Save kākāpōs

山東 張 靜

1New Zealand's critically endangered kākāpōs have begun to return to the country's mainland for the first time in almost 40 years.Kākāpōs are the heaviest parrots in the world, with some more than six pounds, and they have a lifespan of up to 90 years.They can't fly,so kākāpōs climb trees and search on the ground for nuts and seeds to eat.The big birds used to be widespread across New Zealand,but were hunted to near extinction.Popular Sciencedescribed these“curious”birds as already being“doomed to early extermina?tion”all the way back in April 1895.

2The roughly left 250 or so indi?vidual birds are managed by New Zea?land's Department of Conservation(DOC)on five islands that are free of en?emies.Now equipped with genetic sci?ence, research platform Genomics Aote?aroa is funding high?quality genetic se?quencing(基因測序)of almost the entire kākāpō population.

3Establishing genetic sequencing methods is expected to not only play a part in kākāpōs' survival,but also other endangered species' survival throughout the world.Conservation genomics (基因組學)is part of a growing trend in the field.In 2019,a team from the University of Hawaii used advanced DNA sequencing technology to create a nearly complete genome assembly (基因組裝) for Hawaii's only remaining family of the crow family alalā.The sequencing gave conservationists critical clues into the disease susceptibility (易 感 性), population?level diversity, and genetic load of the alalā to better inform their policies.

4The same information could help the kākāpō thrive.This work over the last year has produced two very significant outcomes.First, it has given the team an in?depth under?standing of kākāpō biology.It has also produced a high?quality code and reusable pipeline,which allows other researchers to rapidly use these methods in their own work.

5“Kākāpōs suffer from disease and low reproductive output, so by understanding the genetic reasons for these problems, we can now help mitigate them,”Andrew Digby, the DOC's Science Advisor for Kākāpō Recovery,said in a statement.“It gives us the ability to predict things like kākāpō chick growth and susceptibility to disease,which changes our on-the-ground management practices and will help improve survival rates.”

Reading Check

1.What do we know about Kākāpōs?

A.They had no enemies from nature.

B.They were predicted to be numerous.

C.They are frequently hunted at present.

D.They are in urgent need of being rescued.

2.Why are alalās mentioned in paragraph 3?

A.To remind us to save other birds.

B.To call on more to focus on wild plants conservation.

C.To prove genome assembly to be effective.

D.To explain the definition of genome assembly.

3.What is Andrew Digby's attitude to genetic sequencing?

A.Negative.

B.Supportive.

C.Indifferent.

D.Ambiguous.

?語篇解碼

?語言學習

Ⅰ.語料薈萃

語篇單詞critically adv.嚴重地endangered adj.處于危險中的lifespan n.壽命extinction n.滅絕curious adj.好奇的roughly adv.大約；粗略地individual adj.個人的fund v.在資金上扶持high?quality adj.高質量的population n.（人口）數量establish v.建立critical adj.關鍵的clue n.線索inform v.通知thrive v.繁榮；蓬勃發展significant adj.重要的；顯著的reproductive adj.繁殖的_____________o_______________________________________________________________________utput_n.輸出；產量

（續表）

Ⅱ.語句分析

1.Establishing genetic sequencing methods is expected to not only play a part in kākāpōs'survival,but also other endangered species'survival throughout the world.建立基因測序方法不僅僅是為了鸮鸚鵡的生存，也是為了世界上其他瀕危物種的生存。

【點石成金】本句中，Establishing genetic sequencing methods是動名詞形式作主語。

2.It gives us the ability to predict things like kākāpō chick growth and susceptibility to disease, which changes our on?the?ground management practices and will help improve survival rates.它使我們能夠預測鸮鸚鵡雛鳥的生長和對疾病的易感性，這也改變了我們的實地管理實踐，有助于提高存活率。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句，主句中的to predict things like kākāpō chick growth and susceptibility to disease 是不定式作后置定語；which 引導非限制性定語從句。

?語言運用

Ⅰ.例句仿寫

1.在空中飛行很好玩。

__________________________is great fun.

2.這個軟件是一個容易使用且靈活的工具，它可以方便圖書管理員從藏書中選擇制作數字化內容，制作圖書目錄，以實現增加信息獲取量的目標。

The software is an easy and flexible tool, ___________________________digitized content from their collection and to develop catalogue,fulfilling the objective of broadening access to information.

Ⅱ.寫作實踐

假定你是學生會主席，你校將舉辦主題為“Take action to protect the wildlife”的活動。請你以學生會的名義寫一份倡議書，號召全校同學保護野生動物。內容包括：

1.保護野生動物的重要性；

2.保護野生動物的倡議。

注意：

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

Take action to protect the wildlife

Respected teachers and fellow students,

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The Student's Union