英语博客(A cup of English):065 A wild life sanctuary

　　Beginners.
I know that you podlisteners have heard about my trip to New Zealand, but, I'm afraid, you will have to hear more. There is much more to tell. One of the things that it is interesting to learn about when you go to another country, is the wild life. My brother, Richard, as well as being a teacher, is a photographer, and, as such, is a wild life fanatic¹. Every chance he gets, he will take a picture of a bird or another creature. In fact, it is not unusual to find my brother totally dressed in green and brown camouflage² clothes, hiding in a bush in a forest, sitting for hours on end, waiting for an opportunity to take the perfect picture. He's a perfectionist, and his photos reveal that about him. He enouraged me to go with him to a wild life sanctuary³ just outside Christchurch to see some native and non-native species. We had a great time. One of the cutest things we saw was a Wallaby. It is just like a Kangaroo but much smaller. The ones in this sanctuary were quite tame. My brother was able to pet one of them, and it didn't seem scared at all. We walked along a quiet, forest-like path  and saw lots of different birds and other animals. Then came the most special experience of the trip. A Kiwi sanctuary. They are nocturnal and very shy. It was quite a thrill to see one.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: camouflage, fanatic, sanctuary, species, native.
Exs: The soldier in the forest was dressed in camouflage, but we could see his red underwear.
My cousin is a fanatic about cleaning; her house is always spotless.
That church is a sanctuary; a safe, quiet place to think and pray.
There a many species of snake in this country. Some are even poisonous.
Some of the flowers in my garden are native of Nepal.
Advanced.
I knew nothing about the Kiwi bird until I went to New Zealand. I didn't realize that it is a nocturnal bird that is completely defenseless. It doesn't fly, so if there are any predators⁴ near them, they don't stand a chance. Apparently⁵, before the European settlers arrived in New Zealand, it was a country of birds. There were no predators of any kind, so the birds were safe. There are still no major predators like wild cats, bears, or wolves. However, with the settlers came rats and stoats, both of which eat birds and their eggs. This severely⁶ reduced the amount of Kiwis. Because they don't have sharp teeth or strong claws, they are weak in a fight. Also, they have a huge disadvantage of being flightless, so they can not escape. The poor things are sitting targets for the rats and stoats. But now, they are very much protected. All out war has been declared on their predators. Anyone who wants to kill a rat or a stoat at any time, is more than welcome. Also, science is being used to get the Kiwi numbers up and into full production. One of the small coastal⁷ islands that form part of the territory of New Zealand is being cleared of all rodents⁸, and will be dedicated⁹ to the Kiwi. I think it is significant that such a gentle creature is the national symbol of this beautiful and humane¹⁰ country.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: predators, defenseless, rodents, disadvantage, a sitting target.
Exs: In this country, there are some pretty scary predators: Grizzly¹¹ bears, and Cougars¹².
The poor little butterfly was quite defenseless against the spider.
I hate rodents; they carry diseases and are very aggressive.
Peter realized that his lack of humor was a disadvantage.
The duck was frozen on the pond; it was a sitting target.

1 fanatic   

n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a football fanatic.亚历山大是个足球迷。
• I am not a religious fanatic but I am a Christian.我不是宗教狂热分子，但我是基督徒。

2 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

3 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

4 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

7 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

8 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

9 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

10 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

11 grizzly   

adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊

参考例句：

• This grizzly liked people.这只灰熊却喜欢人。
• Grizzly bears are not generally social creatures.一般说来，灰熊不是社交型动物。

12 cougars   

n.美洲狮( cougar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cougars can kill animals eight times their size. 美洲狮可以杀死八倍于自身体积的动物。 来自互联网