For a long time hikers in Japan have considered a bear bell essential. Its tinny ring is said to scare off huge creatures. Nowadays, however, bear bells are increasingly useful on the way to the shops as well as in the wild. “The number of animals - whether bears, boars or monkeys --is expanding, and they are going into villages and towns”, says Hiroto Enari of Yamagata University.
Japan is home to many species of wild animals, including both black and brown bears. Estimates of their numbers are unstable, but since the 2000s the number of bear sightings has been rising. There were close to 1 3 , 000 in 2018 alone. The reappearance has its roots in the truth : the shrinking of Japan’s population is especially sharp in rural areas, where it is more serious by ongoing urbanization. The reducing quantity of people, in turn, has emboldened (使大胆)animals. Bears are less limited about entering villages in broad daylight if there are few folks around, Mr Enari says. Indeed, the biggest jumps in sightings have been where the population is falling fastest.
Hunting is declining in Japan, too. Government data suggest that the average hunter is now 68 years old. The country’s many forests and mountains provide an expansive habitat for wild animals. Indeed, the true wilderness is growing as foresters and farmers die off. Bears become particularly bold in years when acorns (橡实)are scarce, sneaking into orchards (果园)to steal fruits.
While some welcome their reappearance? others suffer from it. Every year bears injure scores of people, and kill a handful. Deer cause damage to farmland and speed up erosion by, for example, eating up grass. Simple solutions, such as changing the layout around villages or putting up fences, are rarely used. Instead, many bears are captured or killed. In 2013 the government decided to halve the number of certain types of deer, boars and monkeys by 2023. Japan is struggling to adapt to the changing power balance between animals and people”, says Mr Enari.
1.In Japan, what were the bear bells first used for?
A.Warning people of bears’ appearance.
B.Safeguarding the shops and villages.
C.Driving away various wild animals.
D.Scaring off bears for the hikers.
2.What can we learn from paragraph 2?
A.It is hard to see a brown bear in Japan.
B.The number of bear sightings has declined since 2000.
C.Japan’s reducing population is a main cause for bears’ reappearance.
D.Bears appear most frequently where the population increases fastest.
3.What is the other cause for wild animals’ reappearance?
A.The increase of forests. B.The decline of hunting.
C.The reduction of their habitats. D.The death of foresters and farmers.
4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.The problem wild animals bring about and related measures to handle it.
B.Japanese people’s attitude to the reappearance of wild animals.
C.Methods for killing wild animals and the government’s attitude to them.
D.The wild animals’ future Japanese experts expect.
Events at The University of Manchester
Telescope Walking Tours
We’ll be hosting our popular Telescope Walking Tours daily from 5 July to 5 August, 2020. You can join one of our friendly Explainers as they take you for a walk around the base of the impressive Lovell Telescope. You’ll explore its amazing history and discover some of its ground-breaking research. Walking Tours last about 45 minutes, will take place indoors if wet, and are available on a drop-in basis.
Art Basket
Are you and your family hungry to get creative? Pick up a picnic basket with a difference.
Come to our Oxford Road or Parkside entrance and pick up one of our special baskets—free and available at any time during gallery opening hours, daily from 31 May to 31 August, 2020. Pack your basket full of art materials and head off to our galleries. Come back later, and we’d love to see what you’ve clone.
Elizabeth Price
Bringing together many new and well-known works, including drawings, sculptures and videos, the exhibition will start on 1 March, 2020 and it runs till 25 May, 2020.
Her Turner Prize winning THE WOOLWORTHS CHOIR of 1 979 , remembering that terrible fire in Manchester, will be shown in the city for the first time.
Children’s Story Competition
From “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Charlotte” Web” to “Spiderman”, insects have inspired countless much-loved stories and comics. Enter your ideas into our story competition lasting from 5 March to 1 J line, 2020. Winners in each age category will be chosen by experts and professional writers and will be featured in a special exhibition publication in summer 2020.
1.What can you do on Telescope Walking Tours?
A.To experience a space walk.
B.To take exercise indoors or outdoors.
C.To learn some knowledge of astronomy.
D.To explore the historic buildings on foot.
2.When will the exhibition event close?
A.On May 25, 2020. B.On August 5, 2020.
C.On June 1, 2020. D.On August 31, 2020.
3.Which event will last longest?
A.Telescope Walking Tours. B.Art Basket.
C.Elizabeth Price. D.Children’s Story Competition.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What kind of place is the speaker mainly describing?
A.A famous restaurant chain.
B.A local cafe in South Africa.
C.An unknown restaurant.
2.What might you see when you go to the dining room?
A.Forest. B.Fish. C.Real wild animals.
3.How would the speaker like the visitors to feel?
A.Concerned about the environment.
B.Happy with the delicious food.
C.Willing to help the poor.
4.What are the main dishes served with?
A.Traditional drinks. B.Beautiful flowers. C.Cultural stories.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the man doing?
A.Asking for help. B.Making an appointment. C.Offering suggestions.
2.What will Jane and Helen do next weekend?
A.Enjoy themselves with Susan.
B.Go hiking in the mountains.
C.Do some holiday shopping.
3.When did the woman go climbing last time?
A.About two years ago. B.About a year ago. C.About a month ago.
4.What do we know about Susan?
A.She is familiar with Helen.
B.She has good organization skills.
C.She’s John’s girlfriend.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How does the woman go to work?
A.By car. B.By running. C.By bus.
2.What feeling does the woman get from running?
A.Free. B.Peaceful. C.Tired.
3.How will the man train for the big race?
A.Run to work. B.Run at a gym. C.Run around a park.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does Tina use to cure a cold?
A.Medicine. B.Ginger. C.Cold water.
2.How old is Tian’s grandmother now?
A.93 years old. B.94 years old. C.95 years old.
