Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. poacher (n.) [poh-cher] – someone who hunts animals illegally
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. poacher (n.) [poh-cher] – someone who hunts animals illegally
Example: Animal poachers hunt tigers at night so that
they will not be seen by guards.
2. red-handed (adv.) [red-han-did] – in the middle of doing a crime or a bad action, with easily seen evidence
Example: The police caught the
criminal red-handed as he tried to
steal the rare animal from the zoo.
3. alleged (adj.) [uh-lejd, uh-lej-id] – describes something that has not been proven true yet
Example: Authorities received
reports about alleged poachers hiding
in the village.
4. endangered (adj.) [en-deyn-jerd] – refers to a species whose population is too small and may soon die out
Example: The government banned
the hunting of endangered animals
such as tigers, elephants and gorillas.
5. reserve (n.) [ree-surv] – an area of land used for conserving and protecting endangered animals and
plants
Example: Forest guards patrol
wildlife reserves to prevent poachers
from killing animals in these places.
Article
Read the text below.
Animal poachers will be shot when caught red-handed, according to a new rule
in the state of Maharashtra in western India.
Patangrao Kadam,
Forest Minister in Maharashtra, says forest guards will no longer be punished
for injuring or killing suspected animal hunters.
In addition, the
government in Maharashtra has reserved a fund of 5 million rupees ($90,000), to
be used to reward people who can give information about alleged poachers.
Divyabhanusinh Chavda,
head of the World Wildlife Fund in India and a member of National Wildlife
Board, comments that this new rule will discourage poachers. Assam, a state
located in northeast India, has a similar law that has helped rescue the endangered population of one-horned
rhinos.
S.W.H. Naqvi, Maharashtra’s
chief wildlife warden, reports that forest guards have difficulty catching
poachers who act at night. He believes the money reward for information will be
even more effective in stopping poachers than allowing guards to shoot the
criminals.
Meanwhile, the
international community is also concerned about poachers in India. The
country has been home to half of the world’s remaining 3,200 tigers, since
wildlife reserves were built and
hunting was banned in the 1970s.
However, 14 tigers were
already killed by poachers this year. Eight of these killings occurred in
Maharashtra.
Tiger parts are in
high demand in the black market because of people who use the animal’s parts for
traditional Chinese medicines.
A study published
in Biological Conservation journal last April says 114 species of mammals are
being hunted in India.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you agree with the Indian government’s
decision to allow poachers to be shot? Why or why not?
·
Do you think protecting nature is more
important than protecting human life? Please explain your answer.
Discussion B
·
Why is it important to take care of endangered
animals?
How
can people better protect such endangered animals?