Questões de Inglês

Elephant Crisis: The Largest Land Mammal Needs our Help

by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick

1 Elephants have captured the imagination of

individuals across the world. Majestic beings, they have

fascinated even those who may never have enjoyed close

4 contact with them.

It’s this empathy that has led thousands of people

worldwide today to join the International March for Elephants

7 organized by iworry, a campaign by the David Sheldrick

Wildlife Trust, to publicize the warning that the future survival

of elephants is at serious risk.

10 Some may wonder why elephants matter. I have been

privileged to live amongst them and have nurtured a lifelong

passion to protect them for over 55 years. My team and I have

13 hand-reared more than 160 orphaned elephants to date, some

from the day they were born. It’s a long-term commitment, and

I have known them intimately throughout infancy and

16 childhood into their teenage years and beyond.

Scientific studies of elephants have now led to the

acceptance of abilities that we have observed on a daily basis

19 for many years. Elephants share the same emotions as humans,

with a strong sense of family and the same sense of death. Like

us, they suffer with the loss of loved ones. Each has an

22 individual personality just like us. They can be mischievous,

playful, feel offended or foolish.

In many ways they are better than us, and they have

25 attributes that we humans lack, such as the ability to

communicate over distance using low range sound hidden to

human ears. They have telepathic capabilities, as well as being

28 sensitive to seismic sound through their feet. Yet for all the

worldly reverence for elephants, they are today being hunted

and killed at a catastrophic rate for something as simple as a

31 tooth.

The phenomenon of poaching elephants for their tusks

is not new. It was only through awareness campaigns and

34 international pressure that a ban on the international sale of

ivory was enacted in 1989. This ban provided a brief relief for

elephants by stopping an increasing trade that in some regions

37 caused the loss of up to 80 percent of herds.

However, poaching has escalated in already

devastated populations recently. The interest in ivory

40 stimulated demand, and the result is that elephants are now

being poached at the highest rate since records of their numbers

began. Current estimates put the figure at 36,000 elephants

43 killed annually, which means one elephant dying every 15

minutes.

To date we’ve arrested 1,406 poachers, and our

46 veterinary teams have successfully treated over 500 wounded

elephants.

As long as any trade in ivory remains—legal or illegal,

49 global or domestic—elephants will continue to be cruelly killed

for their tusks.

Internet: <www.nationalgeographic.com> (adapted).

Elephant Crisis: The Largest Land Mammal Needs our Help

by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick

1 Elephants have captured the imagination of

individuals across the world. Majestic beings, they have

fascinated even those who may never have enjoyed close

4 contact with them.

It’s this empathy that has led thousands of people

worldwide today to join the International March for Elephants

7 organized by iworry, a campaign by the David Sheldrick

Wildlife Trust, to publicize the warning that the future survival

of elephants is at serious risk.

10 Some may wonder why elephants matter. I have been

privileged to live amongst them and have nurtured a lifelong

passion to protect them for over 55 years. My team and I have

13 hand-reared more than 160 orphaned elephants to date, some

from the day they were born. It’s a long-term commitment, and

I have known them intimately throughout infancy and

16 childhood into their teenage years and beyond.

Scientific studies of elephants have now led to the

acceptance of abilities that we have observed on a daily basis

19 for many years. Elephants share the same emotions as humans,

with a strong sense of family and the same sense of death. Like

us, they suffer with the loss of loved ones. Each has an

22 individual personality just like us. They can be mischievous,

playful, feel offended or foolish.

In many ways they are better than us, and they have

25 attributes that we humans lack, such as the ability to

communicate over distance using low range sound hidden to

human ears. They have telepathic capabilities, as well as being

28 sensitive to seismic sound through their feet. Yet for all the

worldly reverence for elephants, they are today being hunted

and killed at a catastrophic rate for something as simple as a

31 tooth.

The phenomenon of poaching elephants for their tusks

is not new. It was only through awareness campaigns and

34 international pressure that a ban on the international sale of

ivory was enacted in 1989. This ban provided a brief relief for

elephants by stopping an increasing trade that in some regions

37 caused the loss of up to 80 percent of herds.

However, poaching has escalated in already

devastated populations recently. The interest in ivory

40 stimulated demand, and the result is that elephants are now

being poached at the highest rate since records of their numbers

began. Current estimates put the figure at 36,000 elephants

43 killed annually, which means one elephant dying every 15

minutes.

To date we’ve arrested 1,406 poachers, and our

46 veterinary teams have successfully treated over 500 wounded

elephants.

As long as any trade in ivory remains—legal or illegal,

49 global or domestic—elephants will continue to be cruelly killed

for their tusks.

Internet: <www.nationalgeographic.com> (adapted).

Elephant Crisis: The Largest Land Mammal Needs our Help

by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick

1 Elephants have captured the imagination of

individuals across the world. Majestic beings, they have

fascinated even those who may never have enjoyed close

4 contact with them.

It’s this empathy that has led thousands of people

worldwide today to join the International March for Elephants

7 organized by iworry, a campaign by the David Sheldrick

Wildlife Trust, to publicize the warning that the future survival

of elephants is at serious risk.

10 Some may wonder why elephants matter. I have been

privileged to live amongst them and have nurtured a lifelong

passion to protect them for over 55 years. My team and I have

13 hand-reared more than 160 orphaned elephants to date, some

from the day they were born. It’s a long-term commitment, and

I have known them intimately throughout infancy and

16 childhood into their teenage years and beyond.

