Koala at risk

A beloved symbol of Australia.

Koalas have been listed as a threatened species in some parts of the country after a plunge in the wild population.

Habitat loss, urban expansion, vehicle strikes, dog attacks and disease have contributed to their dwindling numbers.

Estimates on koala numbers vary but some studies suggest there are fewer than 80,000 koalas left in the wild.

beloved: sangat disukai

plunge: penurunan tajam

strikes: ditabrak kendaraan

dwindling: terus berkurang

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from BBC news reports.

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

beloved / threatened / plunge / strikes / dwindling

1. But only weeks later, the cheers and smiles turned to tears as the decision accelerated Argentina's ________ into the worst economic crisis of its history.

2. Conservationists hailed the move as a way to protect Equatorial Africa's endangered animals and ________ forests.

3. A husband is auctioning off his late wife's ________ collection of designer handbags for charity.

4. There are no globally-collated figures for iceberg ________ , but they happen every year.

5. Polar bears are listed as ________ under the US Endangered Species Act.

1. But only weeks later, the cheers and smiles turned to tears as the decision accelerated Argentina's plunge into the worst economic crisis of its history.

Source: Klik YPF nationalisation: Is Argentina playing with fire?

2. Conservationists hailed the move as a way to protect Equatorial Africa's endangered animals and dwindling forests.

Source: Klik Gabon: Surfing hippos, lacking tourists

3. A husband is auctioning off his late wife's beloved collection of designer handbags for charity.

Source: Klik Rare Hermes bag among wife's collection being auctioned for charity

4. There are no globally-collated figures for iceberg strikes, but they happen every year.

Source: Klik Titanic threat: Why do ships still hit icebergs?

5. Polar bears are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act.

Source: Klik DNA reveals polar bear's ancient origins