Unit 2 Wildlife Protection Reading for thinking 课外阅读思维训练 2025-2026学年人教版高中英语必修第二册

Unit 2 Reading for thinking 课外阅读思维训练 第一组 The Tibetan Antelope: A Conservation Journey from Crisis to Hope The Tibetan antelope, an icon of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, faced a serious crisis at the close of the 20th century. In the harsh yet beautiful high-altitude plains, these graceful animals once roamed in vast numbers. However, two interconnected threats drove them to the brink. The primary cause was relentless poaching, fueled by the profitable international demand for shahtoosh shawls, which are woven from the antelope’s fine underfur. At the same time, rapid development fragmented their ancient habitat; new railways and highways sliced through migration routes, isolating herds and disrupting their breeding cycles. Within two decades, the population dropped by more than half. Recognizing the urgency, China launched a multi-faceted rescue operation. The key step was legal protection, with the government granting the Tibetan antelope the highest national protected status. On the ground, the Changtang National Nature Reserve provided a safe shelter. Rangers and volunteers, many of whom were local herdsmen like Zhaxi, began difficult, year-round patrols, facing extreme weather and the danger of armed poachers to guard the herds. Engineering solutions played a crucial role in healing the damaged landscape. A major response to habitat fragmentation was building special wildlife corridors. Engineers designed green overpasses and underpasses that reconnected the land. These structures let antelopes cross human-made barriers safely, showing that development and protection could coexist with careful planning. The collective efforts led to a great success story. From a low of around 70,000, the antelope population has recovered to over 300,000. This recovery led to the species’ removal from the “endangered” list in 2015. ⑤ However, conservationists stress that this success starts a new phase of watchfulness, not a final victory. They warn that threats like climate change affecting the grasslands and possible future economic pressures remain. The antelope’s survival is safer now, but its long-term future depends on continuous effort, proving that conservation is a lasting promise to live in harmony with nature. 1. What was the main cause of the Tibetan antelope's population decline in the late 20th century? A. Loss of food and water. B. Illegal hunting for its fur. C. Widespread animal diseases. D. Competition with other animals. 2. What is mentioned as a special solution to the problem of habitat fragmentation? A. Raising antelopes in zoos. B. Moving herds to new places. C. Stopping all building projects. D. Building special wildlife bridges. 3. Why do conservationists still worry even though the population has recovered? A. Climate change is still a problem. B. The illegal fur trade has started again. C. The guard patrols have been reduced. D. The animals have forgotten how to migrate. 4. What is the main message of the final paragraph? A. The job is completely finished. B. This method only works for antelopes. C. Long-term and continuous effort is key. D. Economic growth is the most important. 第二组 Changtang Reserve: Where Community and Conservation Converge The creation of the Changtang National Nature Reserve marked a key turn from hunting to protection on the Tibetan plateau. This vast protected area is more than a wildlife shelter; it shows a deep change in conservation thinking. For generations, local nomadic herders lived in balance with nature. However, this balance broke in the 1980s when modern weapons and global market demands arrived, turning the respected Tibetan antelope into a target. The reserve’s real achievement came from combining modern science with local knowledge. Simply making a reserve was not enough. Conservationists worked with former poachers and herders, whose understanding of antelope behavior and land was vital. Patrol routes used both satellite images and traditional tracking skills. This inclusive method gave locals ownership, changing their view of the antelope from a resource into an essential part of their shared natural and cultural heritage. The