Scientific studies of elephants have now led to the

acceptance of abilities that we have observed on a daily basis

19 for many years. Elephants share the same emotions as humans,

with a strong sense of family and the same sense of death. Like

us, they suffer with the loss of loved ones. Each has an

22 individual personality just like us. They can be mischievous,

playful, feel offended or foolish.

In many ways they are better than us, and they have

25 attributes that we humans lack, such as the ability to

communicate over distance using low range sound hidden to

human ears. They have telepathic capabilities, as well as being

28 sensitive to seismic sound through their feet. Yet for all the

worldly reverence for elephants, they are today being hunted

and killed at a catastrophic rate for something as simple as a

31 tooth.

The phenomenon of poaching elephants for their tusks

is not new. It was only through awareness campaigns and

34 international pressure that a ban on the international sale of

ivory was enacted in 1989. This ban provided a brief relief for

elephants by stopping an increasing trade that in some regions

37 caused the loss of up to 80 percent of herds.

However, poaching has escalated in already

devastated populations recently. The interest in ivory

40 stimulated demand, and the result is that elephants are now

being poached at the highest rate since records of their numbers

began. Current estimates put the figure at 36,000 elephants

43 killed annually, which means one elephant dying every 15

minutes.

To date we’ve arrested 1,406 poachers, and our

46 veterinary teams have successfully treated over 500 wounded

elephants.

As long as any trade in ivory remains—legal or illegal,

49 global or domestic—elephants will continue to be cruelly killed

for their tusks.

Internet: <www.nationalgeographic.com> (adapted).

A New Test And Treatment For Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s 1 disease is a deadly neurodegenerative

disorder and there’s no cure for it. However, scientists appear

to have found a compound that could be used to develop a drug

4 for treating patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,

Huntington’s and other disorders.

As you might know, when a brain cell is hijacked by

7 a virus, the result is the building up of viral proteins. The cells

defend by stopping almost all protein production to make sure

that the virus doesn’t spread.

10 The same defense mechanism is started by many

neurodegenerative disorders which involve the production of

“faulty” proteins. But the cells shut down the production of

13 proteins for so long that they die due to hunger. This

mechanism can lead to the death of neurons throughout the

brain, resulting in movement or memory problems or can even

16 be fatal depending on the disorder.

The compound that was used by the scientists

prevented the defense mechanisms from being activated, so

19 there was no neurodegeneration. When the compound was used

on mice, it prevented all neuron death from prion disease.

Of course, more research is required on the compound

22 before a drug can be developed for use on humans, but this

certainly seems to be a good start.

According to Prof. Roger Morris, from King’s College London,

25 “This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as

a turning point in the search for medicines to control and

prevent Alzheimer’s disease”.

Internet: <www.mobilemag.com> (adapted).

A New Test And Treatment For Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s 1 disease is a deadly neurodegenerative

disorder and there’s no cure for it. However, scientists appear

to have found a compound that could be used to develop a drug

4 for treating patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,

Huntington’s and other disorders.

As you might know, when a brain cell is hijacked by

7 a virus, the result is the building up of viral proteins. The cells

defend by stopping almost all protein production to make sure

that the virus doesn’t spread.

10 The same defense mechanism is started by many

neurodegenerative disorders which involve the production of

“faulty” proteins. But the cells shut down the production of

13 proteins for so long that they die due to hunger. This

mechanism can lead to the death of neurons throughout the

brain, resulting in movement or memory problems or can even

16 be fatal depending on the disorder.

The compound that was used by the scientists

prevented the defense mechanisms from being activated, so

19 there was no neurodegeneration. When the compound was used

on mice, it prevented all neuron death from prion disease.

Of course, more research is required on the compound

22 before a drug can be developed for use on humans, but this

certainly seems to be a good start.

According to Prof. Roger Morris, from King’s College London,

25 “This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as

a turning point in the search for medicines to control and

prevent Alzheimer’s disease”.

Internet: <www.mobilemag.com> (adapted).

A New Test And Treatment For Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s 1 disease is a deadly neurodegenerative

disorder and there’s no cure for it. However, scientists appear

to have found a compound that could be used to develop a drug

4 for treating patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,

Huntington’s and other disorders.

As you might know, when a brain cell is hijacked by

7 a virus, the result is the building up of viral proteins. The cells

defend by stopping almost all protein production to make sure

that the virus doesn’t spread.

10 The same defense mechanism is started by many

neurodegenerative disorders which involve the production of

“faulty” proteins. But the cells shut down the production of

13 proteins for so long that they die due to hunger. This

mechanism can lead to the death of neurons throughout the

brain, resulting in movement or memory problems or can even

16 be fatal depending on the disorder.

The compound that was used by the scientists

prevented the defense mechanisms from being activated, so

19 there was no neurodegeneration. When the compound was used

on mice, it prevented all neuron death from prion disease.

Of course, more research is required on the compound

22 before a drug can be developed for use on humans, but this

certainly seems to be a good start.

According to Prof. Roger Morris, from King’s College London,

25 “This finding, I suspect, will be judged by history as

a turning point in the search for medicines to control and

prevent Alzheimer’s disease”.

Internet: <www.mobilemag.com> (adapted).