新托福阅读材料：SmuggledrareMadagascartortoisesseizedinMalaysia

会计考友

人类活动范围的扩大和对自然资源的过度开发，让许多生活在地球上的生物物种都濒临灭绝，但人类始终不知反省，为了自身利益仍然继续将这些物种赶尽杀绝。  
　　Customs officers at Kuala Lumpur airport have found nearly 400 rare tortoises smuggled from Madagascar.

) h- d) j2 \' x9 g- z: m, m) m; L7 N　　The Radiated and Ploughshare tortoises were on the last leg of their journey to pet shops and possibly cooking pots, Malaysian officials believe.
- y) K/ Y* m" U8 `6 e/ ~
  {# ~; Q. z2 A" H* e  z　　Also recovered were more than 40 rare tomato frogs.
  S+ D0 `/ B, i( M, \! b2 r" R
) Q' L, o# N5 |# S- Q5 q9 X2 ?　　There are fears that as Madagascar's political problems continue, illegal exportation of the country's animals and plants is on the rise.
  `8 G# z; O  [: O; w
　　It is the second such find in the last month.

& w& F2 `' h6 }( Z: _　　Two Malagasy women have been arrested. Officials say the animals were found in their luggage.

1 y" P; M4 _* u# s/ V( {) G　　'Free for all'
" D# [" e8 o" f
　　Richard Thomas of Traffic International, an organisation trying to stop the illegal trade in exotic animals, said both species of tortoise involved in this case were incredibly rare.
: l, E3 a/ Q: I8 r- Z
　　Much of Madagascar's flora and fauna, including its famous lemurs, are unique to the island. They draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the country.
' |, R" I/ N% q$ h; r- Q7 g8 o9 p. r
( O1 V, W* U* j& U) h1 a　　They are also under increasing threat from exploitation.
$ D/ ]) f* O$ x% Q' Y1 L$ F, w
6 ^# o6 J6 m5 O6 F　　This, says Mr Thomas, is not being helped by a collapsing economy brought on by political problems.
$ d! i' f; n: ?  C; n  C; I
　　Some conservationists talk of a "free for all" in Madagascar with criminal gangs operating virtually at will.
: N% k- _$ q1 J& m& D# z
! D  b) l% E# R$ P! p" Y　　A recent report by the Global Witness group uncovered a massive industry in smuggling precious hardwoods. Members of the police and forestry departments were implicated.
  d' F% }# q- M7 y
8 S  k- j: Z5 Z5 B0 i2 o　　The government has also legalised the sale of some seized hardwoods.

　　The environmental group WWF says the authorities have been in effect selling illegally harvested wood for their own profit.