文字稿

據(jù)野生動(dòng)物慈善組織 People’s Trust for Endangered Species 的一份最新報(bào)告稱，自2000年起，英國(guó)本土睡鼠的數(shù)目已經(jīng)下降超過(guò)三分之一。睡鼠也稱冬眠鼠，是生活在野外樹林和灌木叢中的一種小型哺乳動(dòng)物。它們冬季十月至來(lái)年的五月在地下冬眠。那么是什么原因?qū)е铝怂鼈兊臄?shù)目急劇下降？請(qǐng)聽 Claire Marshall 的報(bào)道。

In one of the longest running small mammal monitoring projects in the world, trained volunteers around the UK have been gathering data on the tiny hazel dormouse since 1990.

The mice have dark golden fur, large black eyes, and live mainly in hedgerows and woods, weaving ball-like nests from bark and leaves. A populated area the size of two football fields will only contain four dormice, a giveaway sign is a nibbled hazelnut.

This report suggests that they are becoming more difficult to find than ever. Over the last sixteen years, the population has declined by almost 40 percent. Dormice are now restricted to parts of southern Wales and southern England. They have never been recorded in Scotland or Northern Ireland. 

The survey blames this decline on the loss of their native woodland habitat and more variable weather linked to climate change.

詞匯表

longest-running 運(yùn)行時(shí)間最長(zhǎng)的
gathering data 收集數(shù)據(jù)
dark golden fur 暗金色的毛
hedgerows 灌木樹籬
weaving 編織
bark 樹皮
a giveaway sign 一個(gè)非常明顯的、一看就知道的跡象或標(biāo)志
nibbled 被啃了的
hazelnut 榛子
restricted to 受限制于
blames 責(zé)備、指責(zé)
native 土生土長(zhǎng)的
habitat 棲息地
variable 多變的，反復(fù)無(wú)常的

測(cè)驗(yàn)

請(qǐng)聽報(bào)道并回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. In which era did the research start?

2. Where are we likely to find dormice?

3. True or false? Dormice have been found in Northern Ireland as well as Scotland.

4. Which word in the text means ‘the natural home or environment of an animal or plant’?

答案

1. In which era did the research start?
The research started in the 1990s.

2. Where are we likely to find dormice?
They are likely to be found in hedgerows and woods.

3. True or false? Dormice have been found in Northern Ireland as well as Scotland.
False. Dormice have only been seen in southern Wales and southern England.

4. Which word in the text means ‘the natural home or environment of an animal or plant’?
Habitat.