BBC英语教学：最新“濒危物种”名单公布于众

但凡被归类为“易危”的动物物种意味着只有不超过一万只有繁殖能力的动物幸存，而且此类动物总数在每三代繁衍过程中以至少 10% 的比例减少。哪些物种出现在新的名录里，又有哪些物种幸免被收录其中?请听报道。

Every year a United Nations’ conservation body publishes a so called ‘red list’ of speciesat risk of extinction. And as usual, the latest report makes grim reading. More than twenty thousand different types of animals, plants and insects are said to be threatened.

Six kinds of ash tree in North America, a mainstay of forest there, are now listed as being in danger from an invasive beetle. In Africa, antelopes joined the ranks of creatures threatened by poaching and by people clearing forests.

And in Madagascar, a hotspot for biodiversity, new studies of insects have found that nearly half of all species of grasshopper and millipede are endangered.

The beautiful snow leopard which lives in the mountains of Central Asia is judged to be in a slightly healthier state than it was. But that's disputed by some researchers who say not enough is known about the elusive animal to assume that it really is a step further away from extinction.

词汇表

conservation (对动植物、自然环境的)保护

at risk of 有潜在风险

grim 令人沮丧的，糟糕的

threatened 受到威胁的

kinds 种类、类型

invasive 有侵略性的

antelopes 羚羊

biodiversity 生物多样性

millipede 千足虫

elusive 难以找到的，踪迹罕见的

测验

请听报道并回答下列问题。

1. The ‘red list’ roughly contains how many species that are endangered?

2. Why have antelopes joined other endangered species on the list?

3. True or false? In Africa, nearly half of all species of grasshopper are endangered.

4. Which word in the text means ‘not agreeing about something’?

答案

1. The ‘red list’ roughly contains how many species that are endangered?

More than twenty thousand different types of animals, plants and insects are said to be threatened.

2. Why have antelopes joined other endangered species on the list?

Because antelopes are threatened by poaching and by people clearing forests.

3. True or false? In Africa, nearly half of all species of grasshopper are endangered.

True. The same applies to millipede.

4. Which word in the text means ‘not agreeing about something’?

Disputed.