| | | Words
in the News |
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INTRO
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Six
pairs of Chinese crested terns have been seen rearing chicks on a
tiny islet which is visited by fisherman hunting for eggs. It had
been thought that this bird was extinct. BBC Science reporter Toby
Murcott reported. |
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IN
FULL | |
 | Listen
to the report in full |
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27th July
2000
Seabirds: back from the edge of extinction |
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| NEWS
1 | | | Listen
to the first part of the report |
| | | The
last confirmed sighting of the Chinese crested tern was in 1937 - but after more
than sixty years classified as extinct the species has returned
from the dead. The birds were spotted by a tourist, who sent photographs
to the Wild Bird Federation, Taiwan, part of the global Birdlife International.
The excited ornithologists carefully examined the photos and confirmed
that the tern is alive and well. The exact location of the islet where
the birds have been found nesting is being kept a closely guarded secret to prevent
them being disturbed. Egg poaching probably contributed to their decline
in the first place. |
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WORDS | |
classified:
if things are classified they are divided into groups so that those with
similar characteristics are in the same group species:
a class of animals or plants whose members have their main characteristics
in common spotted:
if you spot something you notice it even though it may not be obvious
ornithologists:
bird expert islet:
a small island poaching:
hunting, trapping or catching animals or eggs illegally, without permission
on someone else's land |
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| NEWS
2 | | | Listen
to the second part of the report |
| | | But
it will be a challenge to protect the few remaining birds, as so little is known
about these elusive creatures. One idea that’s worked in other areas
of conservation is to encourage people living nearby to benefit from protecting
the species; fishermen could take birdwatchers to see these rare seabirds rather
than collecting their eggs. With the rate of extinction estimated at around
one hundred species per day, conservationists are taking at least a glimmer
of hope from this one species still hanging on to life - just. |
| WORDS | |
elusive creatures:
a creature that is hard to find conservation:
the preservation and protection of the environment estimated:
if you estimate an amount or a quantity, you calculate it approximately
or say what it is likely to be glimmer:
a glimmer of something is a faint sign of it |
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