文字稿

據野生動物慈善組織 People’s Trust for Endangered Species 的一份最新報告稱，自2000年起，英國本土睡鼠的數目已經下降超過三分之一。睡鼠也稱冬眠鼠，是生活在野外樹林和灌木叢中的一種小型哺乳動物。它們冬季十月至來年的五月在地下冬眠。那么是什么原因導致了它們的數目急劇下降？請聽 Claire Marshall 的報道。

In one of the longest running small mammal monitoring projects in the world, trained volunteers around the UK have been gathering data on the tiny hazel dormouse since 1990.

The mice have dark golden fur, large black eyes, and live mainly in hedgerows and woods, weaving ball-like nests from bark and leaves. A populated area the size of two football fields will only contain four dormice, a giveaway sign is a nibbled hazelnut.

This report suggests that they are becoming more difficult to find than ever. Over the last sixteen years, the population has declined by almost 40 percent. Dormice are now restricted to parts of southern Wales and southern England. They have never been recorded in Scotland or Northern Ireland. 

The survey blames this decline on the loss of their native woodland habitat and more variable weather linked to climate change.

詞匯表

longest-running 運行時間最長的
gathering data 收集數據
dark golden fur 暗金色的毛
hedgerows 灌木樹籬
weaving 編織
bark 樹皮
a giveaway sign 一個非常明顯的、一看就知道的跡象或標志
nibbled 被啃了的
hazelnut 榛子
restricted to 受限制于
blames 責備、指責
native 土生土長的
habitat 棲息地
variable 多變的，反復無常的

測驗

請聽報道并回答下列問題。

1. In which era did the research start?

2. Where are we likely to find dormice?

3. True or false? Dormice have been found in Northern Ireland as well as Scotland.

4. Which word in the text means ‘the natural home or environment of an animal or plant’?

答案

1. In which era did the research start?
The research started in the 1990s.

2. Where are we likely to find dormice?
They are likely to be found in hedgerows and woods.

3. True or false? Dormice have been found in Northern Ireland as well as Scotland.
False. Dormice have only been seen in southern Wales and southern England.

4. Which word in the text means ‘the natural home or environment of an animal or plant’?
Habitat.