Where did all the tigers go? That’s what Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants to know. India’s Sariska Project Tiger Reserve, once home to 26 tigers, is now home to none. Singh has ordered a police investigation into the
39 ，and created a new taskforce to save the
40 animals.
Tiger
s are an endangered species(物种). Half of the world’s tiger
41 live in India. For years, tigers have been disappearing from India’s national parks, but Sariska may be the last straw. And the government has to react.
On Thursday, Singh held the first meeting of
42 officials, wildlife experts, and related leaders, aiming to count the nation’s remaining tigers, and to come up with a plan to keep them safe.
It is not hard to guess why the tigers are disappearing. Poachers (偷猎者) can
43 the big cats for $50,000 each. Tiger skin and bones are popular in Chinese
44 . A single tiger tooth can fetch $120. Recently, a group of poachers admitted killing ten tigers in Sariska and were
45 .
“Indian tiger poaching is probably the biggest conservation problem in modern times.” said Belinda Wright, the head of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
However, poaching isn’t the only
46 . Many poachers use advanced technologies, like night glasses and long–range binoculars. Forest security officers are paid so
47 th
at few of them bother to track down the poachers. Even if a security guard were to find a poacher, many carry only a stick to make him obey the law.
Tiger fans hope that Singh’s plans mean end for the poachers and
48 for the endangered species.
| 小题1: | | A．project | B．disappearance | C．reserve | D．home |
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| 小题2: | | A．dangerous | B．huge | C．rare | D．fierce |
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| 小题3: | | A．population | B．percentage | C．generation | D．group |
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| 小题4: | | A．business | B．trade | C．army | D．forest |
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| 小题5: | | A．raise | B．hunt | C．sell | D．shoot |
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| 小题6: | | A．food | B．tradition | C．culture | D．medicine |
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| 小题7: | | A．found | B．arrested | C．prohibited | D．controlled |
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| 小题8: | | A．problem | B．worry | C．crime | D．factor |
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| 小题9: | | A．commonly | B． poorly | C．slightly | D．highly |
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| 小题10: | | A．success | B．lamp | C．hope | D．achievement |
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