Question

These days, there are very few wild animals left in the UK. The wolves have gone. The bears have been hunted to extinction. Fortunately, there are a few badgers（獾）--- Oh, well, actually, not for long as the British government has just decided to kill them too ! But why?

Badgers are fascinating creatures. The black and white mammals live underground in “ setts ”, which they dig out of the earth. They are extremely brave, fighting off larger animals such as bears and wolves. The problem is that some badgers carry “ Bovine Tuberculosis ” ( BTB ), an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Bovis ( M. Bovis ) which can cause TB in some other animals, including cattle.

For farmers, this is a serious issue. In 1998 in the UK, almost 6,000 cows were killed to control the disease. And in 2010, more than 30,000 animals were destroyed. It’s expensive too. Bovine TB costs the UK about ￡100 million per year. And some believe that the disease could end up costing the economy ￡9 billion over the next 40 years if nothing is done about it.

Experts say that badgers are responsible for about 50% of the infected cattle. So, after much debate, the government has agreed to a badger cull（杀戮）. This will mean about 30,000 of the innocent creatures will be wiped out to fight the disease. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman admitted that there was “ great strength of feeling ” about it, but said, “ I believe this is the right way forward. ”

Of course, many are against the measure, including conservationists and animal rights activists. They claim that killing the badgers in controlled zones wouldn’t work because badgers from neighboring areas would simply move into the empty setts and become infected too. Furthermore, they believe that the way cattle are raised intensively, and transported around to lots of different farms during their lives is probably the biggest cause of the spread of the disease.

Most ordinary people are against the measure too. A survey suggests about two-thirds are against killing the badgers, with majorities against killing them regardless of age, region and gender. One of the alternatives to the cull involves using vaccine(疫苗) on badgers. However, this costs an average of ￡2,250 per year per square kilometer. Trapping and shooting badgers costs ￡2,500 per year, but shooting free-running badgers only costs about ￡200 per year ( per square kilometer ).

So, with that in mind, it’s easy to see how the government arrived at their decision. Money talks!

45. Why does the government want to kill the badgers ?

A. Because there is no other choice to cut the spread of the disease.

B. Because badgers carry TB, a disease which can infect other animals.

C. Because they almost wiped out an entire population of cattle.

D. Because it might be an effective way to fight TB at the least expense.

46. Which of the following statements is TRUE ?

A. Some people object to culling because it costs much more to trap and shoot badgers.

B. In the following four decades, ￡9 billion will be spent on TB.

C. Based on the survey, people of different age groups, regions and both genders are against killing the badgers.

D. Caroline Spelman thought badgers should be culled despite people’s strong reaction.

47. Who is strongly for the killing the badgers according the passage?

A. The government　　　　　 B. Most ordinary people　

C. Conservationists　　　　　 D. Animal rights activists

48. What is the author’s attitude toward government’s decision?

A. Supportive　　　　　　　　　 B. Critical　　　　　　　　　　 C. Objective　　　　　　　　 D. Unconcerned

49. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. the Control of TB　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. the Voice of the Badgers

C. Badger Danger　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the Threat of the Badgers

Answer 1

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