New zoological research has suggested a growing human appetite for the Chinese giant salamander has pushed the world's largest amphibian to the brink of extinction in the wild.
The creatures, which date back 170 million years, have in recent times become a delicacy. Researchers say they've nearly completely disappeared from their traditional freshwater habitats.
[Cover: GETTY IMAGES]
Quiz: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...
Key words and phrases
the brink of
a point in a process where something important will happen
After some bad investments, the company is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Thousands of people are buying Neil's album. He's on the brink of rock stardom!
food fad
type of food fashionable for a short period of time
Eating everything raw is the latest food fad.
He says eating fermented food will make him live longer but I think it's a food fad.
slithering
moving over a surface by twisting from side to side
The snake slithered through the grass.
She slithered under her desk to try to find her keys.
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