雅思词汇解析（64）| 生物灭绝

1. extinct /ɪk'stɪŋkt/

adj. 灭绝的;绝种的

e.g. The numbers of these animals have been falling steadily and they are now almost extinct.

e.g. The orchid was so rare it was thought to be extinct.

补充：rare 稀有的；罕见的

b. 技艺/某种生活方式的不复存在

e.g. Herbalism had become an all but extinct skill in the Western world.

c. 火山死的；不再活跃的

e.g. an extinct volcano

an active volcano 活火山

a dormant volcano 休眠火山

n. extinction 灭绝

常见搭配：

be threatened with extinction 濒临灭绝

save something from extinction 保护…防止灭绝

 e.g. Hundreds of species of birds are now threatened with extinction.

e.g. Conservationists are trying to save the whale from extinction.

2. exterminate /ɪk'stɜːmɪneɪt/

v. to destroy or kill (a group of animals, people, etc.) completely消灭;灭绝;根除

e.g. A huge effort was made to exterminate the rats.

e.g. The government launched a campaign to exterminate the invasive species from the national park.

补充：invasive species 入侵物种

n. extermination 灭绝；杀灭

e.g. International measures have been taken to prevent the extermination of the whale.

syn. extinction

3. poach /ˈpoʊtʃ/

v. 偷猎

e.g. Elephants are often poached for their ivory tusks.

e.g. The pangolin, a large ant-eating mammal, is poached heavily.

n. poaching 偷猎

n. poacher 偷猎者

e.g. Poachers are responsible for the declining rhinoceros population in this area. 

4. adapt /əˈdæpt/

v. 适应

常见搭配：adapt to

e.g. Evolution can seem cruel at times, and often, a species will be ‘out-evolved’ by another competing species that simply adapts faster.

雅思真题13-1-4: And we used to think that only a few species could adapt to this new environment. One species which is well known as being highly adaptable is the crow, and there've been various studies about how they manage to Learn new skills. 

n. adaptation (动植物的）适应性

e.g. Most living creatures are capable of adaptation when compelled to do so.

adj. adaptable 有适应能力的;适应性强的；

e.g. Organisms that live at higher latitudes have to be more adaptable, be able to handle lots of different conditions.