In 1981, there were more than 1.3 million elephants in Africa. But in 1991, that number was cut down to 600,000. African elephants are hunted for their valuable ivory tusks(象牙). More have been killed by poachers(偷猎者). Poachers are hunters who kill animals illegally
. An adult(成年) elephant eats as much as 300 pounds a day. In their search for food, elephants oft
en move great distances. When they cannot find the grasses they prefer, they may strip(剥光) the land of trees.
Today, the area in which elephants herds live is smaller than it used to be. Many areas in their path have been turned into farms. And some eleph
ants have been killed by f
armers for trampling(践踏)their crops.
What can we do here in our country about a threatened animal that lives so far away? Our government has passe
d a law to protect it. People cannot import or bring in items made from ivory or any part of the elephant’s body.
Most countries throughout the world have also stopped ivory imports. It is hoped that the ban(禁令) on the sale of ivory will help save the African elephant. But the world’s largest land animal needs other help. The countries where these animals live are often poor and unable to manage the herds. If the elephant is to survive, this animal is going to need our support for many years to come.
小题1:The number of the elephant in Africa in 1991 was .
A．the same as that ten years ago
B．more than that ten years ago
C．a little less than half of that in 1981
D．a little more than half of that in 1981小题2:African elephants have been killed mainly because _____.
A．they eat a lot
B．they have beautiful tusks
C．poachers kill for fun
D．there are too many of them小题3: The areas where African elephants live are much smaller today because ___.
A．they tend to live in herds
B．there are not so many of them today
C．many of these areas have been t
urned into farms
D．farmers have been killing them to save their crops小题4:It is mentioned in the passage that our country has ____.
A．officially stopped ivory imports
B．banned the killing of elephants in Africa
C．threatened the elephants that live far away
D．helped the African countries where elephants live小题5: Which of the f
ollowing statements is TRUE?
A．Poachers have a license(执照) to hunt for animals.
B．Elephants do a lot of good for the
farmers in Africa.
C．We live too far away to help to save the African elephants.
D．The African elephant needs the world’s support for its s
urvival
