10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.PART III

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Part III: Read the following passage, choose the best answers, and write them in the box below.

The black robin is one of the world’s rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird, and it lives only on the island of Little

Manger off the coast of New Zealand. In 1967, there were about fifty black robins there; in 1977 there were fewer

than ten. There are only black robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of course, of different

kinds, large and small; these seem to multiply very happily.

Energetic steps are being taken to preserve the black robin- to guard those remaining and to increase their

number. Detailed studies are going on, and a public appeal for money has been made. The idea is to buy another

island nearly as a special home, a “reserve”, for threatened wild life, including black robins. The organizers say

that Little Manger should then be restocked with the robin’s food- it eats only one kind of seed- and so renewed

for it. Thousands of required plants are at present being cultivated in New Zealand. The public appeal is aimed at

the conscience of mankind, so that the wild black robin will not die out and disappear from the earth in our time at

least.

Is all this concern a waste of human effort? Is it any business of ours whether the black robin survives or dies

out? Are we losing our sense of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable?

In the earth’s long, long past hundreds of kinds of creatures have evolved, risen to a degree of success- and died

out. In the long, long future there will be many new and different forms of life. Those creatures that adapt

themselves successfully to what the earth offers will survive for a long time. Those that fail to meet the challenges

will disappear early. That is Nature’s proven method of operation.

The rule of selection-“the survival of the fittest”-is the one by which man has himself arrived on the scene. He,

being one of the most adaptable creatures the earth has yet produced, may last longer than most. Some creatures,

certain small animals, insects and birds, will almost certainly outlast man, for they seem even more adaptable.

You may take it as another rule that when, at last, man shows signs of dying out; no other creature will extend a

paw to postpone his departure. On the contrary, he will be hurried out; for Nature, though fair, is a hard-heard

mistress. She has no favorites.

Life seems to have grown too tough for black robins. I leave you to judge whether we should try to do

anything about it.