The clock is ticking. Up
to a hundred species become extinct(灭绝)every
day. Scientists say that the total number of species lost each
year may reach 40,000, the largest number in a year in the last
65 million years. If nothing is done, we may find ourselves
alone on this planet.
The Malayan sun bear is among the animals that need our help.
Malayan sun bears live in forests that are being destroyed by
people who are cutting down the trees and using the land for
farming. The roads they build when they are cutting down the
trees also make it easier for hunters to find the bears. Without
the trees, the bears can't find enough food, so they have to go
look for food on farms. That makes the farmers angry and they
sometimes try to shoot or trap the bears.
People hunt the Malayan sun bears because they want to eat the
meat and use parts of the bear's body to make traditional
medicine. Perhaps the main reason why people try to kill the
bears is that they want to make money. Some of the medicine made
from the bears is worth more than gold!
There are also people who like to keep Malayan sun bears as
pets. When people want the bears as pets, they steal the young
bears and kill the mother bear. We can help the Malayan sun
bears by telling our friends about them and asking them not to
buy any products made from the bears.
Rhinos(犀牛)have
been on the earth for a long time. More than 60 million years,
in fact. There used to be many different species of rhinos,
including one that was six metres high and nine metres long!
Today there are only five species left, and they are all
endangered. The black rhino, which lives in Africa, is the most
serious case. Thirty years ago, there were about 65,000 black
rhinos in Africa, but now there are only about 2,000. Most
of the rhinos have been killed by hunters. Please help
save the rhino before it is too late!
(Senior English for China Student's Book 1A
Unit 10 Workbook Reading)
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