Wild Herds May Stampede Across Britain

Wild Herds May Stampede Across Britain

A About 800,000 hectares of Britain have been identified as places where traditional farming could be replaced over time by wilderness nature reserves, possibly inhabited by vanished species such as elk, moose, beaver and wild horse. The radical vision of developing large-scale conservation areas and linking them via ecological corridors to allow herds of animals to roam across hundreds of miles is proposed as a relatively inexpensive way to revitalise the large areas expected to become uneconomic to farm during the next fifteen years as European Union subsidies are progressively cut.

B The proposals, drawn up by a group with extensive experience of such projects, have been presented to the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They are also being taken seriously by many big wildlife groups and landowners. The National Trust, the Forestry Commission, the WWF and the RSP8 are said to be enthusiastic about the scale of the areas envisaged.

C The areas tentatively put forward by the Wilderness Foundation for "re-wilding" are mainly in upland areas with farms that are only marginally economic. They include the isles of Arran and Harris, the central Cairngorms, Glen Affric and the Knoydart peninsula in Scotland, and the Brecon Beacons, Elan Valley, Plynlimon and $nowdonia in Wales. In England, parts of the Lake District, the North York Moors and the Pennines are proposed, along with wetland areas such as the Essex marshes and the Fenlands.

D "Large natural habitat areas offer significant alternative livelihoods to landholders and local communities," said Toby Ayckroyd of the Wilderness Foundation, which has also discussed the proposals with the government nature adviser English Nature, and its counterparts in Wales and Scotland. "A series of large interlinked natural wild lands is now entirely practical in Britain. Many large areas of farmland will become uneconomic for agricultural production over the next 20 years"

E The charity, which has worked with the world's largest conservation groups to develop wilderness areas in South Africa and elsewhere, says there is growing public and official interest in the economic value of wild places and the social benefits which they can generate. Some of the proposals are based on the experience gained in South Africa. "We do not envisage that anyone would have to be moved" Mr Ayckroyd said. "There would be core areas where people would not be encouraged to go, as well as inner and outer buffer zones, but there would be no restrictions put on access "The charity believes there is great potential for communities to earn money from international ecotourism.

F "If Britain is seen to be re-establishing wild places, and moreover for economic as well as conservation reasons, then rich country proposals for preservation of diminishing habitat and vanishing species in the third world would carry significantly more credibility" Mr Ayckroyd said. The idea of large-scale conservation areas was this week backed by several organisations. "It's imperative to think big. We certainly agree with the idea of thinking on the large scale, though we do not see herds of bison roaming around Britain" says Catherine Huirn, the nature conservation adviser to the National Trust, which is allowing a valley in Ennerdale, Cumbria, to revert to a wild state and is also working on large-scale ecological restoration projects in Snowdonia and the Fens with others.

G One of the models for future British wilderness areas is Oostvaardersplassen, 30 miles from Amsterdam in Holland, where about 5,600 hectares (14,000 acres) of valuable, reclaimed land has been turned with government assistance into Europe's largest conservation experiment. An area once slated for industrial development is now roamed by more than 1,600 deer, as well as primitive descendants of Europe's original wild hor

Khan was built to keep wild gazelle on the land？

A.Because Mongol tribes hate gazelle.

B.Because gazelle herds are rarely seen in that area.

C.Because people would never build an animal fence like that.

D.Because gazelle would jump over the fence.

Animals perform. many useful entertaining jobs. Dogs are particularly

valuable in guiding the blind, protecting property, finding losing 【M1】 ______

people, and hunting criminals. Horses are used in guarding herds, carrying

men in lands that there are no roads, and helping farmers work their 【M2】 ______

land. Pigeons have long used to carry messages. Wild animals from the 【M3】 ______

jungles, forests and seas are very popular performers in circuses and moving

pictures. People realized that, although animals may not have same 【M4】 ______

intelligence as human beings, they are enough smart to learn certain things. 【M5】 ______

The first thing a dog taught is to obey. It should not take too long for 【M6】 ______

him to learn commands. Simple orders, such as "sit, lie down, stay there,

come here," can even be taught by a child.

Training a dog to be a watchdog often produces unexpected results.

Soma dogs quickly learn the differences between unwanted people from 【M7】 ______

friends. This is because their masters welcome friends and invites them

into their house. However, some dogs will always attack the postman who

goes to deliver letters. One explanation for this behaviour is that, 【M8】 ______

the postman comes to the house often, he never enters the house. Therefore, 【M9】 ______

the dog thinks the postman is someone who is not wanted,

but keeps to come back anyway. 【M10】 ______

【M1】

oss public lands in the American west. But decades of poaching and culling decimated the herds, and by 1971, when they were granted federal protection through the "Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act," there were only around 20,000 left. Today a limited number of mustangs still roam public lands in ten Western states, their numbers regulated by annual roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. Late last year, without public hearings or debate, a provision was slipped into the federal spending bill that allows the BLM to sell thousands of these captured wild horses for slaughter. That' s prompted horse lovers to try to save them.

What is the reason of the decline of the number of the wild horses？

A．Climate change and human activities.

B．The hunting and culling.

C．Fanning and industrializing.

D．Mass killing caused by people.

oss public lands in the American west. But decades of poaching and culling decimated the herds, and by 1971, when they were granted federal protection through the "Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act," there were only around 20,000 left. Today a limited number of mustangs still roam public lands in ten Western states, their numbers regulated by annual roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. Late last year, without public hearings or debate, a provision was slipped into the federal spending bill that allows the BLM to sell thousands of these captured wild horses for slaughter. That's prompted horse lovers to try to save them.

