5.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 have just decided to kill them too!But why?
Badgers are fascinating nocturnal(夜間活動(dòng)的)creatures,living underground.They're 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 M.bovis which can cause TB in some other animals,including cattle.For farmers,this is a serious issue,because they usually keep a large number of cows together to raise.In 1998in the UK,almost 6,000cows were killed to control the disease.And in 2010,more than 30,000animals were destroyed.Bovine TB costs the UK about£100million per year.And some believe that the disease could end up costing the economy£9billion over the next 40years 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 kill badgers.
Of course,many are against the measure.They claim that killing the badgers in controlled zones wouldn't work because badgers from neighboring areas would simply move in and become infected too.Furthermore,the number of cattle in one spot is usually very large.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.
67.Why does the UK government want to kill badgers?B
A.Because badgers are responsible for all the bTBinfected cattle.
B.Because a disease connected with badgers has caused a big loss.
C.Because badgers are very easy to become infected with bTB.
D.Because cattle are often with badgers which may carry bTB.
68.Some people believe that killing badgers in certain areas doesn't help
becauseA.
A.badgers nearby would occupy where the killed badgers once lived
B.badgers are often transported around to lots of different farms
C.the disease will still exist there with all the cattle infected
D.the government doesn't have a good knowledge of the disease
69.What's the main idea of the passage?A
A.The UK government has decided to kill badgers to control the disease.
B.Very few wild animals exist in the UK these days except badgers.
C.A lot of people are against killing badgers for some reasons.
D.A large sum of money has been spent controlling the disease.
70.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4probably mean?B
A.Cattle are often kept separately to prevent diseases.
B.Many cattle are gathered in one area to raise.
C.Cattle are raised very carefully and attentively.
D.Cattle are cared for by sick farmers sometimes.