protection plan grew to care for the overall health of the ecosystem. Knowing that animals need a healthy home, programs did more than stop poaching. They monitored grassland quality, water sources, and climate. The famous wildlife bridges are the clearest sign of this practical approach. They show that development can make space for nature’s needs, allowing migration to continue. In the end, conservation efforts brought a powerful renewal of local pride. Rangers like Zhaxi, who changed from herder to protector, now feel pride, not loss, on the lively grasslands. The antelope’s comeback has become a source of community pride and a working model for community-based conservation. ⑤ This experience shows a core rule: the strongest protection grows from within communities, based on mutual respect and shared interests between people and nature. 5. What mainly broke the traditional balance on the Changtang plateau in the 1980s? A. Very bad weather. B. New roads and trains. C. Fights between herders. D. Outside hunters and markets. 6. What is said to be the most important reason for the reserve's true success? A. Money from other countries. B. Using local people's knowledge. C. Very strict laws and punishment. D. Moving people away from the area. 7. What does the practical (adaptive) approach include, according to the passage? A. Only catching poachers. B. Focusing on tourist projects first. C. Using flying robots (drones) to watch. D. Building bridges good for the whole ecosystem. 8. How has the antelope’s recovery affected the local communities? A. It caused them to lose money. B. It forced them to stop herding. C. It made them feel proud of their culture again. D. It made animals and people compete for grass. 第三组 The Tibetan Antelope: A Case Study in Living with Nature The amazing recovery of the Tibetan antelope offers a real-life model of “ecological civilization,” showing how human well-being is tied to ecosystem health. The species’ near extinction was a direct sign of a broken relationship—where human greed ignored ecological limits. This crisis affected more than the antelope; it meant the degradation of the fragile grassland ecosystem, which is important for regional water and soil. The effective response needed a system-wide change that went beyond just making laws. Strong laws were important, but the real change happened in actions and plans. A key example is redesigning infrastructure. Planners and engineers created wildlife corridors so migration paths could go over or under new roads and railways. This was a fundamental shift: nature was no longer seen as a block to development, but as a key part of the plan. An equally important change happened in how people saw the antelope and the local economy. Through media and education, public opinion shifted—from seeing the antelope as a luxury product to valuing it as a national treasure and symbol of resilience. This change in thinking mobilized public support and discouraged poaching. Also, hiring locals as rangers provided new jobs, making protection economically beneficial for the community. The 2015 downlisting from “endangered” is a victory, but experts see it as the start of a more complex stage, not the end. The challenge now is to care for a large, stable population despite climate uncertainty and to keep the recovered ecosystem strong. ⑤ In summary, the Tibetan antelope’s journey proves that real progress is measured not just by money, but by our ability to respect and sustainably coexist with all forms of life. 9. What did the antelope’s decline first show? A. That old laws didn't work. B. A normal process of nature. C. That money was the only goal. D. A broken relationship between humans and nature. 10. What does the big change (fundamental shift) in infrastructure design mean? A. Making nature part of the building plan. B. Using only materials from nearby. C. Not building anything in natural areas. D. Putting animals' needs above humans'. 11. What was the role of the change in how people thought (cultural shift)? A. It helped get public support for protection. B. It made more people want to hunt. C. It meant fewer guards were needed. D. It made the antelope fur more expensive. 