What is the mason of the decline of the number of the wild horses ？

A．climate change and human activities

B．the hunting and culling

C．farming and industrializing

D．mass killing caused by people

听力原文： At the turn of the last century, more than 2-million wild horses roamed free across public lands in the American west. But decades of poaching and culling decimated the herds, and by 1971, when they were granted federal protection through the "Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act," there were only around 20,000 left. Today a limited number of mustangs still roam public lands in ten Western states, their numbers regulated by annual roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. Late last year, without public hearings or debate, a provision was slipped into the federal spending bill that allows the BLM o sell thousands of these captured wild horses for slaughter. That's prompted horse lovers to try to save them.

What is the reason of the decline of the number of the wild horses？

A．Climate change and human activities.

B．The hunting and culling.

C．Farming and industrializing.

D．Mass killing caused by people.

oss public lands in the American west. But decades of poaching and culling decimated the herds, and by 1971, when they were granted federal protection through the "Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act," there were only around 20,000 left. Today a limited number of mustangs still roam public lands in ten Western states, their numbers regulated by annual roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. Late last year, without public hearings or debate, a provision was slipped into the federal spending bill that allows the BLM to sell thousands of these captured wild horses for slaughter. That's prompted horse lovers to try to save them.

What is the reason of the decline of the number of the wild homes ？

A．climate change and human activities

B．the hunting and culling

C．farming and industrializing

D．mass killing caused by people

听力原文： At the turn of the last century, more than 2-millinn wild horses roamed free across public lands in the American west. But decades of poaching and culling decimated the herds, and by 1971, when they were granted federal protection through the "Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act," there ware only around 20,000 left. Today a limited number of mustangs still roam public lands in ten Western states, their numbers regulated by annual roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. Late last year, without public hearings or debate, a provision was slipped into the federal spending bill that allows the BLM to sell thousands of these captured wild homes for slaughter. That's prompted horse lovers to try to save them.

What is the reason of the decline of the number of the wild horses？

A．Climate change and human activities.

B．The hunting and culling.

C．Farming and industrializing.

D．Mass killing caused by people.

cattle had roamed undisturbed in the wild, breeding freely on the plains and greatly increasing in number. By the end of the war, however, Texas was filled with wild cattle. The people in the mushrooming cities of the East and in the Middle West wanted more meat for their diet and local farmers could not keep up with their demands. Therefore, the need for the cowboy emerged from the demands of the people and the nature of the culture.

These men were handy with tools and knew how to handle a horse. Some of them discovered the use of rope to catch cattle and developed the lariat (套索). Their life was not an easy one. In winter, they watched over the herds and in the springtime they selected cattle for market often driving herds of them hundreds of miles to the nearest town. The cattle were then sold to buyers and the routine would start all over again.

His workday was long beginning before sunrise and lasting well into the night. His best friend was his horse and he spent most of his waking hours in the saddle. His speech was a mixture of Spanish and English and at night by a campfire he wove his speech into songs about life on the prairie.

A great boon to the life of the cowboy was the building of the railroads which connected eastern cities to those out West. In 1866, when the Kansas and Pacific railroad reached the small dusty village of Abilene in Kansas, the life of the cowboy was connected to the rest of the country. Hundreds of small cow towns grew up along the old trails which led the cattle to market, and thus the west became integrated into the economic life of the country.

Today the life of the cowboy is quite different from those early days after the Civil War. Helicopters rather than horses are now used to round up the cattle and modern technology used in the ranches has made the cowboy's life less formidable(难对付的). Yet, the legends which surround him continue to make his image as the masterful hero of the Wild West.

What situation existed in Texas by the end of the Civil War？

A．The land was filled with cowboys.

B．The land was full of wild cattle.

C．The land was fertile for grazing.

D．The land was at peace again.

Animals do many useful and entertaining jobs. (38) Dogs are particularly valuable in guiding the blind (a trained dog can learn never to cross a busy street when cars are coming, even if his master commands him to do so), protecting property, finding lost people, and hunting criminals. Horses are used in guarding herds, carrying men in lands where there are no roads, and helping farmers plow fields. Pigeons have long been used to carry message. Wild animals from the jungles, forests and seas are very popular performers in circuses and movies. People realize that, although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are smart enough to learn certain things.

The first thing a dog is taught is to obey. It should not take too long for him to learn commands. Simple orders, such as "sit, lie down, stay there, come here" can even be taught by a child.

Training a dog to be a watchdog often produces unexpected results. Some dogs quickly learn the difference between unwanted people and friends. This is because their masters welcome friends and invite them into their houses. However, some dogs will always attack the postmen who come to deliver letters. One explanation for this behavior. is that, although the postman comes to the house frequently, he never enters the house. Therefore, the dog thinks the postman is someone who is not wanted, but keeps coming back anyway.

Masters of dogs who attack postmen can easily show the dogs that the postman is a friend and the dog does not need to treat him as an unwanted person. A dog is quite ready to do what his master wishes. And a dog is always happy when he is praised for proper understanding.

A dog feels the happiest if, after he has worked well,______.

A．he gets a good piece of meat

B．he gets praise from his master

C．he is allowed to be by himself

D．he is taken for a walk in the evening