Solar powered tags to save koalas from bushfires 太阳能耳标可将考拉从丛林大火中解救出来

李全忠

科学家们正在研究一种方法，即使用重量不到一片面包的甚高频太阳能耳标追踪设备以在发生大火的丛林中快速找到考拉。

Scientists are working on a way to quickly find koalas in the path of a bushfire using ear tag tracking devices that weigh less than a slice of bread. Once the koalas are located， they can be kept safe until their habitat recovers and monitored once they are released.

Koalas have already been fitted with bluetooth ear tags that allow mobile phones to detect their location within 20 meters， but scientists are now working to fit solar powered ear tags with VHF transmitters（甚高頻发射机） detectable from 250 meters away. Tests have shown that drones（无人机） can map the VHF signal from the transmitters， allowing wildlife rescuers to save the koalas before a bushfire threatens them.

“The ear tags are light and because theyre powered by a solar panel， there is no need for a battery which needs to change every six months，” said University of the Sunshine Coast research fellow Dr Romane Cristescu. “We believe these ear tags will last for the life of the koala. As severe bushfires become more common， the VHF solar ear tag could play a crucial role in saving koalas and conserving genetic diversity.” The research is being funded by WWF. Brave new ideas are crucial to helping restore species and landscapes and adapting to a changing climate.

Macquarie University wildlife researcher Dr Alexandra Carthey has also won funding to trial cardboard “habitat pods” to give small animals somewhere to hide from raptors（猛禽）， wild cats and foxes in burnt landscapes following a bushfire. Raptors arrive within minutes after a fire， while wild cats and foxes can travel many kilometres towards fire， because they know the hunting will be excellent.

The habitat pods would be made of recycled cardboard， waterproofed with beeswax， and will break down naturally over about 12 months， leaving no trace. This idea could help small native animals persist following fires， allowing for a more rapid recovery.

[Reading][Check]

1. What are scientists working on？

A. Improving koalas habitat.

B. Offering koalas more bread.

C. Preventing a bushfire from breaking out.

D. Discovering a fast way of locating koalas in a bushfire.

2. Whats the solar powered ear tags advantage？

A. They have a lower cost. B. They can last for six months.

C. They can work in a wider range. D. They are preferred by the koalas in trouble.

3. What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about？

A. The enemies of koalas.

B. Resources needed to survive bushfires.

C. Ways of avoiding being burnt by bushfires.

D. The reason for building habitat pods.

4. In which section of a newspaper can you read this passage？

A. Animal. B. Culture. C. Education. D. Business.

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

Raptors arrive within minutes after a fire， while wild cats and foxes can travel many kilometres towards fire， because they know the hunting will be excellent. 猛禽在火灾后几分钟内到达，而野猫和狐狸可以向着火行进数公里，因为它们知道这场狩猎会非常精彩。

【点石成金】本句是一个并列复合句，句中while引导两个并列句;because引导原因状语从句，the hunting will be excellent是宾语从句，作动词know的宾语。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

work on 致力于;从事

less than 少于

last for 持续

play a crucial role in 在……中起关键作用

adapt to 适应

be made of 由……组成

break down 分解