理工B级
第八篇
Why India Needs Its Dying Vultures
(冲刺班 第13讲)
The vultures in question' may look ugly and threatening.but the sudden sharp l in three species of India's vultures is producing alarm rather than2 celebration ,and it presents the world wiLh a new kind of environmental 2 . The dramaLic decline in vulture numbers is causing widespread disruption LO people living in the same areas as the 3 It is also causing senous public health problems 4 the Indian sub-continenta.
While4 their repmation and appearance may be unpleasant to many Indians,vultures have 5 played a very important role in keeping towns and villages all over India clean. It is 6 they feed on dead cows. In India,cows are sacred animals and are 7 left in the open" when they die in their thousands upon thousandss every year.
The disappearance of Lhe vultures has 8 an explosion in the numbers of wild dogs feeding on the remains of these dead animals. There are fears that rabies may 9 as a result. And this terrifying disease may ultimately affect humans in the region , since wild dogs are is main carriers. Rabies could also spread to other animal species,causing an even greater problem in the 10 .
The need for action is 11 ,so an emergency projea has been launched to 12 a solution to this serious vutture problem. Scientists are trying to identify the disease causing the birds' deaths and,if possible,develop a cure.
Large-scale vulture 13 were first noticed at the end of the 1980s in India Apopulation survey at that time showed ihat the three specics of vultures had decLined 14 over 90 per cent. A11 three species are now listed as " critically endangered"a. As most vultures lay only single eggs and 15 abouL five years to reach maLurity, reversing their population decline will be a long and difficult exercise.
词汇：
vulture/VAltIa，n秃鹰
species/1spi:Ji:z，n物种，种类
disrupLion /ds'r^pran/”破坏，毁坏
rabies /1reibi:z/n狂犬症
ultimately/’Altlmath/ adv最终地
endanger/mUemd3a/v危及，濒危
maturity /m"tjuantc/n成熟期
注释：
l The vulture in question:讨论中的秃鹰(问题)。in question意为“讨论中的，考虑中的”。
2 ratbef than：而不是。例：Your proposal is positive rather than negative(你的提议是积极的，而不是消极的)。
3 the Indian sub-continent:印度次大陆
4 while:虽然。例：While he has published many papers，he is modest(虽然他发表了多篇论文他还是很谦虚。
5 thousands upon thousands:成千上万的
6 in the open:在户外，在野外
7 as a result:结果
8 listed as“criticaUy endangered”：被列为极度濒危动物
练习
1 A decline B rise C teeth D eyes
2.A benefit B debate C problem D solution
3 A plants B birds C humans D cows
4.A over B with C through D across
5.A sometimes B long C suddenly D hardly
6 A who B when C because D where
7 A traditionally B occasionally C possibly D finally
8 A came from B adjusted to C resulted from D led to
9 A drop B increase C disappear D change
10A future B past C villages D moutains
11 A recent B urgent C frequent D rare
12 A neglect B use C remove D find
13 A cures B arrivals C deaths D journeys
14.A along B on C in D by
15.A take B adopt C consume D waste
答案与题解：
1A通篇文章都在叙述秃鹰濒临灭种对印度环境的负面影响，而且文章的标题中的“dying vultures”也提供了线索。decline符合上下文的意思，是答案。nse与上下文的意思相反。 sharp teeth和sharp eyes是秃鹰的特点，但文章并未提及。
2 C秃鹰濒临灭亡，给环境带来问题。上一句的“alarm rather than celebration” 提供了解题线索，秃鹰濒临灭亡对我们是一种警告而不是一件值得庆贺的事。选problem是合适的。至于debate和solution，文章并未涉及。
3B秃鹰数量的减少对当地居民是一种灾难。此外，对谁也是一种灾难呢7 as引出的对象是谁呢?这个对象不会是humans,plants或cows;答案是birds。
4 D作者原来的用词?定是across the Indian sub-continent(整个印度次大陆)，不可能是over the Indian sub-continent(在印度次大陆上空)，withthe Indian sub-continent(与印度次大陆一起)或through the Indian sub-continent(穿越印度次大陆)。
5.B本段前面的句子描述r秃鹰在保护该地区的环境-作片I很大，所以秃鹰不会是时有时无( sometimes)地起作用，或突然地(suddenly)起作用，或几乎不(hardly)起作用。只有选long(长期以来一直)起作用才合乎卜下文的意思
6 C为什么秃鹰会起保护环境的作用呢?本段的下半段说出了其中的原崮。牛在印度被视为神物，死后露厂1户外，任其腐烂。秃鹰以食牛的尸体为牛，同时也清除了污染源，保护了城镇和乡村的环境。，这些句子讲的是原因，所以选择because是对的。
7 A文章说每年有成千上万头牛死亡井露尸城镇和乡村。既然是这样，就不会是偶尔( occasionally)或可能(possibly)或最终(finally)露尸在城镇和乡村。，露尸户外是印度的传统，所以traditionally是答案。
