnwick Garden is one of England’s most beautiful public gardens.
One of the unique features of Alnwick Garden is an entire area set aside for poisonous plants. Inside the Poison Garden, there are more than 100 toxicspecies, with plenty of information about their special properties. Although some of these plants are deadly, and there have been cases of visitors fainting from smelling some of the plants’ toxic gases, the Poison Garden is now one of the main reasons people visit. The garden has even earned the title as the most dangerous garden in the world. Therefore, a trip to Alnwick Castle wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Poison Garden.
單字片語整理
Words in Use
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bloom
[blum]
n. & vi. （觀賞植物的花）開花
Spring is around the corner, and all the flowers in the garden are in full bloom.
春天就要來臨，花園裡的花都盛開中。
Many plants bloom in spring, making gardens look beautiful.
許多植物都會在春天開花，使花園看起來很漂亮。
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
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ruin
[ˋrʊɪn]
vt. 毀掉，毀壞
n. 廢墟（可數）；毀壞（不可數）
The once prosperous city is now lying in ruins.
這座曾經繁華一時的城市現在成了廢墟。
The owner had no money and let the house fall into ruin.
屋主沒有錢，讓房子陷入毀壞的狀態。
An accident ruined Don’s dream to be a sports star.
一場車禍毀了唐想當運動明星的美夢。
高中 Level 4
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rebuild
[riˋbɪld]
vt. 重建
多益綠色
英檢中級
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flowerbed
[ˋflaʊɚ͵bɛd]
n. 花床
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deadly
[ˋdɛdlɪ]
a. 致命的
adv. 非常
=
fatal
=
extremely
=
lethal
Dioxin is possibly one of the most deadly substances known to mankind.
戴奧辛可能人類所知最致命的有毒物質之一。
Some people thought Ken’s comment was a joke, but he was actually being deadly serious.
有些人認為肯的評論只是個玩笑，但他其實是非常認真的。
高中 Level 5
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decorative
[ˋdɛkərətɪv]
a. 裝飾（性）的
These small flowers on the cake are decorative, not edible.
蛋糕上的這些小花是裝飾性的，並不能吃。
多益藍色
英檢中高
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pavilion
[pəˋvɪljən]
n. 涼亭 / (展覽用的)館,建物
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toxic
[ˋtɑksɪk]
adj. 有毒的
=
poisonous
Toxic wastes must be disposed of with care. 有毒廢物一定要小心棄置。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
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species
[ˋspiʃiz]
n. 物種（單複數同形）
We found a strange species of bird on the island.
我們在這座島上發現了一種怪鳥。
Many species of wild animals are endangered. 許多種野生動物都快要瀕臨絕種了。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 4
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faint
[fent]
a. 跑頭暈的；微弱的
vi. 暈倒
n. 昏厥（恆為單數）
=
pass out
I didn’t eat anything today and I feel faint with hunger now.
我今天什麼也沒吃，現在餓得發昏。
Patrick spoke in a very faint voice, so no one could hear him.
派翠克講話的聲音很微弱，所以沒人聽到他說什麼。
I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re talking about.
我一點都不明白你們在談些什麼。
When I saw my favorite singer in person, I nearly fainted in excitement.
我親眼看到最喜愛的歌手時，興奮得幾乎要昏倒。
Upon hearing the news, Jennifer fell into a faint.
珍妮佛一聽到這個消息就昏倒了。
多益藍色
英檢中級
高中 Level 3
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property
[ˋprɑpɚtɪ]
n. 財產（不可數）；特性（可數）
=
quality
=
possessions
They lost all their property in the fire.
他們在這場大火中失去了所有財產。
One property of diamonds is hardness.
堅硬是鑽石的一項特性。
多益綠色
英檢中級
高中 Level 3
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poisonous
[ˋpɔɪznəs]
a. 有毒的
Not all mushrooms are edible; some are poisonous.
並非所有的菇類都可食用；有些是有毒的。
高中 Level 4
Practical Phrases
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break out
（戰爭或疾病等）爆發
Should a nuclear war break out, it might be the end of the world.
如果核戰爆發，那恐怕會是世界末日。
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fall into ruin
變成廢墟；破敗不堪
The castle had fallen into ruin after the earthquake.
地震發生後，城堡變成了廢墟。
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set aside... / set... aside
（為某種目的）保留／撥出⋯⋯
You should set aside some time to visit your mother this weekend.
這個週末你應該撥出一些時間去看看你母親。
