Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Ukraine at War / Indochinese Tiger Conservation in Thailand

Ukraine at War

When Russia launched what it called a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24th, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky declared martial law, which is when a country's armed forces take control during a national emergency. Part of that made it illegal for men between the ages of 18 and 60 to leave Ukraine. Some of them have been drafted into the Ukrainian military while others waited to serve. The Ukrainian government says more than 66,000 Ukrainian men have returned there from other countries to join the fight against Russian troops. In addition, more than 20,000 foreign volunteers from 52 nations have joined the fight on Ukraine's behalf, including one Taiwanese veteran.

Russia said at the beginning of its invasion that it would only target Ukrainian military sites. However, several civilian sites, from apartment buildings to college buildings to a Ukrainian Orthodox Church and even a children's hospital have been damaged or destroyed. As far as casualties go, it is yet unclear how many thousands of people have been killed in the conflict⏤the Russian and Ukrainian governments give vastly different counts when it comes to their soldiers' deaths.

Refugees of more than 230,000 people are now crossing Ukraine’s border into Moldova, a much smaller nation south of Ukraine. The Moldovan government is providing free transport for people from the border; they have opened their doors to these Ukrainian refugees. A lot of Ukrainians have friends or relatives in Moldova, but also regular people, merely strangers, are now taking in Ukrainian families, inviting them into their homes, giving them shelter from the storm.

Indochinese Tiger Conservation in Thailand

While conservationists believe a few thousand Bengal tigers are left in the wild and that their numbers may be increasing, researchers think the number of wild Indochinese tigers is somewhere in the hundreds. Poached to the brink of extinction for their fur and use in traditional medicine, this iconic species has all but disappeared from much of its range almost everywhere except for the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. With almost 7,000 square miles of protected jungle, it forms the largest intact forest block in mainland Southeast Asia, fertile ground for tigers.

Conservationists have worked together to develop the smart patrol system, a combination of boots on the ground, camera traps, and data collection to monitor signs of wildlife and potential threats. By using 250 camera traps across the forest, they found that tiger numbers have more than doubled here over the past 15 years to over 60. While tigers worldwide face an uncertain future, these tigers can relax⏤at least for now. Check out today’s CNN10 video to watch these tigers having a relaxing day spa in the forest water hole.

[Sentence of the day]

Armed and trained in self-defense, these park rangers are prepared for encounters with poachers.

[Vocabulary words]

1. armed
carrying weapons

i.e. These men are armed and dangerous, do not approach them.

2. encounter
a meeting, especially one that happens by chance

i.e. John had an alarming encounter with a wild boar.

3. poacher
someone who catches and kills animals illegally

i.e. The poachers made a fortune trading ivory, but they were soon arrested by local police.


Thanks for joining us today folks.
May peace befall upon the conflicted territories.
Our prayers to the refugees suffering hardships from the war.
This is Ken Miao, and we’ll meet again next time.