A starving polar bear was found on the street, scavenging for food 街頭求生的北極熊

朱欣

A starving polar bear strayed far away from its natural habitat and wandered into the industrial city of Norilsk in northern Siberia. It is the first polar bear seen in the city in more than 40 years， according to local envi-ronmentalists. Climate change has been damaging polar bears'?sea ice habitats and forced them to scavenge for food on land. It has been captured and will be transported to a wildlife park for treatment， according to local reports.

Photos showed the female animal trudging across a busy road with muddy paws， digging through rubble and trash and lying down from apparent exhaustion on the ground. Experts believe the animal， initially thought to have wandered hundreds of miles from its natural habitat in the Arctic， instead may have been taken as a cub and raised in captivity by pelt traders， according to the Siberian Times.

The experts explained that it is typically males， not females， that migrate long distances. Whats more， this polar bear was too clean to have made such a trudge， the newspaper reported. They told the newspaper it's possible that poachers released the animal to avoid being caught and punished. Polar bear poaching has been banned in Russia for more than 60 years. Still， it has been estimated that as many as 200 of them are killed each year in the Far East region.

As The Washington Post's Isaac Stanley-Becker reported， polar bears “are classified as a vulnerable species because of the ongoing and potential loss of their sea ice habitat resulting from climate change”， according to the World Wildlife Fund. It was not clear what would be done with the polar bear in the future as it looked too weak to be taken back to its natural habitat.

—From The Washington Post

Reading Check

1. Where is the polar bear likely to be now？

A. In its natural habitat. B. In a farmers house.

C. In the muddy street. D. In the wildlife park.

2. Why are the polar bears classified as a vulnerable species？

A. Theyre in danger of being killed.

B. Theyre in danger of lacking food.

C. Theyre in danger of losing their habitat.

D. Theyre in danger of lacking surviving abilities.

Language Study

Sentences for writing

1. 氣候變化正在破壞北極熊的海冰棲息地，迫使它們去陸地上覓食。

Climate change has been damaging polar bears'?sea ice habitats and?______________? ?scavenge for food on land.

2. 報道稱，再者，這只北極熊身上太過干凈，不可能是長途跋涉而來。

Whats more， this polar bear was? ? ______________ ?clean? ? ______________? ?have made such a trudge， the newspaper reported.

3. 他們告訴報社，稱有可能是偷獵者們把這只北極熊釋放出來，只為避免被抓獲罪。

They told the newspaper it？蒺s possible that poachers released the animal to avoid? ?______________ ?and punished.