畢業生的理想工作：使用老鼠拯救生命

江西贛州市崇義中學 宋喆宇

Rats generally are not beloved animals either in life or the English language.However,the rats at the nonprofit organization APOPO are considered to be lifesavers.

American Ellie Cutright is an APOPO trainer from Charleston,South Carolina.The researcher shared her very high opinions of giant pouched（長著育兒袋的）rats in a discussion.She wants everyone to know how useful these animals are.She says that everybody should know that the rats are not stupid and terrible animals.They're really intelligent and they can be trained to do some amazing things.

Based in Tanzania,APOPO trains rats to find landmines（地雷）.The rats with their extraordinary sense of smell are very good at the job.Humans have used metal-searching devices to do this work for years.But giant pouched rats do it better.And they also cost less money.Cutright explains how the search process works.“When the rats are working in the field and they find a landmine,they scratch on the ground and that's how we know.We place a little marker there,and then we can safely remove it and get rid of the landmine.”

Once trained,the rats work in minefields in Tanzania and other countries around the world.APOPO estimates that worldwide there are 110 million hidden explosives left over from war.These explosives are still“live”,or able to explode.Experts say such landmines kill or wound around 5,000 people a year.APOPO says its rats have discovered more than 107,000 landmines and unexploded explosives,making life safer for almost a million people.

The giant pouched rat is large compared to other kinds of rats.However,they still do not weigh enough to cause a landmine to explode.Cutright praises the impact of their work.“I think the work that APOPO does is really important in spreading the word that rats are not just a pest.They really are heroes and they show us every day that they are worthy of that name.”

Cutright says that she has loved rats all her life.She even kept one as a pet when she was young.She also followed APOPO's Facebook site for years.During her last year of college,a job announcement appeared on the social media site.She applied and was hired.Cutright says that for her the position is a perfect fit.

Reading Check

1.What enables giant pouched rats to discover landmines?

A.Their light weight.

B.Their sharp sense of smell.

C.Their alert reaction to the new.

D.Their quick awareness of direction.

2.How can people know if there're landmines using giant pouched rats?

A.By measuring their weight.

B.By observing their behavior.

C.By analysing their heart rate.

D.By reading their expressions.

3.Which word best describes giant pouched rats'work according to APOPO?

A.Remarkable.

B.Irreplaceable.

C.Unchangeable.

D.Sustainable.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Once trained,the rats work in minefields in Tanzania and other countries around the world.

【信息提取】Once trained是Once they are trained的省略形式。在時間、條件、讓步狀語從句中，當主、從句主語一致時，可將從句的主語和be同時省略。

【句式仿寫】一旦采用了，這種方法將會極大地幫助英語學習。