Saving the white rhinos

6 Minute English

语言学习

2021-07-01

6 分钟
PDF

单集文稿 ...

  • This is a download from BBC Learning English.

  • To find out more, visit our website.

  • Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

  • I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • In this program, we'll be hearing a new story linked to the nature of us this nurture debate, not concerning a human, but so rhinoceros.

  • The extremely rare northern white rhino of East Africa was on the brink of extinction when the second to last living male, Sunny, died in 2014, leaving behind two females,

  • Najin and Fatu, the last living creatures of their species.

  • Conservationists started an artificial breeding program,

  • using eggs from the females and sperm from Sunny to produce an embryo,

  • an unborn animal in the very early stages of development.

  • Recently, there's been a new development in the story, but before we hear more,

  • it's time for my quiz question.

  • The name rhinoceros comes from the ancient Greek,

  • but what exactly does it mean?

  • Is it A, thick skin, B, horned nose, or C, small eye?

  • Ooh, that's a tricky one because rhinos have all three.

  • Okay, I'll guess A, thick skin.

  • Okay, Sam will find out later.

  • Now let's get back to the story of those precious northern rhino embryos.