一項調查發現，如果不采取緊急行動，到2050年，考拉將在澳大利亞新南威爾士州滅絕。去年，據澳大利亞考拉基金會（Australian Koala Foundation）的估算，澳大利亞僅剩下不到8萬只考拉。

The future of the koala and what is an important home is at stake. Cate Faehrmann, the chair of the Parliamentary Committee, warned future generations may not see a koala in the wild again, if the report is ignored. 

考拉的未來和它們在新南威爾士州的棲息地正面臨危機。議會委員會主席凱特·費爾曼警告說，如果這份報告被忽視，我們的后代可能就再也看不到野生考拉了。

The once-thriving marsupial has been ravaged by habitat loss and disease. The recent bushfire season was one of the worst in Australian history. It was particularly lethal to the koala population in New South Wales. About 5,000 are thought to have died, and the blazes that scorched more than 5 million hectares state-wide affected almost a quarter of koala habitats.

這種一度茁壯成長的有袋類動物遭到棲息地喪失和疾病的傷害。最近的森林火災季節是澳大利亞歷史上最嚴重的火災季之一。這對新南威爾士州的考拉的影響尤其致命。大約有5000只考拉死亡，大火燒毀了該州500多萬公頃林地，影響了近四分之一的考拉棲息地。

Across the rest of the country, koala numbers are falling, with a recent estimate of 80,000 remaining in the wild. The committee said current policies to protect them were failing and made a number of recommendations to safeguard them, including establishing new national parks and reducing land clearing.

在澳大利亞的其它地區，考拉的數量正在下降，據最近的估計，野生考拉的數量為8萬只。該委員會表示，目前用來保護它們的政策沒有奏效，委員會提出了一些保護考拉的建議，包括建設新的國家公園和減少對森林的砍伐。

In a statement, the New South Wales Environment Minister said his state would do everything it could to protect koalas for future generations. 

新南威爾士州的環境部長在一份聲明中說，新南威爾士州會盡一切努力為后代保護考拉。

詞匯

at stake 處于危險中
marsupial 有袋類動物
ravaged 被破壞，被傷害
habitat loss 棲息地喪失
lethal 致命的
blazes 大火 ，烈火
scorched 燒毀了，燒焦了
safeguard 保護

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. True or false? The New South Wales Environment Minister said his state wouldn’t be able to do anything to protect the koalas.

2. According to the article, what has ravaged the koala?

3. How many koalas have died in the recent bushfires?

4. What are some of the recommendations by the committee to safeguard koalas?

答案

1. True or false? The New South Wales Environment Minister said his state wouldn’t be able to do anything to protect the koalas.
False. He said his state would do everything it could to protect them.

2. According to the article, what has ravaged the koala?
The once-thriving koala has been ravaged by habitat loss and disease.

3. How many koalas have died in the recent bushfires?
About 5,000 koalas have died in the recent bushfires.

4. What are some of the recommendations by the committee to safeguard koalas?
The recommendations include establishing new national parks and reducing land clearing.