Tempestade separa filhotes de foca das mães

Rescued from certain death at sea.

This seal pup has been separated from its mother by storms and joined others in a sanctuary in the Netherlands. The refuge has been overwhelmed by the arrival of hundreds washed up on the beaches.

They are fed herrings stuffed with vitamins.

But when they grow up, they will face other challenges. Overfishing and pollution also affect their chances of survival.

Resgatado da morte certa no mar.

Este filhote de foca se separou da mãe em meio a uma tempestade e se juntou a outros num santuáriona Holanda. O refúgio acabou ficando sobrecarregado com a chegada de centenas de filhotes levados pela água.

Eles foram alimentados com arenques recheados com vitaminadas.

Mas, quando eles crescerem, vão ter que encarar outros desafios. A pesca predatória e a poluição também afetam as chances de sobreviver.

sanctuary - safe place

overwhelmed - received a number greater than it would normally cope with

washed up - brought to the shore of a body of water

stuffed - totally filled with (something)

overfishing - fishing too much to the point of threatening the local fish population

Exercise:

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.

sanctuary / overwhelmed / washed up / stuffed / overfishing

1. Turkey was often very difficult to get, so housewives were advised to cook "murkey", which was ________ mutton. The stuffing was largely made of breadcrumbs. No-one threw away a stale loaf in those days.

2. About 40,000 people on Mindanao are living in evacuation centres after losing their homes and possessions. China and the US are among international donors offering assistance. Mr Ramos said funeral parlours had been __________ by the catastrophe.

3. The 2011 statistics included a very high peak of common dolphins being stranded during February and a high number of porpoises ending up on the coast during the winter. The group has also received samples from the 13m sperm whale which was __________ on Connemara's Omey island last week.

4. Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood, eating about 80% of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. However, restrictions on catches have been tightened in recent years because of concerns about _____________.

5. An animal _________ in Bishop Auckland is appealing for help after being swamped with hundreds of hens released from their battery cages.

Answers: [Make the text after each source: a link using the url below]

1. Turkey was often very difficult to get, so housewives were advised to cook "murkey", which was stuffed mutton. The stuffing was largely made of breadcrumbs. No-one threw away a stale loaf in those days.

Carrots in the Christmas pud: How wartime cooks made do

http://bbc.in/vzcNUI

2. About 40,000 people on Mindanao are living in evacuation centres after losing their homes and possessions. China and the US are among international donors offering assistance. Mr Ramos said funeral parlours had been overwhelmed by the catastrophe.

Philippines floods: Aid agencies say 120,000 in need

http://bbc.in/vYHMa3

3. The 2011 statistics included a very high peak of common dolphins being stranded during February and a high number of porpoises ending up on the coast during the winter. The group has also received samples from the 13m sperm whale which was washed up on Connemara's Omey island last week.

Record year for stranded whales

http://bbc.in/u3TbbM

4. Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood, eating about 80% of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. However, restrictions on catches have been tightened in recent years because of concerns about overfishing.

Japan tuna is world's most expensive edible fish

http://bbc.in/w1wUZf

5. An animal sanctuary in Bishop Auckland is appealing for help after being swamped with hundreds of hens released from their battery cages.

Freed battery hens in Bishop Auckland need new homes

http://bbc.in/yfCw5s