VOA标准英语2014--研究发现猎豹数量正在减少

 

Study: Cheetah¹ Population Dwindling² 研究发现猎豹数量正在减少

In 1900, cheetahs³ numbered around 100,000. Today, there are just 10,000 in the wild. A new study says being fast is not enough to survive.

Everybody’s knows cheetahs are fast. Some recent studies have clocked them at around 95 kilometers per hour over distances of about 366 meters. So, it seems logical that all that sprinting⁴ would zap the cat of a lot of energy and make it vulnerable. The problem is, until recently, no one ever really measured how much energy a cheetah expends⁶.

Dr. John Wilson, who took part in the cheetah research, said the cats can easily deal with those energy outbursts.

“Like any cat, basically, they rest for most of the day. And they have only brief periods of activity," he said. "So, for example, a cheetah would only hunt in the morning for a few hours -- in the afternoon for a few hours. We assume they expend⁵ a lot of energy during these chases. They offset⁷ those high-energy expenditures⁸ by resting for most of the day. So, these blistering⁹ speeds that they run for short periods don’t really have an effect on the cheetahs over the entire day.”

If the cheetahs are not winded or weak after the chase, what else might be behind their dwindling numbers? One theory is that other predators¹⁰ – like lions or hyenas¹¹ – might be stealing most of the cheetahs’ food after they make a kill.

Wilson said, “Our study has found that that’s actually not really the case. Cheetahs lose about 12 percent of the food. So while they lose quite a bit of their food cheetahs are pretty fast eaters. So, they’ve eaten a lot of the food before they lose that food. The act of losing food is that that significant.”

The answer to the cheetah’s vulnerability lies in its physiology¹². The cat simply burns a lot of calories.

“Because these cheetahs have a fast metabolism¹³ – they have huge lungs and a strong heart – their resting metabolic¹⁴ rate is really high," Wilson said. "So, just the act of walking already for a cheetah is pretty expensive. And then the longer they look they look for food the more energy they need to invest in finding the food.”

And therein lies the problem. It’s taking a lot longer for cheetahs to find prey¹⁵ – and they have to walk a lot father to do so.  

Humans are to blame. Cheetahs naturally avoid people. But human presence is expanding -- and with it -- the construction of fences that block the hunting routes of cheetahs and other predators. So they have to go a lot farther to either get around the fences or find a place where they can sneak¹⁶ through. That consumes a lot of energy.

Wilson said while this has not affected¹⁷ the number of cheetah cubs¹⁹ being born, it can affect their survival. He gave an example of a female cheetah observed in the desert.

“This mom is under stress already looking for food for herself. Then she needs to look for food for her cub¹⁸. And if she needs to move further and further, the mother is under more strain and then that puts even more strain on the cub.”

People are also killing²⁰ the animals that cheetahs hunt. What’s more, cheetahs are illegally captured and sold as pets in the Middle East. However, the conservation group – Born Free USA – said up to 70 percent of the cheetah cubs illegally smuggled²¹ through East Africa die.

Earlier this year, Born Free called on members of the CITES treaty – which protects endangered species -- to increase enforcement at borders and improve laws and regulations.

Wilson said there are no simple solutions to help cheetahs cope with human activity, but quick action is needed. He said there’s a 10-percent chance they could become extinct within a 100 years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists cheetahs as an Endangered Species, while the International Union for Conservation of Nature describes the cats as vulnerable. Most of Africa’s cheetahs – about 2,500 – are found in Namibia. 

1 cheetah   

n.(动物)猎豹

参考例句：

• The cheetah is generally credited as the world's fastest animal.猎豹被公认是世界上跑得最快的动物。
• The distribution of the cheetah ranges from Africa to Central Asia.印度豹的足迹遍及从非洲到中亚的广大地区。

2 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

3 cheetahs   

n.（奔跑极快的）非洲猎豹( cheetah的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Unlike lions or cheetahs, leopards are secretive, solitary cats. 花豹不像狮子或印度豹，是属于较神秘而隐居的大猫。 来自互联网
• Among this lot are cheetahs, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, spotted hyenas and elephants. 印度豹、狮子、花豹、犀牛、斑点土狼、大象等，都是此地的居民。 来自互联网

4 sprinting   

v.短距离疾跑( sprint的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Stride length and frequency are the most important elements of sprinting. 步长和步频是短跑最重要的因素。 来自互联网
• Xiaoming won the gold medal for sprinting in the school sports meeting. 小明在学校运动会上夺得了短跑金牌。 来自互联网

5 expend   

vt.花费，消费，消耗

参考例句：

• Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
• They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。

6 expends   

v.花费( expend的第三人称单数 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽

参考例句：

• The commercial value height also expends demand how many! 商业价值高低也就是消费需求多少！ 来自互联网
• The stimulation expends basis, also lies in enhances the resident income. 刺激消费的根本，还在于提高居民收入。 来自互联网

7 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

8 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

10 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 hyenas   

n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These animals were the prey of hyenas. 这些动物是鬣狗的猎物。 来自辞典例句
• We detest with horror the duplicity and villainy of the murderous hyenas of Bukharinite wreckers. 我们非常憎恨布哈林那帮两面三刀、杀人破坏，干尽坏事的豺狼。 来自辞典例句

12 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

13 metabolism   

n.新陈代谢

参考例句：

• After years of dieting,Carol's metabolism was completely out of whack.经过数年的节食，卡罗尔的新陈代谢完全紊乱了。
• All living matter undergoes a process of metabolism.生物都有新陈代谢。

14 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。

15 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

16 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

17 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

18 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

19 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

21 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网