When the European Commission’s LIFE program first brought together more than 20 organizations in 2002 to rescue the lynx ( 山 猫), the species had all but disappeared. Widespread hunting and a virus had wiped out ( 彻底消灭) most of the Iberian Peninsula’s European rabbits, the lynx’s main prey (猎物).
Lynx breed in captivity ( 圈 养) easily, however. Near one main release location, Iberian lynx have even learned to live in neighborhoods, in olive groves (橄榄树丛), and around highways.
“Thanks to the work carried out over the last 20 years, the number of lynx has increased greatly,” says Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, regional coordinator of the Iberian lynx recovery plan.
But the cat’s not out of danger just yet. Its thousand-square-mile territory is a collection of five — soon to be seven — isolated ( 孤 立 的) groups. For Iberian lynx to fully recover, they must be able to travel from one group to another, ensuring the species’s long-term health by diversifying gene pools. That’s why the next stage of the LIFE project will focus on creating at least 10 6-square-mile areas of rabbit-rich habitat, which act as passageways among the existing lynx groups. Scientists selected these habitats based on predictions of where lynx are most likely to travel. For instance, lynx prefer to take the shortest paths through undeveloped habitats, and avoid broken-up areas of farmland.
The cat is popular, even among farmers and landowners, but a few view lynx as pests and occasionally will poison them for supposedly harming domestic animals. Illegal killings make up nearly 25 percent of annual lynx deaths on the peninsula, the second highest cause of non-natural death, after vehicle strikes. That’s why education is the “best tool to improve the lynx population,” says Maribel García Tardío, lead technician for Andalusia’s Iberian lynx recovery plan. She and her colleagues regularly meet with landowners and hunters, explaining how lynx rarely kill larger domestic animals.
The Iberian lynx is one of 33 small-cat species, many of which are endangered or threatened. These animals have long been eclipsed by their bigger cousins such as lions and tigers, but lately people have begun to recognize the world’s little-known cats.
12. Which of the following words can best describe the Iberian lynx according to paragraph 2?
A.Active. | B.Adaptable. |
C.Funny. | D.Dangerous. |
13. What is the aim of the next stage of the LIFE project?
A.To free existing lynx from hunger. |
B.To set up a gene pool of existing lynx. |
C.To turn some farmland into lynx habitat. |
D.To help existing lynx connect with each other. |
14. What does Maribel García Tardío do to increase the lynx population?
A.She educates landowners and hunters regularly. |
B.She works to reduce vehicle strikes in lynx habitats. |
C.She suggests separating lynx from large domestic animals. |
D.She clears up the misunderstanding between landowners and hunters. |
15. What does the underlined part “eclipsed by” in the last paragraph mean?
A.Confused with. | B.Protected from. |
C.Keeping step with. | D.Living in the shadow of. |