The return of crested ibises 朱鹮归来

刘同功

主题语境：动物保护

篇幅：350词

建议用时：7分钟

From the worlds last seven to a population ofmore than 5，000 in Shaanxi Province， China spentnearly 40 years bringing back crested ibises（朱鹮）from the brink of extinction.

With its iconic red crest and face， as well as along black beak and snow?white feathers， the crestedibis is known as the“Oriental Gem”in China. They were once widespread in East Asia andSiberia until in the 20th century when hunting， ecological destruction and increased humanactivities drove the birds to near extinction.

In 1981， the entire species around the world was down to the seven crested ibiseswhich were found in Yangxian County， northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province and deep in theQinling Mountains， making Qinling， a natural boundary between Chinas north and south，the“Noahs Ark”of the wild bird.

Since 1981， the local government of Yangxian County has put forward four bans forthe protection of the species， prohibiting activities including hunting in the birds livingareas， cutting down trees where it nests， using chemical fertilizers and pesticides in itsforaging （ 觅食） areas and firing guns in its breeding areas. The Chinese governmentarranged special funds to protect the habitat of the crested ibis， sealing off mountains tofacilitate afforestation in the birds living areas. China started captive breeding of crestedibises in 1991 and had bred more than 400 birds in Shaanxi as of 2019.

Years of constant effort have yielded promising results. It is estimated that there aremore than 7，000 crested ibises in the world now， and nearly 69% of them live in Shaanxi.The birds habitat in China has risen from less than 5 square kilometres in 1981 to the cur?rent 15，000 square kilometres or so.

“It is lucky that the crested ibis， an ancient bird， is still flying around，”said Zan Lin?sen， head of the Shaanxi Academy of Forestry“. The conservation story of the crested ibisnot only shows us the tenacity of ancient life but also the necessity and urgency of ecologi?cal environment protection and restoration，”Zan said.“The revival of the species is a suc?cessful model we explored in the process of saving the endangered animal.”

ReadingCheck

1. Why is the Qinling Mountains so important for crested ibises？

A. It is where crested ibises were first found.

B. It used to be the last habitat of crested ibises.

C. It is the only breeding area of crested ibises.

D. It protects crested ibises from their natural enemies.

2. What can we conclude from paragraph 4？

A. Crested ibises are unlikely to be bred in captivity.

B. Hunting has been the biggest threat to crested ibises.

C. Its legal to own hunting guns in Yangxian County.

D. The government plays a key role in saving crested ibises.

3. What does the underlined word“facilitate”in paragraph 4 mean？

A. Promote.

B. Prevent.

C. Predict.

D. Delay.

4. How does Zan Linsen sound in the last paragraph？

A. Shocked and curious.

B. Sorry and regretful.

C. Relieved and happy.

D. Proud and ambitious.

LanguageStudy

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

In 1981， the entire species around the world was down to the seven crested ibiseswhich were found in Yangxian County， northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province and deep in theQinling Mountains， making Qinling， a natural boundary between Chinas north and south，the“Noahs Ark”of the wild bird. 1981年，世界僅存的七只朱鹮在洋县被发现。洋县位于中国西北地区的陕西省，在秦岭深处。这让秦岭——中国南北的分界线——成为这一野生鸟类的“诺亚方舟”。

【点石成金】本句是一个复合句。which 引导一个定语从句，making...the wild bird是现在分词短语作结果状语。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

from the brink of extinction 从灭绝的边缘

put forward 提出；建议

seal off 封闭；封锁

yield promising results 取得可喜成果

in the process of 在……的过程中