When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl ( 水 禽 ) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat (栖息地).
当探险家第一次踏上北美大陆时，天空和大地上生机勃勃地充满着令人惊叹的各种野生动物。美洲原住民明智地照料着这些宝贵的自然资源。不幸的是，仅仅几十年的时间，探险家和随后的移民就摧毁了这些资源的一大部分。数以百万计的水禽在市场猎人和一小撮雄心勃勃的运动爱好者的手中丧生。数百万英亩的湿地被干涸，以满足和容纳快速增长的人口，大大减少了水禽的栖息地。

In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory ( 迁徙的) waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. “Ding”Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, lowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
1934年，随着《候鸟狩猎印花法案》（法案）的颁布，日益担忧的国家采取了坚决行动，制止了迁徙水禽和对它们生存至关重要的湿地的破坏。根据这项法案，16岁及以上的所有水禽猎人必须每年购买和携带一张联邦鸭票。第一张联邦鸭票是由来自爱荷华州得梅因的政治漫画家J.N.“丁”唐林设计的，在那时，他被总统富兰克林·罗斯福任命为生物调查局局长。猎人们很乐意支付印花价格，以确保我们的自然资源能够生存下去。

About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System — a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
每张鸭票的98美分直接进入迁徙鸟类保育基金，用于购买湿地和野生动物栖息地，纳入国家野生动物保护区系统 —— 这一事实确保这片土地将受到保护，并可供所有后代使用。自1934年以来，有超过50亿美元流入该基金，购买了500多万英亩的栖息地。难怪联邦鸭票计划被称为有史以来启动的最成功的保护计划之一。

1. What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?
   A. Loss of wetlands.
   B. Popularity of water sports.
   C. Pollution of rivers.
   D. Arrival of other wild animals.
   答案：A

2. What does the underlined word “decimate” mean in the first paragraph?
   A. Acquire.
   B. Export.
   C. Destroy.
   D. Distribute.
   答案：C

3. What is a direct result of the Act passed in 1934?
   A. The stamp price has gone down.
   B. The migratory birds have flown away.
   C. The hunters have stopped hunting.
   D. The government has collected money.
   答案：D

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
   A. The Federal Duck Stamp Story
   B. The National Wildlife Refuge System
   C. The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl
   D. The History of Migratory Bird Hunting
   答案：A