精听第7期：偷吃你一口馅饼怎么啦

Britain

The War on Seagulls: Fighting Them on the Beaches.

Seaside towns are in a flat about belligerent birds. Savouring the moment before the first bite of a pasty on a beautiful sunny day, Pamela, a holidaymaker, gazed across Porthgwidden beach in StIves, on the Cornish coast.1._______________________. The bird missed the pasty but took a

chunk out of her hand.Blood poured down her arm and the seagull squawked away.2.____________________________________. Politicians want change. On February 7th Oliver Colvile, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, led a debate in Parliament about 3.________. MPs shared their 4.________. John Woodcock, who represents Barrow and Furness on the north-west coast, spoke of the “blighted and besieged people” of his 5.________.

6.___________________________________. All species of gull are protected, making a widespread cull impossible.Yet polls suggest that most Britons—normally a sentimental bunch when it comes to animals—would like the 7.________changed. Brexiteers point out that, after leaving the EU, 8._____________________________________. Those in the know see little point in a cull, however. Among them is Ron Tulley, a local councillor in St Ives, where giant, beady-eyed gulls saunter down 9.________. In July a girl was airlifted to hospital after plunging off a harbour wall when a seagull swooped for her ice-cream. Mr Tulley nonetheless argues that 10.________ would not solve the problem. 11.____________________________________. At this time of year up to 12.________ herring gulls (the archetypal seagull) circle over Britain, so a nationwide cull would be costly.Seaside towns can wage war in subtler ways.Rubbish in the streets is sure to attract the birds. Putting coloured bunting up, or fitting spikes to buildings, deters them.But 13.________ are tight. Per-person spending by Cornwall’s local government has fallen by about a fifth since 2009, squeezing spending on the environment and refuse.More money looks unlikely to arrive, so tourists will have to 14.________.Seagulls like to approach from behind, which means no more fish and chips with your feet dangling over the 15.________—but at least no nasty surprises.

微信公众号关注“我柯苦学习”，后台回复“精听”，获取本篇精听答案、解析及阅读原文。