Rhino farming - Unit 7

C2 Proficiency · Open Cloze · Close-up C2, National Geographic Learning

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

The South African White Rhino could become extinct in the wild in the next two decades. They were (1) ___ extinct once before, at the end of the nineteenth century, but were brought back from the brink of extinction by successful conservation efforts. The rhino is hunted for its horn, and poaching is by far the (2) ___ threat to its existence. In many Asian countries, powdered rhino horn is believed to treat anything from fevers to cancer, although there is (3) ___ scientific evidence whatsoever to support these claims. Now there are calls to manage rhinos under farmed conditions and legalise the trade in one of the (4) ___ valuable animal products on earth. There are plenty of supporters who are only (5) ___ eager to adopt this method of sustainable use, which involves sedating rhinos and then removing their horns, a practice not nearly (6) ___ inhumane as killing such truly magnificent creatures for their horns. The (7) ___ , like a nail, grows back, so it would be theoretically (8) ___ to 'harvest' rhino horn several times from a single animal. But is it ethically correct to use this creature to support a market in quack medicine?

Rhino farming

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