Koalas could disappear from Australia

2020-12-06四川双流中学蒋建平

疯狂英语·新读写 2020年11期

关键词：双流考拉桉树

四川双流中学蒋建平

树袋熊，又叫考拉。考拉是Koala的音译名，源于古代土著文字，意思是“不喝水”。因为树袋熊从它们取食的桉树树叶中获得所需水分的90%，所以只在生病和干旱的时候喝水，当地人因此称它“克瓦勒”。

题材动物说明文体裁文章词数建议用时约387 7分钟

难词探意

1. eucalyptus /ˌjuːkə΄lıptəs/n. 桉树

2. stark /stɑːk/adj. 完全的；荒凉的

3. parliamentary /ˌpɑːlə΄mentri/adj. 议会的；国会的

Australian animals koalas could disappear from New South Wales state by 2050, unless the state government immediately acts to protect them.

Koalas are among Australia's most beloved animals. Lawmakers in the New South Wales' upper house of Parliament released the report on Tuesday. It said land clearing for agriculture, urban development, mining and forestry are threatening the koalas' survival. Such operations destroy koala habitat. Koalas live ineucalyptusforests. The trees provide shelter and food for the koalas. They eat eucalyptus leaves.

But, the state's most recent fire season, aided by severely dry weather, was unusually long and proved disastrous for koalas. The investigation found that about 25 percent of koala habitat across the state was destroyed. The report also said that,in some parts of New South Wales, or NSW for short, fires destroyed as much as 81 percent of the habitat. “The evidence could not be morestark,” the report read, adding “If the government acts on the report's suggested measures, children's grandchildren will see a koala in the wild in NSW.”

Theparliamentarycommittee heading the investigation includes lawmakers from several political parties.The report advises that the government take42actions to deal with the problem. One calls for immediately counting koalas in New South Wales. Another advises that the government place the protection of the animals above urban development. And it calls for more money to support efforts to save the environment.

Stuart Blanch is an expert on land clearing and restoration at the Australian office of the WWF.He called on the government to do as the report advises and to strengthen protection for areas where the animals live. “WWF calls on the NSW Premier to rewrite weak land clearing laws to protect the koala habitat,” Blanch said in a statement. He also said that the government should provide increased economic support for farmers who actively protect eucalyptus trees and stop wood industry operations in koala habitats.

The Premier of New South Wales is Gladys Berejiklian. A spokesperson for her administration said the government would comment on the report after a period of consideration. The official added that New South Wales had already provided more than $30 million to protect koalas.