The Mickey Mouse of the Desert | 沙漠米老鼠

by Matthew Brown

Not a lot is known about the elusive long-eared jerboa.

对于踪迹罕见的长耳跳鼠，我们知道的少之又少。

One of the cutest animals you'll ever come across is the long-eared jerboa. There's only one problem: you may not get the chance to see one _(1)_. The jerboa is pretty hard to find, and one hadn't even been caught on video _(2)_ 2007. If you're lucky enough to see one, you'll definitely _(3)_ it. This tiny creature looks a bit like a mouse, but its ears are about three times the size of its head.

The long-eared jerboa lives in the Gobi desert of southern Mongolia and northern China. While the desert sun can get really hot, the jerboa doesn't have to worry about that as it is nocturnal. Its huge ears are its most distinct characteristic, but the jerboa has other features that _(4)_ its powerful cute-factor. It has medium-length, reddish-brown fur, with white fur on its underside, which gives it a soft, cuddly look. Its light coloring is _(5)_ makes its big, dark eyes stand out. It has long hind legs for jumping and a tail that is twice as long as its body for balance. Its tail has a tuft of soft fur at the end, _(6)_ similar to bird feathers. The jerboa digs out and lives in underground burrows, but little else is known about this adorable animal.

Unfortunately, human development has had a negative _(7)_ on the jerboa's habitat, and the animal has been put on the endangered species list. However, with the right decisions and a little luck, this cute desert dweller will be around for a long time to come.

1.    (A) by nature (B) in person   (C) out of sight    (D) off the record

2.    (A) when  (B) once    (C) until   (D) upon

3.   (A) recognize (B) permit  (C) decline (D) neglect

4.    (A) serve as  (B) participate in  (C) fill out    (D) contribute to

5.    (A) that  (B) what    (C) why (D) how

6.    (A) looks (B) it looks    (C) looking (D) to look

7.    (A) intention (B) relation    (C) contact (D) impact

      长耳跳鼠会是你见过最可爱的动物之一。唯一的问题是：你或许没有机会亲眼见到。这种跳鼠的踪迹难以捉摸，一直到 2007 年才拍摄到牠的画面。如果你够幸运能够看见牠，你一定认得出来。这种小巧玲珑的生物看起来有点像老鼠，但牠的耳朵大约是头的 3 倍大。

　　长耳跳鼠栖息在蒙古南部和中国北部的戈壁大沙漠。虽然沙漠的太阳炙热，但由于长耳跳鼠是夜行性动物，所以并无顾虑。牠的大耳朵是最与众不同的特色，但还有其他特征也造就了其可爱无比的因素。长耳跳鼠有着中等长度的红棕色毛皮，下腹部的毛发则是白色，这让牠看起来软绵绵又让人好想给牠来个爱的抱抱。而浅浅的毛色让牠又大又黑的眼睛特别突出。牠有长长的后腿以利跳跃，还有身体两倍长的尾巴以利平衡。而牠尾巴的尾端有一小撮软毛，看起来像鸟类的羽毛。长耳跳鼠会挖洞并栖息在地底下的洞穴，然而我们对这种讨人喜爱的动物却所知不多。

　　很不幸地，人类的发展对于长耳跳鼠的栖息地有着负面的影响，而牠已在濒临绝种动物之列。但是，只要做出正确的决定加上些许好运，这可爱的沙漠原生动物将能持续生存。

答案：1. (B)2. (C)3. (A)4. (D)5. (B)6. (C)7. (D)

For Your Information

伦敦动物学协会野生环境保护部的负责人乔纳森．贝利博士指出，长耳跳鼠在偏远环境的隐蔽生活已持续数百万年了，但牠们的生活习性和繁殖能力等一直都是个谜。

研究人员通过夜间设置诱饵，而得以近距离观测长耳跳鼠的生活习性，长耳跳鼠的身体结构具有独特的作用，它的超长耳朵听力敏锐，是在夜晚精确探测和捕捉昆虫的利器，还有类似袋鼠的后腿便于跳跃并快速逃离掠食动物。

不幸的是，沙漠日益干旱、全球气候暖化、非法金矿开采的猖獗，对长耳跳鼠所生存的沙漠生态环境造成了灾难性的打击。此外，随着农业进入沙漠地区和非法采矿业，越来越多的野猫被带进入沙漠，也成为猎食囓齿类动物的主要杀手。