100年数量减少了96%，老虎已成濒危物种
Tigers could be extinct within a decade according to an animal charity which has launched an international plea to help save the threatened species. Born Free has said the tiger population has plummeted by 96 percent in the past 100 years. And in the next 10 years, the entire population of tigers—estimated to be 4,000—could be wiped off the planet. The dramatic reduction in the population is due to illegal hunting and habitat destruction.
Howard Jones, CEO of Sussex-based Born Free, said, “Tigers need our invention more than ever due to countless threats including human-wildlife conflict. That includes poaching for their body parts for traditional ‘medicine’. It’s unimaginable to think of a world without tigers but unless we act now, the consequences could be terrible."
“We urgently need support for our Living with Tigers initiative so we can encourage human-wildlife co-existence through education and by involving the local community in a number of unique initiatives to improve their livelihoods.” The charity is working with seven Indian NGOs to increase efforts to deal with poachers and the increasing cities in India because of its rapid human population increase and habitat loss due to deforestation and chaotic or ill-considered rural development.
Kishor Rithe, founder of the Satpuda Foundation, which is a partner of the Living with Tigers network, said, “There are canals, roadways, railways, transportation lines and all sorts of projects that are proposed across the landscape. I believe that every responsible agency should think about making the balance of ecology.”
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1.What does the underlined word “plummeted” mean?
A Help out.
B Go back.
C Dropped quickly.
D Lived happily.
解析：选C。词义推测题。根据文章第一段最后一句的The dramatic reduction可知老虎的数量下降很快，结合语境可推知该词的意思为“急剧下降”。故选C。
2.Why did some people hunt the tigers illegally?
A They wanted to get more woods.
B They needed a world without the tigers.
C They used the tigers to produce drugs.
D They didn’t have enough room to live.
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句的That includes poaching for their body parts for traditional ‘medicine’可知有人盗猎是想用老虎做药。故选C。
3.Why did the increasing cities in India endanger the tigers?
A The human population increases quickly.
B Its developments make the tigers lose their own living places.
C Many hunters were poaching them without mercy.
D It’s unimaginable to think of a world without tigers.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据文章第三段最后一句的habitat loss due to deforestation and chaotic or ill-considered rural development可知城市的发展会造成老虎栖息地的减少，这样就危及到了老虎的生存了。故选B。
4.According to Kishor Rithe, what should people consider in building transportation lines?
A The ecological balance.
B The fund proposal.
C The rural development.
D The community education.
解析：选A。推理判断题。根据文章第四段最后一句的I believe that every responsible agency should think about making the balance of ecology.可知任何工程包括交通线路在内要考虑生态平衡。故选A。