The illegal ivory(象牙) trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers have killed hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain ivory. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday key African states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade to protect elephants.
Over the past few days, top officials and experts from 30 states met at the African Elephant Summit. The conference, organized by the IUCN and the government of Botswana, was held in Gaborone, Botswana.
Conservation efforts will include China and Thailand, where much of the ivory is sent. “Now is the time for Africa and Asia to join forces to protect this universally valued species,” said Botswana President Ian Khama.
In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory. The ivory was used to make jewelry and other items. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to ban all the trade in ivory. As a result, demand for ivory fell. Governments cracked down on poachers. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However , this progress was short-lived.
According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Data from the IUCN show even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. “With an estimated 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation,” said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. “Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinction if the present killing rate continues.
At the African Elephant Summit , key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a “zerotolerance approach” to poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are committed to classifying wildlife trafficking (交易) as a serious crime --- and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states working together, there may yet be hope for elephants.
小题1:The purpose of holding the African Elephant Summit is to _________.
A．make new laws to punish poachers.
B．prevent elephants from being poached.
C．collect money for elephants’ protection
D．call for African countries to save elephants.小题2:Why are China and Thailand mentioned in the text?
A．The ivory is illegally sold in these two countries.
B．Elephants need protecting in these two countries.
C．They know how to protect wildlife like elephants.
D．They prefer jewelry and other items made of ivory.小题3:What can we learn from Paragraph 5 ?
A．The governments do nothing to protect animals.
B．Elephant poaching in Africa is out of control.
C．A large number of elephants have been killed.
D．Illegal ivory trading is to blame for the elephants’ extinction.小题4:What would be the best title for the text?
A．Wild Animals Are at Risk
B．New Hope for Elephants
C．Elephants Need Our Help
D．Wildlife Protection in Africa
