Wild Russia|野性俄罗斯

by Marcus Maurice

The Russian wilderness is dazzling in its extremes.

俄罗斯荒野极度丰富灿烂。

What do frozen salamanders, vampire deer, and endangered leopards have in common? All of these animals are part of a fascinating cast of creatures found within the borders of Russia. This month, National Geographic Channel sets out for Wild Russia, a series that explores the biggest country in the world.

Spanning 11 time zones and one and a half continents, Russia is a place of extremes, and nowhere shows it better than Siberia, which makes up 77 percent of its total territory. While Siberia is known for its biting cold, some areas can also have temperatures soar as high as 40 degrees Celsius. For the Siberian salamander, having a body that can quickly adjust to these temperatures is essential to survival. Because of their ability to come back to life after being frozen, scientists at one time thought that these special creatures might have been frozen with animals that were over 12,000 years old. However, with modern technology, scientists have learned that Siberian salamanders can only be frozen for a maximum of four years.

When shown a picture of a musk deer, people are sure to be taken aback for a moment. This unique animal has the head of a kangaroo, the body of a deer, and vampire-like fangs. The unseen thing that people want from it can't be viewed with the naked eye—the musk gland. Female musk deer and perfume makers alike find the scent to be irresistible.

Deep in the wilderness in the far eastern region of Russia is the Amur River. On this fast-flowing source of life for many animals lives the Amur leopard. These animals are special because there are only 30 or so of them left. Poaching, deforestation, and inbreeding have caused the near extinction of these big cats. See all of these animals and more on the Wild Russia series this month.

1.  What is the main idea of this article?

(A) Russia would be a great place to visit when the weather is nice.

(B) Scientists have just found a 12,000-year-old salamander that came back to life.

(C) There are many strange and interesting animals in Russia.

(D) Creatures find it hard to survive in Russia because of its extreme weather.

2.  Why would humans want to capture male musk deer?

(A) They need to be kept from killing other animals in the forest.

(B) Their teeth can be used to make rare jewelry.

(C) They look like a combination of a kangaroo, deer, and vampire.

(D) They have a special body organ that can be used to make perfume.

3.  What is NOT a reason why the Amur leopards are going extinct?

(A) It's too cold in the far eastern parts of Russia.

(B) They are being hunted illegally.

(C) They are reproducing with their relatives.

(D) The forests are being cut down at an alarming rate.

4.  According to the passage, _____.

(A) Wild Russia can teach people about the animals living inside the biggest country in the world

(B) if you watch Wild Russia, you will help the Amur leopard survive

(C) Russia is trying very hard to become a superpower once again

(D) most of Russia's terrain is the same

　　冰冻的蝾螈、吸血鬼鹿以及濒临绝种的豹有何共同之处？牠们都是在俄罗斯境内可见其踪迹的迷人生物之一。本月份的国家地理频道出发前往《野性俄罗斯》，此一系列节目将探索这世上最大的国家。

　　横跨 11 个时区及一又二分之一个大陆，俄罗斯是个极端之地，而占总领土百分之七十七的西伯利亚则是其中之最。西伯利亚虽然以刺骨的寒冷著称，但有些地区的气温能飙到摄氏 40 度。对西伯利亚蝾螈而言，拥有能迅速适应这些气温的身体是生存的必要条件。由于牠们能够在冰冻后复活，科学家们一度认为这种稀有的生物可能和一万两千多年前的动物一起被冰冻过。然而运用现代科技，科学家已得知西伯利亚蝾螈最多只能被冰冻 4 年。

　　当人们看到麝香鹿的图片时，必定会在剎那间吓一大跳。这种独特的动物有着袋鼠般的头，鹿一般的身体，还有吸血鬼般的尖牙。而人们想从麝香鹿身上取得的是肉眼看不到的东西，也就是牠们的麝香腺。不管是雌性麝香鹿或是香水制造商对这种气味都同样难以抗拒。

　　俄罗斯远东地区的荒野深处是阿尔穆河（又称黑龙江）。远东豹就住在这个多数动物赖以维生的急流之地。由于远东豹仅存约 30只，使得牠们更显独特。盗猎、森林砍伐以及近亲繁殖造成了牠们几近灭种。想了解更多关于这些动物的故事，请锁定国家地理频道《野性俄罗斯》。

标准答案: 1. (C)2. (D)3. (A)4. (A)

For Your Information

俄罗斯联邦跨越了欧亚大陆北部的大部分地区，地势及气候变化多端。全境大部分地区属于平原，特别是欧洲部分以及亚洲的西伯利亚地区。南部平原大部分是空旷草原，而北部平原则大部分是森林地区。山脉多集中在东部太平洋沿岸及南部边境，例如大高加索山脉和萨彦贝加尔山脉。俄罗斯联邦拥有绵延 37,000 公里的海岸线，跨越了北极海和太平洋，以及内陆的黑海和里海。其丰富的地形造就了生物的丰富性。（数据源：维基百科）