Almost 20,000 whales have been slaughtered since a (36) on commercial whaling was introduced in 1986 and the death (37) is rising each year. Norway and Japan Killed over 1,000 whales in 1999 and they plan to kill even more. As the (38) concerns increase, whaling is no longer the issue as it was or (39) to be. With little public awareness of the increasing whale slaughter, there has been no pressure to stop it. (40) the political will to confront the whalers and (41) the whalers ban has (42) away. Commercial whaling has (43) whale population worldwide, (44) . There is still great scientific uncertainty about the size and status of remaining whale populations. (45) They need to be protected, not hunted. (46) .
【参考答案】
pushing the entire species to the brink of extinction