The Major Oak Tree is Dead
大橡樹死亡
Introduction
The RSPB says the Major Oak tree in Sherwood Forest is now dead.
英國皇家鳥類保護協會（RSPB）表示，雪伍德森林中的大橡樹現在已經死亡。
Main Body
The tree was 1,200 years old. It did not grow leaves this spring. Many people walked on the ground for 200 years. The soil became too hard. The roots could not get water or air.
這棵樹有 1,200 年的歷史。它在今年春天沒有長葉子。許多人在這片土地上行走了 200 年，導致土壤變得太硬，根部無法獲取水分或空氣。
People used poles and cables to hold the tree. This did not help. The weather was also very hot. There were five dry summers. In 2022, it was 40 degrees Celsius.
人們使用支柱和電纜來支撐這棵樹，但這並沒有幫助。天氣也非常炎熱，經歷了五個乾旱的夏天。在 2022 年，氣溫達到了 40 攝氏度。
Many people visited the tree because of a book from 1790. People also think Robin Hood hid in the tree. The tree is dead, but the wood stays there. New small trees grow from it.
因為一本 1790 年的書，許多人造訪這棵樹。人們還認為羅賓漢曾躲在這棵樹裡。雖然樹死了，但木材仍留在原處，新的小樹正從中生長。
Conclusion
The tree is a monument now. It helps scientists learn how to save other old trees.
這棵樹現在成為了一座紀念碑，幫助科學家學習如何挽救其他古樹。
Vocabulary Learning
🕰️ Talking about the Past
In this story, we see a pattern: The word + 'ed'.
When we talk about things that happened before today, we often just add -ed to the action word.
Look at these examples from the text:
- Walk Walked
- Visit Visited
Wait! Some words are rebels. They change completely. You must memorize these special ones:
- Is Was
- Do Did
- Become Became
💡 Simple Rule for A2: If you want to say something happened yesterday or 200 years ago, try adding -ed. If that sounds wrong, check if it is a 'rebel' word like was or did.