Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide
the fact that similar needs are felt in the rest of Europe. Studies by the
Council of Europe, of which 21 countries are members, have shown that 45% of
reptile (爬行动物) species and 24% of butterflies (蝴蝶) are in danger of dying
out. European concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr. Peter
Baum, an expert in the environment and natural resources division of the
council, when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a
British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the
council's diploma (证书) for nature reserves (自然保护区) of the highest quality, and
Dr. Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that
public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the
1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum clearly remained a
strong supporter of the view that natural environments needed. To be allowed to
survive in peace in their own right. "No area could be expected
to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction", he went
on. The short sighted view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands
for outdoor recreation (户外娱乐) should be replaced by full acceptance of their
importance as places to preserve nature for the future. "We
forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built-up area
ultimately depends," Dr. Baum went on. "We could manage without most industrial
products, but we could not manage without nature. However, our natural
environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside, have shrunk
(缩小) to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted Landmass."
单选题
Recent studies by the Council of Europe have indicated that ______.
A. Britain is the only country where wildlife needs more protection
B. all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out
C. there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than
elsewhere
D. many species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need
protecting