英国动物园的保育人员成功繁育出 300 只濒临灭绝的小型蜗牛，并将它们重新放归野外。

Less than a centimetre in size, these tiny snails had been pushed to the brink of extinction.

这些体长不足一厘米的小型蜗牛一度濒临灭绝。

Their home on the Madeira Archipelago had been grazed bare by invasive goats and rabbits, while mice saw the molluscs as a water source.

它们在马德拉群岛上的栖息地被入侵的山羊和兔子啃食殆尽，而老鼠则将这些软体动物当作水分的来源。

But after conservation work, including a breeding programme at Chester Zoo, hundreds of the snails have now been returned to the wild. The team said they had one shot to save the species.

不过，在实施了一系列动物保护措施后，包括切斯特动物园的一个繁育项目，数百只蜗牛如今已经被重新放归野外。研究团队表示，他们只有这一次机会来拯救这一物种。

The mission involved transporting them in the dark to snail-friendly crevices in the rocks. It's hoped they come out of their shell to restore soil and boost the natural habitat.

此次行动包括在夜间将这些蜗牛转移到适宜生存的岩石缝中。人们希望它们能从壳中爬出、重新活跃起来，从而帮助恢复土壤环境，促进当地生态栖息地的恢复。

词汇表

centimetre 厘米
tiny 极小的，微小的
brink 边缘
extinction 灭绝
grazed （牲畜）吃草，啃过了
invasive 入侵的，外来的
molluscs 软体动物
breeding 繁育，繁殖
one shot （仅有的）一次机会
crevices 缝隙，裂隙
restore 恢复
boost 促进，改善

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. What are the hopes for the conservation project?

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 snails are more than one centimetre long.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

2. Which reason for the snails' near-extinction is true?
a. Their habitat was damaged by invasive animals.
b. They could not find enough sunlight.
c. They struggled to find a water source.

3. What role did Chester Zoo play in the conservation effort?
a. It ran a breeding programme for the snails.
b. It removed all the rabbits from the archipelago.
c. It transported the snails to the islands.

4. The snails were transported during the day to help them adjust to sunlight.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

5. Scientists are certain that the snail population will double within the next year.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Less than a centimetre in size, these tiny snails had been ______________ the brink of extinction.

2. The team said they had ______________ to save the species.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

It's hoped the snails will come out of their shell to restore soil and boost the natural habitat.

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. b. False. Less than a centimetre in size, these tiny snails had been pushed to the brink of extinction.

2. a. Their home on the Madeira Archipelago had been grazed bare by invasive goats and rabbits, while mice saw the molluscs as a water source.

3. a. But after conservation work, including a breeding program at Chester Zoo, hundreds of the snails have now been returned to the wild.

4. b. False. The mission involved transporting them in the dark to snail-friendly crevices in the rock.

5. c. Not given. The text mentions hopes for environmental benefits, but it does not mention the population doubling or any future population estimates.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. Less than a centimetre in size, these tiny snails had been pushed to the brink of extinction.

2. The team said they had one shot to save the species.