英语听力：自然百科 湄公河域老虎数量锐减

 The numbers of tigers in the wild in South East Asia have dropped by more than 70% a little more than a decade. That's the claim in a new report from the WWF. The organization says there were an estimated 1,200 tigers in the Greater Mekong Region during the last Year of the Tiger in 1998. Today, WWF estimates there are only about 350 there. Wild tigers have even been wiped out in several reserves set up to protect them.

 

The Greater Mekong Region includes China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The reason for the drop? WWF says the tiger crisis has developed because of deliberate and large scale illegal hunting of tigers for body parts, mostly for use of traditional medicine. Here, Tiger parts are seen displayed for sale on a street in Bangkok. Enforcement of poaching has had limited success such as these scenes from Vietnam where illegally poached tigers and carcasses were confiscated¹ by authorities.

 

The WWF hopes to raise awareness² and funds to stop the poaching. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and later this month, ministers from 13 tiger range countries will meet in Thailand for a conference on tiger conversation. It's hoped the governments will agree on future needs of protecting this big cat from extinction³.

1 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。