猫看起来很可爱，所以很多人都喜欢猫。但是家猫仍然有捕猎的本能，会捕杀很多小动物。而野猫对小动物的威胁就更大了。
The world's largest cat-proof fence
by Michael d'Estries
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has put the finishing touches on the world's largest cat-proof fence, a 43-kilometer-long enclosure of electrified wire and netting encompassing（包围） 94 square kilometers. Called the Newhaven wildlife sanctuary, this former cattle station has been transformed into a haven for 11 critically endangered marsupials（有袋动物）, birds and other threatened species.
finishing touch 指收尾工作
-proof 后缀，意思是“防…的”
fence /fens/ n. 栅栏、篱笆
enclosure /ɪnˈkləʊʒə(r)/ n. 围栏、围墙（由enclose加后缀-ure变成名词）
electrify /ɪˈlektrɪfaɪ/ v. 使通电、使带电
wire /ˈwaɪə(r)/ n. 金属丝、金属丝网
netting /ˈnetɪŋ/ n. 网、网状物
square kilometer 平方公里
sanctuary /ˈsæŋktʃʊəri/ n. 保护区
cattle station （澳大利亚的）大农场
transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ v. 转变、彻底改变
haven /ˈheɪv(ə)n/ n. 安全地带
critically /ˈkrɪtɪk(ə)li/ adv. 严重地（由critical加后缀-ly变成副词）
endangered /ɪnˈdeɪndʒəd/ adj. 濒危的
threaten /ˈθret(ə)n/ v. 威胁（由threat加后缀-en变成动词）
species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ n. 物种（单数和复数都是species）
"The bush will be alive with bilbies（兔耳袋狸）, burrowing bettongs（鼠袋鼠） and mala（兔袋鼠）, not with feral cats," said AWC CEO Atticus Fleming. "That's what the early explorers saw, and that's what the local Warlpiri people remember. I think at Newhaven we are, in effect, trying to turn the clock back a couple of hundred years."
bush /bʊʃ/ n. 灌木（这里指灌木丛生的荒野）
alive with 充满、到处都是
burrow /ˈbʌrəʊ/ v. （在地上）打洞
feral /ˈfer(ə)l/ adj. （动物）野的（尤指从家养变成野的）
explorer /ɪkˈsplɔːrə(r)/ n. 探险家（由explore加上表示人的后缀-er）
in effect 实际上、事实上
turn the clock back 让时间倒流、回到过去
Introduced to Australia in the early 19th century, cats have had a dramatically significant impact on ground-nesting birds and small mammals. A recent estimate based on results from nearly 100 studies across Australia found feral cats responsible for 316 million bird deaths (with pet cats contributing 61 million kills) annually or nearly 1 million per day. And 99 percent of these deaths were linked to native species, including 71 threatened species.
introduce /ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/ v. 引入
dramatically /drəˈmætɪk(ə)li/ adv. 急剧地、明显地（由dramatic加后缀-ally变成副词）
significant /sɪɡˈnɪfɪk(ə)nt/ adj. 显著的
impact /ˈɪmpækt/ n. 影响
nest /nest/ v. 筑巢
mammal /ˈmæm(ə)l/ n. 哺乳动物
estimate /ˈestɪmət/ n. 估计、估计值
responsible /rɪˈspɒnsəb(ə)l/ adj. 负有责任的
contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ v. 贡献、出力
annually /ˈænjuəli/ adv. 每年（由annual加后缀-ly变成副词）
link /lɪŋk/ v. 联系、关联
native /ˈneɪtɪv/ adj. 当地的、原生的
Mammals have fared no better, with the extinction of 20 native Australian mammal species linked to feral cats and nearly a dozen more in the crosshairs.
fare /feə(r)/ v. 表现得
extinction /ɪkˈstɪŋkʃ(ə)n/ n. 灭绝
crosshairs /ˈkrɒsheəz/ n. （枪械瞄准用的）准星（in the crosshairs指处于极大的危险中）
"Whenever you start doing the maths on cat predation, the numbers are so massive, so horrendous（令人惊骇的）, you think 'My God, that can't be right,'" said Dr. Sarah Legge of the Threatened Species Recovery Hub.
predation /prɪˈdeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 捕杀、捕食
massive /ˈmæsɪv/ adj. 巨大的
In an effort to turn the tide against wild populations of feral cats, estimated to number between 10 and 20 million across Australia, conservation officials are in the process of constructing at least 11 large-scale fenced sanctuaries.
tide /taɪd/ n. 潮汐、潮水（turn the tide意思是扭转形势）
estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ v. 估计（注意它做动词和做名词时发音不同）
number /ˈnʌmbə(r)/ v. 达到某个数字、多达
conservation /ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. （动物、环境等）保护
official /əˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ n. 官员
process /ˈprəʊses/ n. 过程（be in the process of doing something意思是已经开始做某事）
construct /kənˈstrʌkt/ v. 修建、建造
scale /skeɪl/ n. 规模
fence /fens/ v. （用栅栏）围起来
Even Newhaven is planning on expanding its world record enclosure. "The second stage will be a minimum of 700 square kilometers," Fleming said. "It might end up bigger than that. So a minimum of another 135 kilometers of fence line."
expand /ɪkˈspænd/ v. 扩大、扩张
world record 世界纪录
stage /steɪdʒ/ n. 阶段
minimum /ˈmɪnɪməm/ n. 最小值
end up 到头来、以…而告终
The AWC estimates that the Newhaven sanctuary alone will help increase global populations of threatened mammals like the black-footed rock wallaby and western quoll（袋鼬） by between 4% and 450%. Until better trapping or management of the feral predator population is enacted, Fleming says fenced sanctuaries offer the best hope for the country's native species.
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的、全世界的
black-footed rock wallaby 黑足岩石沙袋鼠
trap /træp/ v. 用陷阱捕捉
management /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ n. 管理（由manage加后缀-ment变成名词）
predator /ˈpredətə(r)/ n. 捕食者
enact /ɪˈnækt/ v. 实施
"When you get rid of the foxes and cats, these native mammals breed like rabbits," he added. "This is what Newhaven is all about. Even though you're putting a fence around it, you're doing that to recreate natural conditions. The irony is that the area outside the fence is unnatural because it's full of cats and foxes."
breed /briːd/ v. 繁殖
recreate /ˌriːkriˈeɪt/ v. 再次创造、再现（由create加上表示再次的前缀re-）
condition /kənˈdɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 状态、（生长）条件
irony /ˈaɪrəni/ n. 具有讽刺意味的事
unnatural /ʌnˈnætʃ(ə)r(ə)l/ adj. 非自然状态的（由natural加上表示否定的前缀un-）
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