Reading Summary | 閱讀摘要
English: In Lapland, Finland, reindeer are famous as Santa’s helpers. However, herders report that wolves killed about 1,950 reindeer this year, a 70% increase from last year. Juha Kujala, a herder, worries about the future of his animals, saying the rise in wolves has upset the natural balance. He joked that Santa only needs the reindeer for one day, so they can “fly” the rest of the year. Many herders believe the Ukraine War is the reason more wolves are crossing from Russia into Finland, as hunters in Russia are now fighting in Ukraine.
中文： 在芬蘭拉普蘭，馴鹿因為是聖誕老人的助手而聞名。然而牧人報告，今年狼群殺死了約 1,950 頭馴鹿，比去年增加 70%。牧人 Juha Kujala 擔心馴鹿的未來，表示狼群數量的增加打破了自然平衡。他雖然憂心，卻開玩笑說聖誕老人一年只需要馴鹿一天，其他 364 天可以「飛行」。許多牧人認為烏克蘭戰爭導致俄羅斯的獵人去打仗，狼群因此越過 1,340 公里的邊界進入芬蘭。Video | 影片
Key Vocabulary | 關鍵詞彙
- Reindeer (馴鹿) – animals famous in Lapland, linked to Santa Claus.
- Herders (牧人) – people who take care of reindeer.
- Wolf / Wolves (狼) – predators threatening reindeer.
- Natural balance (自然平衡) – the relationship between animals in an ecosystem.
- Increase (增加) – growth in number or amount.
- Border (邊界) – dividing line between two countries.
- Ukraine War (烏克蘭戰爭) – conflict affecting wolf hunting in Russia.
Comprehension Questions | 理解問題
- How many reindeer were killed by wolves this year? 今年有多少馴鹿被狼群殺死？
- What percentage increase is reported compared to last year? 與去年相比增加了多少百分比？
- What did Juha Kujala joke about Santa’s reindeer? Juha Kujala 對聖誕老人的馴鹿開了什麼玩笑？
- Why do herders believe there are more wolves in Finland now? 為什麼牧人認為芬蘭的狼群突然增加？
- How long is the border between Russia and Finland? 俄羅斯與芬蘭的邊界有多長？
Discussion Prompts | 討論題目
- Do you think the Ukraine War can affect wildlife in other countries? 你認為烏克蘭戰爭會影響其他國家的野生動物嗎？
- How can Finland protect its reindeer from wolves? 芬蘭可以如何保護馴鹿免受狼群威脅？
- Why are reindeer important to Finnish culture and Christmas traditions? 為什麼馴鹿對芬蘭文化和聖誕傳統很重要？
Practice Activity | 練習活動
👉 Fill in the blanks | 填空題
- Wolves killed __________ reindeer in Finland this year. 狼群今年在芬蘭殺死了 __________ 頭馴鹿。
- This is a __________% increase compared to last year. 與去年相比增加了 __________%。
- The border between Russia and Finland is __________ km long. 俄羅斯與芬蘭的邊界長 __________ 公里。
