This is a download from BBC Learning English. To find out more, visit our website.

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

And I'm Sam.

For centuries, the relationship between humans and bats has been complex.

In some cultures, bats are depicted as vampires, associated with Halloween,

witches and dark scary places. In others, they're considered messengers of the gods.

That's played an important part in stories and myths from around the world.

And a large, illuminated, bat signal shining in the night sky can mean only one thing,

a call for help to the superhero Batman.

So do we love or hate these furry-flying animals?

And with some newspaper headlines identifying bats as the possible source of COVID-19,

should we think of them as friend or enemy?

We'll be answering all these questions soon.

But first, Neil, time for another interesting bat fact.

Did you know that bats account for one in five of all mammal species?

There's a huge variety of them from tiny fruit-eating bats that fit into the palm of your hand

to giant carnivals or meat eaters.

That's right. In fact, it's the variety of bat types that might explain our complex feelings

towards them. So Sam, my quiz question is this, roughly how many different species of bat

are they worldwide? Is it A, one and a half thousand, B, two and a half thousand, or C,

three and a half thousand?

Passing B, two and a half thousand.

...