Putting the Brakes on Roadkill 公路动物悲歌

 

課文朗讀

 

課文中英文講解

 

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For some wildlife, the motorways of the United States are killing grounds. Each year, millions of vertebrates, ___1___ carnivores like wolves, bears, mountain lions, lynxes and ocelots, as well as slow-moving animals like turtles and other reptiles, are hit and killed by passing cars. Roads may be vital to modern life, but they are ___2___ to a slew of creatures.

 

对某些野生动物来说，美国的高速公路是个大屠杀场。每年都有好几百万的脊椎动物，包括了肉食性的狼、熊、美洲狮、山猫、和豹猫，也有一些慢速动物像是乌龟及其它爬虫类，被经过的车子给撞死。道路对现代生活来说或许很重要，但它们却让许多动物赔上性命。

 

In a number of places, traffic is threatening the very survival of some species. For example, roadkill has contributed to the reduction of the federally-protected ocelot ___3___ a population of only 80 animals. Thankfully, steps have been and are being taken to help reduce the daily and nightly carnage on America’s roads. Underpasses and culverts have been constructed ___4___ animals can walk underneath roads rather than run the risk of crossing them. Fences and barriers, ___5___ in conjunction with the underpasses and culverts, help to direct animals to these safe places to cross.

 

许多地方，交通威胁着某些物种仅存的生存空间。例如，「路杀事件」已导致受联邦政府保护的豹猫数量降到仅剩八十只。谢天谢地，已有措施来帮助降低在美国道路上的日夜屠杀。地下通道和涵洞桥已经建造起来，如此一来，动物们便可以在马路下方行走，而不用冒险穿越马路了。栅栏、围篱与地下道及沟渠结合起来，协助引导动物们经由这些安全的地方穿越马路。

 

The results to date have been visibly pleasing, with researchers noting a sharp ___6___ in the number of roadkill incidents each year. More pleasing still is ___7___ species which were previously considered under the threat of extinction, in part because of roadkill, are starting to see a rise in their numbers. And this just goes to show that road safety is about more than protecting people.

 

到目前为止，研究人员指出每年的路杀事件已急遽下降，这样的成效令人感到欣慰。更令人开心的是，许多先前部分因为路杀事件而被认为面临绝种威胁的物种，其数量开始增加了。由此可看出，道路安全可不只是要保护人们而已。

 

−By Colin Gread

 

1.	(A) include	(B) including	(C) included	(D) inclusive
2.	(A) dying	(B) death	(C) dead	(D) deadly
3.	(A) to	(B) at	(C) with	(D) for
4.	(A) even if	(B) as if	(C) so that	(D) so far
5.	(A) to use	(B) in use	(C) used	(D) using
6.	(A) increase	(B) reduction	(C) addition	(D) raise
7.	(A) that	(B) what	(C) because	(D) while

 

 

Vocabulary

reptile [ˋrɛpt!] n. 爬虫类

reduction [rɪˋdʌkʃən] n. 减少

construct [kənˋstrʌkt] v. 建造

previously [ˋpriviəslɪ] adv. 事先；以前

extinction [ɪkˋstɪŋkʃən] n. 灭绝

 

More Information

motorway [ˋmotɚ͵we] n.【英】高速公路

vertebrate [ˋvɝtə͵bret] n. 脊椎动物

carnivore [ˋkɑrnə͵vɔr] n. 食肉动物

lynx [lɪŋks] n. 山猫

ocelot [ˋosəlɑt] n. 豹猫

slew [slu] n.【口】许多

contribute [kənˋtrɪbjut] v. 贡献，提供[（+to/towards）];  对某事起促成作用

federally [ˋfɛdərəlɪ] adv. 联邦地; 在联邦政府一级

carnage [ˋkɑrnɪdʒ] n. 大屠杀

underpass [ˋʌndɚ͵pæs] n. 地下通道，下穿交叉道

culvert [ˋkʌlvɚt] n. 排水渠﹐阴沟﹐涵洞

to date: 迄今; 至今; 到目前为止  until now

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer

1. ( B )	2. ( D )	3. ( A )	4. ( C )	5. ( C )
6. ( B )	7. ( A )