BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

News Review
Dead frog mystery in Peru
BBC World Service report
Broadcast 18 October 2016

The story
The Peruvian environmental agency is investigating the deaths of about 10,000 frogs, whose
bodies have been found in the river in the south of the country.
A local campaign group says pollution in the River Coata is to blame for the deaths.
Leonardo Rocher - BBC News
The Titicaca water frogs are an endangered species that lives exclusively in the huge
freshwater lake shared by Peru and Bolivia and its tributaries.
The number of residents around South America's largest lake has increased sharply in the
past two decades, while the number of frogs there is estimated to have declined by 80%.
Residents say the government has done too little to deal with the impact of humans in the
area. They are calling for a sewage treatment plant to be built.

Language challenge
In this News Review, Sian and Neil discussed a type of animal that may soon be extinct. If
an animal is extinct
a) not many exist
b) none exist
c) many exist

News Review
bbclearningenglish.com

British Broadcasting Corporation 2016

Page 1 of 2

Answer
The correct answer is b). If an animal is extinct, none exist.

Vocabulary
endangered species
a type of animal or plant that might stop existing because there are only a few of that type
alive
get to the bottom of
to discover the truth about something or find the cause of something
turn of events
a change in a situation
pleas
a serious and emotional request for something

News Review
bbclearningenglish.com

British Broadcasting Corporation 2016

Page 2 of 2