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Language extinction 5 September 2014 Economic development is causing the extinction of some languages, scientists believe. A study has found that minority languages in the most developed parts of the world, including North America, Europe and Australia, are most at threat. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The BBCs Rebecca Morelle reports. This is Upper Tanana. Its spoken by fewer than 25 people in Alaska and may soon vanish. Scientists say that regions like this in North America, as well as areas in Europe and Australia are now hotspots for language extinctions. A study shows that the more successful a country is economically, the more rapidly minority tongues are lost, as one national language comes to dominate educational and political systems. (words spoken in Bahing) The team also found that languages in the Himalayas could be at risk, such as Bahing in Nepal which has less than ten speakers. And some found in the tropics are also disappearing. Rapid economic growth in these regions is thought to be driving this loss. The scientists say that greater protection is needed. Deadly discovery in US labs 8 September 2014 Six deadly substances, some over a century old, have been discovered in government laboratories in the United States. The deadly microbes were found in a hunt that started after the accidental discovery in July of bottles of smallpox at a research centre near Washington. Workers searching the government premises found six different types of microbes classed as being so dangerous theyre required to be stored at high-secure facilities. Instead, they were found in regular laboratories. They included bacteria that cause the plague and nerve toxins that cause botulism. A vial of the highly poisonous toxin ricin was also found, dating from nearly a century ago. Authorities said although the microbes had not been stored correctly, they had been properly sealed, so posed no danger to staff. They have all been destroyed. Vocabulary and definitions premises buildings and land used by an organisation or business microbes small living things that can only be seen with a microscope facilities (here) buildings containing equipment used for a particular activity the plague a disease, usually deadly, that quickly spreads to lots of people toxins poisonous substances botulism serious illness caused by eating food that has gone bad vial small bottle for keeping medicine or other liquids in posed caused (a problem)
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