Scientists make new embryo of rare rhino species

聽 力 掃 障

1. rhino /'ra?n??/ n. 犀牛

2. viable /'va??bl/ adj. 可以實施的；切實可行的

3. embryo /'embri??/ n. 胚；胚胎

4. inseminate /?n'sem?ne?t/ v. 使受精；授精

5. surrogate /'s?r?ɡ?t/ adj. 替代的；代用的

6. the Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research 萊布尼茨動物園與野生動物研究所

7. Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy 肯尼亞奧爾佩杰塔自然保護區

8. eligible /'el?d??bl/ adj. 具備條件的；有資格的；合格的

9. bachelor /'b?t??l?(r)/ n. 單身漢；學士

掃 碼 聽 測

聽下面的文章，完成各個部分的練習。從題中所給的A、B、C三個選項中選出最佳選項。文章讀兩遍。

1. How many northern white rhinos remain in the world?

A. 3. B. 2. C. 12.

2. Where are the embryos stored?

A. In a cool liquid. B. In a medical tube. C. In a blocked bottle.

3. What can best describe the goal to create less than 5 wild rhinos?

A. Costly. B. Unrealistic. C. Time-taking.

4. Where are the two remaining female northern white rhinos now?

A. In Kenya. B. In Germany. C. In the Czech Republic.

5. When did the male rhino Sudan die?

A. In 2008. B. In 2016. C. In 2018.

在全球的北部白犀牛只剩下兩頭之際，一些研究者們已經成功地培育出第三個北部白犀牛的胚胎，這些研究者們還將繼續為培育北部白犀牛的胚胎而努力。

Researchers say they have successfully created another embryo of the northern whiterhino.The animal risks disappearing forever. Just two remain, and both are female. This newviable embryois the third of its kind.

To make the embryo, scientists used eggs from one of the surviving females. Theyinseminatedthe eggs with frozen cells from dead males. The embryos are stored in a cool liquid that protects them. They will be put into asurrogatemother—a southern white rhino—in the coming months.

The Kenya Wildlife Service and officials from Kenya, the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy made a statement about the success. Kenya's wildlife minister, Najib Balala, called the ability to stop the loss of the northern rhino “amazing”. The goal is to create a group of at least five animals that could return to their natural environment. This process could take many years.

The two remaining female northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, live in Kenya. Fatu's eggs made all three viable embryos.

Thomas Hildebrandt is withthe Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Researchin Germany. “Now the team will make every effort to achieve the same result for the 30-year-old Najin before it is too late for her,” he said.

The operation is safe and can be performed regularly before the animals become too old,the statement said.

The next step is to choose female southern white rhinos among those atKenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancyto serve as a surrogate mother, Kenya's wildlife minister said.

Years of humans' killing the animals illegally has severely reduced the number of rhinos.The last male northern white rhino was a 45-year-old named Sudan. In 2017, Sudan became famous when he appeared on an online service that connects possible romantic partners. The service, called Tinder, listed the rhino as “The MostEligible Bachelorin the World”. The title was part of a fund-raising effort.

Sudan, named for the country where he was born, died in 2018.