12. What is the new challenge after the population recovery? A. Taking away its protected status. B. Allowing some controlled hunting. C. Keeping balance in a changing world. D. Paying attention only to other species. 参考答案 第一组：《The Tibetan Antelope: A Conservation Journey from Crisis to Hope》 1. What was the main cause of the Tibetan antelope's population decline in the late 20th century? 答案：B. Illegal hunting for its fur. 解析： 文章第一段明确指出：“The primary cause was relentless poaching, fueled by the profitable international demand for shahtoosh shawls, which are woven from the antelope’s fine underfur.” 说明主要原因是非法猎杀以获取其绒毛制作沙图什披肩。A（食物和水源丧失）、C（疾病）和D（与其他动物竞争）均未提及。 2. What is mentioned as a special solution to the problem of habitat fragmentation? 答案：D. Building special wildlife bridges. 解析： 第三段提到：“A major response to habitat fragmentation was building special wildlife corridors. Engineers designed green overpasses and underpasses...” 即通过建设野生动物走廊（天桥和地下通道）来解决栖息地碎片化问题。A（动物园圈养）、B（迁移种群）、C（停止建设）均不符合文意。 3. Why do conservationists still worry even though the population has recovered? 答案：A. Climate change is still a problem. 解析： 最后一段提到：“They warn that threats like climate change affecting the grasslands and possible future economic pressures remain.” 说明尽管种群数量恢复，但气候变化等威胁依然存在。B（非法贸易重启）、C（巡逻减少）、D（动物忘记迁徙）均未提及。 4. What is the main message of the final paragraph? 答案：C. Long-term and continuous effort is key. 解析： 最后一段强调：“this success starts a new phase of watchfulness, not a final victory... its long-term future depends on continuous effort...” 说明保护工作需要长期持续的努力。A（工作已完成）、B（方法仅适用于藏羚羊）、D（经济增长最重要）均与文意不符。 第二组：《Changtang Reserve: Where Community and Conservation Converge》 5. What mainly broke the traditional balance on the Changtang plateau in the 1980s? 答案：D. Outside hunters and markets. 解析： 第一段指出：“this balance broke in the 1980s when modern weapons and global market demands arrived, turning the respected Tibetan antelope into a target.” 说明是外来猎人和市场需求打破了传统平衡。A（恶劣天气）、B（新道路和铁路）、C（牧民冲突）均非主要原因。 6. What is said to be the most important reason for the reserve's true success? 答案：B. Using local people's knowledge. 解析： 第二段强调：“The reserve’s real achievement came from combining modern science with local knowledge... This inclusive method gave locals ownership...” 说明成功的关键是结合当地人的传统知识。A（国际资金）、C（严格法律）、D（迁移居民）均非核心原因。 7. What does the practical (adaptive) approach include, according to the passage? 答案：D. Building bridges good for the whole ecosystem. 解析： 第三段提到：“The famous wildlife bridges are the clearest sign of this practical approach. They show that development can make space for nature’s needs...” 说明实践方法包括建设有益于整个生态系统的桥梁。A（仅抓捕偷猎者）、B（优先旅游项目）、C（使用无人机监控）均未作为核心方法强调。 8. How has the antelope’s recovery affected the local communities? 答案：C. It made them feel proud of their culture again. 解析： 最后一段指出：“conservation efforts brought a powerful renewal of local pride... The antelope’s comeback has become a source of community pride...” 说明藏羚羊的恢复增强了当地社区的文化自豪感。A（导致经济损失）、B（迫使停止放牧）、D（人畜争草）均与文意相反。 第三组：《The Tibetan Antelope: A Case Study in Living with Nature》 9. What did the antelope’s decline first show? 答案：D. A broken relationship between humans and nature. 解析： 第一段明确指出：“The species’ near extinction was a direct sign of a broken relationship—where human greed ignored ecological limits.” 说明藏羚羊的濒危反映了人与自然关系的破裂。A（旧法律无效）、B（自然过程）、C（唯金钱论）均非直接原因。 10. What does the big change (fundamental shift) in infrastructure design mean? 答案：A. Making nature part of the building plan. 解析： 第二段提到：“nature was no longer seen as a block to development, but as a key part of the plan.” 说明根本转变是将自然需求纳入建设规划。B（仅用本地材料）、C（不在自然区域建设）、D（动物需求高于人类）均不符合文意。 11. What was the role of the change in how people thought (cultural shift)? 答案：A. It helped get public support for protection. 解析： 第三段指出：“public opinion shifted... This change in thinking mobilized public support and discouraged poaching.” 说明观念转变帮助赢得了公众对保护的支持。B（鼓励狩猎）、C（减少护卫需求）、D（提高绒毛价格）均与文意相反。 12. What is the new challenge after the population recovery? 答案：C. Keeping balance in a changing world. 解析： 最后一段强调：“The challenge now is to care for a large, stable population despite climate uncertainty and to keep the recovered ecosystem strong.” 说明新挑战是在变化的世界中维持生态平衡。A（取消保护地位）、B（允许控制性狩猎）、D（只关注其他物种）均未提及。 ( 第 1 页 共 3 页 ) 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $