孤獨大象重獲新生

湖北 殷 莉

被困在動物園的孤獨大象成功被解救，重獲新生。 大象也愛自由，人類不應為獲取利益而把它們困住。

題材體裁 文章詞數(shù) 建議用時約3627分鐘動物 新聞報道

難詞探意

1. sanctuary /?s??kt?u?ri/ n. 避難所；庇護所

2. enclosure /?n?kl????(r)/ n. 圍場

3. accompany /??k?mp?ni/ v. 陪同；陪伴

4. crate /kre?t/ n. 大木箱

5. lobby /?l?bi/ v. 游說

The “world's loneliest elephant” has been resettled at a sanctuary in Cambodia after receiving some assistance from singer Cher.

Kaavan, a 36-year-old, 9,000pound elephant, was given the nickname after he was diagnosed as being emotionally and physically damaged while living in a zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, for 35 years. During that time, Kaavan was mostly chained in his enclosure,and when his partner died in 2012, her body lay next to him for several days before it was removed.Vets have diagnosed Kaavan as being overweight, malnourished (營養(yǎng)不良的) and suffering from behavioral issues due to isolation.

Cher, who has been advocating Kaavan's resettlement along with her animal welfare group Free the Wild, met with Pakistani Prime Minister on Friday and later visited Kaavan before his flight on Sunday. Kaavan was tested for COVID-19 before his seven-hour journey, which was complete with 440 pounds of snacks. Amir Khalil, a vet who accompanied him on the flight and works with Four Paws, the animal rescue group that organized the move, described Kaavan as behaving like a “frequent flier”, adding that the elephant did not seem stressed and even slept while standing in his crate. Very few elephants have been relocated by plane, according to Four Paws.

On Monday, Kaavan arrived in Cambodia and made his way north by truck to his new home in the Oddar Meanchey Province. Once he feels settled, he will be released from his temporary enclosure and allowed to wander around the sanctuary, which houses about 600 Asian elephants. Animal rights groups and activists have lobbied for years to relocate Kaavan into better conditions. Kaavan will require years of psychological and physical assistance, experts have said. Living in an enclosure with improper flooring caused his nails to crack and overgrow, and he developed a habit of shaking his head back and forth for hours, which vets attributed to boredom.

The elephant has lost half a ton since his diet was changed to fruit and vegetables, Khalil said.He was previously eating about 550 pounds of pure sugarcane every day and some fruits and vegetables. The Islamabad zoo where he spent much of his life has been ordered to shut down.

1. What can we know about the elephant?

A. It was free in the zoo.

B. It has a weight problem.

C. It had stayed in the zoo for 36 years.

D. It was relocated to Cambodia by train.

2. Which of the following organized Kaavan's move?

A. Four Paws. B. Free the Wild.

C. The Islamabad zoo. D. The Cambodia government.

3. How does the elephant feel when shaking his head for hours according to vets?

A. Confused. B. Energetic.

C. Bored. D. Unexpected.

4. In which column of the newspaper can we read the text?

A. Science. B. Movie.

C. Recreation. D. Wildlife.

Difficult sentence

The Islamabad zoo where he spent much of his life has been ordered to shut down. 他待了大半生的伊斯蘭堡動物園已經(jīng)被下令關(guān)閉。

【點石成金】該句中where引導一個限制性定語從句，the Islamabad zoo為先行詞。