Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area, official figures showed.
The country’s natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation, said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. It is a big increase nowadays pared with other countries. Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.
【小题1】What do we know about the IUCN?A．A union for listing animals and plants on the earthB．A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlifeC．An organization concerning the protection of rare species’ survivalD．A government made up officials, scientists and experts【小题2】What can be concluded from the passage? A．All the protection methods can’t work. B．The IUCN does most of the protection.C．The efforts China makes has paid off. D．Enough is done in wildlife protection.【小题3】 Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?A．Bad weatherB．Over-hunting C．Warmer oceansD．Habitat destruction【小题4】Which of the sentence is NOT true?A．China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources.B．China has set up a lot of natural reserves.C．The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area.D．The rate of China’s natural reserves is lower than the average of the world.C
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(答案→)C
解析：
【小题1】细节题，从文章第一段的句子The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species.说明这个组织，本部在瑞士，和政府，专家一起为保护濒危动物工作，选C。
【小题2】推理题：从文章倒数二、三段的内容，可知中国的自然保护区的范围在扩大，自然资源也从中收益，和C项中国的努力有了回报是符合的的。
【小题3】细节题：从文章的第二段的：The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals,说明动物的消失是由于栖息地的毁坏，还有捕猎造成的。还有文章的下面一段中的句子Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. 海洋温度的上升也是一个原因，只有A没提到，就选A。
【小题4】细节题：从文章倒数第二段的句子：higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.看出中国的自然保护区比例高于世界平均水平11%，也高于大多数发达国家。所以选D。