动物保护组织表示，一种近 30 年未被目击到的鸟类可能已经灭绝。这种名为 “细嘴杓鹬” 的滨鸟很可能成为欧洲大陆、北非和西亚地区首个被记录为灭绝的鸟类。

The slender-billed curlew is a shorebird. It breeds in Western Siberia before migrating to the Mediterranean in winter. But there's not been a confirmed sighting since February 1995, when it was spotted in Morocco.

细嘴杓鹬是一种滨鸟。这种鸟在西伯利亚西部繁殖，然后迁徙到地中海过冬。但自从 1995 年 2 月在摩洛哥被观察到以来，再也没有对细嘴杓鹬的确认目击报告。

Extensive efforts across decades to find evidence of the bird in its breeding and non-breeding ranges have all proved unsuccessful. Its disappearance is a stark warning of the need to tackle the loss and degradation of inland grassland and wetland.

几十年来，大量试图在它们的繁殖和非繁殖活动区域内寻找细嘴杓鹬踪迹的努力都以失败告终。细嘴杓鹬的消失对我们是一个严厉的警告，我们必须设法对内陆湿地和草原的退化和消失采取应对措施。

词汇表

shorebird 滨鸟，生活在海滨的鸟类
migrating 迁徙
confirmed sighting （对某个生物的）确认目击
extensive 大量的，广泛的
evidence 证据，踪迹
breeding 繁殖
ranges 范围，区域
proved unsuccessful （某事）以失败告终
stark warning 严厉的警告
degradation 退化，劣化
grassland 草原
wetland 湿地

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答下列问题：

1. Do experts have a good reason to believe that the slender-billed curlew is extinct? Why or Why not?

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题：

1. The slender-billed curlew spends the coldest part of the year by the Mediterranean.

a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. But there's _______ confirmed sighting since February 1995.

3. The last sighting was on the shore of the Mediterranean, in Morocco.

a. True
b. False
c. Not given

4. People have been searching for this bird for _______.

a. days
b. months
c. years

5. Efforts to find the bird _______.

a. have failed
b. have been extended
c. have succeeded

6. Its disappearance is a stark warning of the need to tackle _______ and degradation of inland grassland and wetland.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答下列问题：

1. Do experts have a good reason to believe that the slender-billed curlew is extinct? Why or why not?

Yes, experts do have good a reason to believe that the slender-billed curlew is extinct: There have been no confirmed sightings since 1995 and extensive efforts to find evidence of the bird have been unsuccessful.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题：

1. True. The slender-billed curlew migrates to the Mediterranean in winter.

2. But there's not been a confirmed sighting since February 1995.

3. Not given. The last sighting was in Morrocco, but we are not told where.

4. People have been searching for this bird for years.

5. Efforts to find the bird have failed.

6. Its disappearance is a stark warning of the need to tackle the loss and degradation of inland grassland and wetland.