第12章 Lesson 12: Australia's Giant Toads
The cane toad is the largest kind of toad in the world. They are native to South America and the Caribbean, and can weigh as much as 2 kg!
In 1935, sugar cane farmers in Australia were having a problem with two types of beetles who were destroying their crops. About one hundred cane toads were shipped to Australia from Hawaii. People hoped the toads would be a solution to the problem. Unfortunately, this did not happen. The cane toads quickly became a more annoying pest than the beetles had ever been.
There are several things that make the cane toad so unusual. First of all, the cane toad has almost no natural predators. If the cane toad feels threatened, it secretes a poisonous liquid. This liquid can kill children and small animals. It can even blind an adult for several hours.
The cane toad is also poisonous in all stages of its life. Fish normally feed on the eggs of frogs and toads, but even the eggs of the cane toad are poisonous! Each pair of cane toads can produce more than 30,000 eggs each season. Because many of the eggs and tadpoles are able to mature, the cane toad population can grow very rapidly.
This is exactly what happened in Australia. Without any predators, where are suddenly thousands of cane toads. Also, the cane toads did not get rid of the beetles, which could easily fly away.
The Australians are not quite sure how to get rid of cane toads. In fact, the cane toad population continues to rise and they eat many kinds of Australian wildlife. Even so, some people in Australia like cane toads and even leave food in their backyards or adopt the giant toads as pets.
I. Word List
native: where an animal or person is from
annoying: something that makes people angry
secrete: when liquid comes out of an animals body
get rid of: to make something or someone go away
adopt: to make an animal or child part of your family
II. Vocabulary skills—Find the correct words in the reading.
1. from this place or that place: n _ _ _ _ _
2. in danger: t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3. to make liquid come out: s _ _ _ _ _ _
4. the number of people, plants, or animals in a place: p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5. patient, accepting: t _ _ _ _ _ _ _
III. Reading skills—Answer the following questions.
1. Do you think cane toads will continue to be a problem in Australia? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________.
2. Why were cane toads first brought to Australia?
___________________________________________________________.
3. Why are there so many cane toads in Australia now?
___________________________________________________________.
4. Are there any pests in your town or city? Tell about it.
___________________________________________________________.
5. Would you like to have a cane toad as a pet? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________________.
IV. Write T (true) or F (false) for each sentence.
___ 1. Cane toads are native to Australia.
___ 2. Cane toads can be dangerous to children.
___ 3. Some people like cane toads.
___ 4. Cane toads got rid of beetles in Australia.
___ 5. Cane toads have many predators.