雅思词汇课文（15）· Urban Wildlife and Biodiversity 城市野生动物与生物多样性

环境与城市主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。

🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）

📖 课文 Text

Urban Wildlife and Biodiversity

When people think of wildlife, they usually imagine distant jungles or African savannahs. But some of the most interesting encounters happen in the middle of cities. Foxes roam the suburbs of London, raccoons raid the garbage cans of Toronto, and wild boar root through the parks of Berlin. As cities expand and natural habitats shrink, urban areas are becoming unlikely refuges for a surprising range of species.

Ecologists have begun to take this phenomenon seriously. A recent study of Berlin found more than 700 species of wild bees living within city limits, many of them in gardens, balconies and even cracks in walls. In Singapore, vertical gardens on skyscrapers have attracted birds and butterflies rarely seen in the city centre. Urban parks, cemeteries and roadside verges act as stepping stones, allowing species to move through a built-up landscape that would otherwise be impassable.

Not everyone welcomes these visitors. Deer that wander into suburban gardens can destroy plants and spread ticks. Geese that gather on urban lakes leave behind droppings that contaminate footpaths. Cities often respond by culling animals or erecting fences, measures that are unpopular with animal lovers and rarely effective in the long term.

Conservation biologists argue that the better approach is to plan cities for coexistence. This means leaving patches of wild ground, reducing the use of pesticides in public parks, and ensuring that new housing developments include green corridors. Even small changes — a wildflower meadow instead of a neatly mown lawn, a pond in a school playground — can make a real difference to local biodiversity.

The value of urban wildlife goes beyond conservation. Studies show that people who live near green spaces experience lower rates of stress, anxiety and heart disease. Watching birds from a window has a measurable calming effect. In a world where more than half of humanity lives in cities, the presence of other living things is not a luxury. It is part of what makes urban life bearable.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. The study of Berlin found that urban areas...

• A. have no wildlife
• B. support over 700 species of wild bees
• C. are too polluted for insects
• D. only have birds and rats

2. Urban parks and roadside verges help wildlife by...

• A. providing food for pets
• B. acting as stepping stones for species to move through cities
• C. keeping animals away from roads
• D. attracting tourists

3. How do cities often respond to unwanted wildlife?

• A. by moving animals to zoos
• B. by culling or building fences
• C. by ignoring them
• D. by feeding them

4. Conservation biologists recommend...

• A. removing all wild plants from cities
• B. planning cities for coexistence, with green corridors and wild spaces
• C. letting animals live only in zoos
• D. banning all wildlife from urban areas

5. According to the passage, urban green spaces...

• A. are a luxury that cities cannot afford
• B. improve human mental and physical health
• C. have no effect on people
• D. should be replaced by car parks

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| habitat / shrink / refuge / species / contaminate / cull / corridor / biodiversity |

1. The destruction of the rainforest threatens the natural ______ of thousands of animals.
2. As cities grow, open countryside continues to ______.
3. The old warehouse became an unexpected ______ for homeless people.
4. Conservationists are working to protect endangered ______ from extinction.
5. Chemical waste from the factory continues to ______ the river.
6. The government decided to ______ the deer population after a series of car accidents.
7. The new railway line cuts through a green ______ used by local wildlife.
8. National parks play a vital role in preserving global ______.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. B（"more than 700 species of wild bees"）
2. B（"act as stepping stones, allowing species to move through"）
3. B（"culling animals or erecting fences"）
4. B（"plan cities for coexistence... green corridors"）
5. B（"lower rates of stress, anxiety and heart disease"）

Vocabulary

1. habitat　2. shrink　3. refuge　4. species　5. contaminate　6. cull　7. corridor　8. biodiversity