节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-09-28
难易度:Medium
关键字:menace, roam, convert, endanger, subspecies, habitat, poacher
Hi, everybody.
Welcome back from the break.
Tigers are really amazing creatures.
Did you know that tigers are good swimmers?
And did you know that you can hear a tiger roar from as far away as three
kilometers?
That's got to be loud.
OK. Let's get back to the lesson about the things that threaten the tigers'
future on line 16.
(Music).
The Future of Tigers.
As more forests are converted into zones for agricultural or building sites, the
tigers' hunting and mating grounds are increasingly lost.
The clearing and selling of timber is another factor that is leading to
disappearing territory for the tigers.
However, loss of habitat is only one of the reasons why these big cats are
endangered.
Poachers hunt and kill the animals for various body parts that are sold and used
in traditional Asian medicines.
Tigers are also widely hunted for their fur.
So what are threatening tigers?
Why are they depleting?
Why are they disappearing from the wild?
Now we learned that they lived in the... before the 1930s in a very large area
of Asia.
But since then, only seven percent of that remains for them to live in.
Well, where's that... where's the rest of that land going?
We know, Ryan, one of them is the cities.
But what's... what are more options?
OK. Well, we see here forests are being converted into zones for agricultural or
building sites.
Now those places are... or were originally the tigers' homes, but they're being
converted.
Now to "convert" something means to change it from one thing into another.
OK. So they're being changed into zones or areas that are designed for
agricultural or building sites.
That's right.
Now "agricultural" meaning farming areas, places that humans are growing plants.
Or building, well, we know what that is. It's building cities.
Right. And as more of these are built, friends, then the tigers' hunting and
mating grounds are increasingly lost.
That's right.
And they do need a large area.
If you think about the size of a tiger, there needs to be a lot of prey out
there for them to catch.
Especially if there are multiple tigers, they need more prey to be hunting so
that they can all survive.
Yeah. They need area for mating grounds as well.
And mating is when you talk about animals making babies.
And so these tigers are not able to make tiger cubs, which is the word for tiger
babies, and so then there are fewer tigers.
That's right.
And that's the only way that tigers can increase their population is if they
have these mating grounds.
When we say "grounds" meaning the areas that is... that they meet up at,
where they connect, and also where it's safe to raise their babies, to raise
their young.
They need these areas so they can, well, for one, find each other because they
hunt alone, and two, to raise their children.
OK. Well, the clearing and the selling of timber is another factor that is
leading to disappearing territory for the tigers.
OK. So tigers do live in a lot of forests.
So as the forests are being cut down for these different... what are these
reasons?
For selling timber and for clearing land.
So timber is what?
OK. Timber is the word describing wood that is used for building.
And so people that are called lumberjacks go in and cut down trees and sell that
wood.
The wood that they sell is called timber.
And they are clearing out those.
Now another factor, this... this is one of the factors leading to it.
So the agriculture, the cities, and now this.
However, loss of habitat is only one of the reasons why these big cats are
endangered.
All right.
Now we've learned what the word "extinct" means.
That means that they are not around anymore.
But tigers, most of the tigers that are left are still endangered.
What is that?
Now "endangered" are... refers to plants and animals that are at a risk of
becoming extinct.
So we put them on an endangered species list so that we as humans work to
protect them, to help them stay alive on earth.
Now to be endangered, that means there are just very few of them left.
Yeah. And they soon may become extinct.
And we don't want that to happen with the tigers.
So what is another reason why tigers are endangered?
Well, we saw that humans clearing land was one.
And once again, it is the fault of humans because of poachers.
Poachers hunt and kill the animals for various body parts, and then sell those
to make all different kinds of traditional Asian medicines.
Hmm. Now see, that sounds terrible to me.
Of course, it's illegal to hunt tigers, but that is why these people are called
poachers.
That's right.
Now a "poacher" is someone who catches and kills animals illegally.
So tigers are an example of what is protected.
Whales, sharks, elephants, these are all protected from poachers who would kill
them illegally.
OK. So they're hunted to use in medicines.
And they're also widely hunted for their fur.
People like to use their fur.
They're absolutely beautiful.
But that does not mean that we should kill them for their fur.
That is what poachers are doing.
Now we know what the risks for these tigers are.
Tomorrow we're going to talk about ways that we can help tigers, preserve them
for a better future.
But right now we need to visit the Chat Room.
I'm sorry, but I don't know how to help you.
Computer problems are unfamiliar territory for me, so why don't I transfer you
to our technology department.
I hope they can help you.
OK.
Hey, what was that about?
Oh, nothing big.
Some guy had a problem with his computer and wanted help, but I didn't know the
answer, so I transferred him to someone who might.
Oh. You know, when you said it was unfamiliar territory, I thought you might
have to go somewhere.
Isn't "territory" an area of land that belongs to a country?
That is what the word usually means.
But "unfamiliar territory" is a common phrase referring to a subject that
someone doesn't know much about.
Oh. So when you said computer problems were unfamiliar territory, you meant that
you didn't know how to deal with them?
That's right.
And by the way, the word "territory" doesn't just refer to countries.
It can also talk about an area where an animal lives or hunts.
Animals can be aggressive when they defend their territory.
I see.
So do you get frustrated when people ask you about subjects that are unfamiliar
territory for you?
Not really, as long as they are polite.
As a librarian, I get asked questions about lots of things.
Hey, it comes with the territory.
it comes with the territory?
What does that mean?
That's another idiom.
It just means that something is an expected or necessary part of a certain
situation.
Oh. So could I say for the parents of young children, having to get up in the
middle of the night comes with the territory?
Yes, that's a good example.
Great.
Thanks to you, these idioms are no longer unfamiliar territory.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And I guess that's it for today.
Keep up the good work, and I'll see you tomorrow.
Thank you again, Michelle.
We appreciate that.
Today we discussed the tigers' two biggest enemies: poachers and habitat loss.
The good news is we can oppose these threats and give the tigers a promising
future.
We'll look at some ways to do that tomorrow.
Friends, for more listening practice, don't forget to check out Studio Classroom
Quick Bites.
They're short video clips, really.
One sums up each article while the other gives some extra information that you
won't find in the lesson.
You can check Quick Bites out at our Studio Classroom website.
Now go and have a wonderful Friday!