每日一练39

　　倒数第三周星期四

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　　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 has just decided to kill them too ! But why?

　　Badgers are fascinating creatures. The black and white mammals live underground in “ setts ”, which they dig out of the earth. They are 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 Mycobacterium Bovis ( M. Bovis ) which can cause TB in some other animals, including cattle.

　　For farmers, this is a serious issue. In 1998 in the UK, almost 6,000 cows were killed to control the disease. And in 2010, more than 30,000 animals were destroyed. It’s expensive too. Bovine TB costs the UK about ￡100 million per year. And some believe that the disease could end up costing the economy ￡9 billion over the next 40 years 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 a badger cull（杀戮）. This will mean about 30,000 of the innocent creatures will be wiped out to fight the disease. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman admitted that there was “ great strength of feeling ” about it, but said, “ I believe this is the right way forward. ”

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