Save tortoises

山東 郝雯雯

1In a remote national park on Australia's most southwestern tip, a lone radio tower stands above a quiet wetland.Every five seconds,it col?lects signals from a few dozen young tortoises hiding out beneath the glassy waters.The tiny tortoises don't journey far, but researchers are tracking their every move.The fate of a species—one of the most endangered in the world—might depend on these data.

2There are fewer than 70 adult western swamp tortoises living in the wild in two small wetland reserves north of Australia.These spots are all that remains of the crea?tures' native habitat, and they are drying out, owing to rising temperatures and a reduction in rainfall.So,in August last year,scientists selected 41 baby tortoises from a breeding pro?gramme in a zoo and released them into this national park, some 330 kilometres south of where the tortoises are naturally found.The aim is to see whether the animals can tolerate cooler climates,and whether this new habitat might ensure the species'future as the planet warms.

3This experiment is part of a series of closely monitored field trials testing one of the most controversial strategies for saving a species—a concept called assisted migration.The tortoise is thought to be the first vertebrate (脊椎動物) to be moved beyond its historical range because of climate change.

4Nicki Mitchell, a zoologist at the University of Western Australia, is leading the pro?ject that is trying to save the tortoise.Her team is now on their fourth trial of releasing bred tortoises into selected wetlands to test the potential of assisted migration.It's a high-riskstrategy—and one that researchers have long debated.“It's a demonstration project for the world, and we particularly want to make sure there are no bad outcomes,”Mitchell says.

5Conservation biologists have long resisted assisted migration, mainly because intro?duced species could become invasive pests, carry diseases or upend existing ecosystems.But attitudes towards assisted migration are slowly shifting as conservationists realize just how fast the climate is changing.Several projects are in the works now.

Reading Check

1.How does the radio tower help western swamp tortoises?

A.By presenting gathered data to researchers.

B.By reminding possible dangers in advance.

C.By guiding them to safer and better spots.

D.By checking the climate changes there.

2.Why did researchers put 41 baby tortoises in the national park?

A.To tell their differences from wild ones.

B.To study their living habits and adaptability.

C.To make out their lifespan in small wetlands.

D.To find out whether they can breed in a different environment.

3.What do we know about assisted migration?

A.It is strongly supported by most experts.

B.It makes introduced species die out soon.

C.It has been proved efficient and scientific.

D.It causes public discussion and disagreement.

4.What do we know about Nicki Mitchell?

A.Her attitude to assisted migration is unclear.

B.She is sure the program is a success.

C.She is uncertain of the future result.

D.She is a conservation biologist,too.

?語篇解碼

?語言學習

Ⅰ.語料薈萃

語篇單詞remote adj.遙遠的lone adj.獨自的glassy adj.清澈的fate n.命運spot n.地點habitat n.棲息地rainfall n.降雨reserve n.自然保護區tolerate v.忍受closely adv.密切地monitor v.監控concept n.概念selected adj.精選出來的outcome n.結果resist v.抵制ecosystem n.生態系統shift v.轉換conservationist n.保護主義者

（續表）

Ⅱ.語句分析

1.There are fewer than 70 adult western swamp tortoises living in the wild in two small wetland reserves north of Australia.在澳大利亞北部的兩個小型濕地保護區內，生活著不到70只成年西部沼澤龜。

【點石成金】本句使用了“There be”句型，句中的living in the wild in two small wet?land reserves north of Australia 是現在分詞作后置定語。

2.It's a high?risk strategy—and one that researchers have long debated.這是一個高風險的策略，也是研究人員長期爭論的一個策略。

【點石成金】本句是一個簡單句，句中的that引導定語從句。

?語言運用

Ⅰ.例句仿寫

1.目的是看看這些動物能否從危險中生存下來，以及如何拯救它們。

The aim is to see ____________________the dangers,and ____________________.

2.有一個商業概念叫作機會成本，它與金錢并沒有密切的聯系。

There's a business concept called opportunity cost, ____________________money.

Ⅱ.寫作實踐

假定你是李華，你所在的學校計劃舉辦主題為“保護動物”的海報設計比賽。請你用英語設計一張保護揚子鱷(Yangtze alligator)的海報。有關揚子鱷的資料如下：

______________________Yangtze alligator the Yangtze River in China fewer than 300 in the wild;adults fewer than 100 animals under first class state protection Habitat Population Protection

注意：

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

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