Passage One
The black robin(知更鸟) is one of the world’s rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird, and it lives only on the island of Little Mangere, offthe coast of New Zealand. In 1967 there were about 50 black robins there; in 1977 there were fewer than ten. These are the only black robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of course, of different kinds, large and small; they 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 nearby as a special home, a "reserve", for threatened wildlife, including black robins. The organizers say that Little Mangere should then be restocked with the robin’s food-it eats only one kind of seed-and so renewed for it. Thousands of the 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.
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.
Life seems to have grown too tough for black robins.
Passage OneThe black robin is dying out mainly because ______