As one of the world’s most ancient bird species, the kākāpō has lived on the islands of New Zealand for millions of years. When humans first arrived on the islands 700 years ago, the birds could be found throughout the islands. However, their number soon dropped as humans hunted them for food. To make matters worse, the kākāpō has a tendency to freeze when it feels threatened. This makes the birds easy prey for humans and their dogs. By the mid-1970s, only 18 of these birds were known to exist.
作为世界上最古老的鸟类之一，鸮鹦鹉已在纽西兰岛屿上生活了数百万年。当人类在七百年前首次抵达这些岛屿时，岛上到处都可以看到这种鸟类。然而，随著人类猎捕鸮鹦鹉作为食物，牠们的数量很快就减少了。更糟的是，鸮鹦鹉在感受到威胁时，往往会僵住不动。这使得鸮鹦鹉轻易成为人类与其猎狗的猎物。到了 1970 年代中期，此类鸟已知仅存十八只。
生活必备字词：
species n. 物种（单复数同形）
freeze vi.（因恐惧而）呆住
三态为：freeze, froze, frozen。
threatened a. 受威胁的
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本文节录自《常春藤生活英语》杂志，完整内容请见二月号。
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