By1970,accordingtoaWorldWildlifeFundreport,onlyabout4,500tigerssurvivedthroughouttheworld-halfoftheminIndia.Mr.Foresters,whofollowedandcountedtigerfootprints,estimatedthatinMay1972onlyabout1,800tigersexistedinIndia.ProjectTigerSupportedbyW.W.F.wasimmediatelylaunched.Ninetigerreserves(保留地)werecreated,witharmedguardsprotectingthem.
TheprojectprovidedopportunitiesforresearchersfromIndiaandabroadtostudytigersinthereservesandgatherpreviouslyunavailableinformationabouttheirhabits.Studiesshowthatamaletigermaycontrolahuntingterritoryofbetween10and20squarekilometers,dependingonitsage,sizeandstrength.Theterritoryofmaleincludesthesmallerterritories(领地)ofthreeorfourtigresses.Atigermarkstheboundariesofitsterritoriesbysprayingurineandotherbodilyliquidsonbushes.Butittriestoavoidterritorialfights,beingguidedbythedistinctivebodysmellofothertigers.Tigersfighttodeathonlywhenatigressisdefendingheryoung,orwhenatigerisguardingatigressfromtheattentionsofothermales.
Thepopularimageofthetigeristhatofamercilessandunconquerablehunter.Butstudiesshowthatitcatchesonlyoneof20victimsittriestoattack.
FearshaverecentlydevelopedthatProjectTigerhasbeentoosuccessful.Ithasenabledthetigerpopulationtodouble(bymid-80S),butIndia"shumanpopulationhasalsogrownoutofcontrol.Currentlyitis750millionandlikelytobe900millionbytheendofthecentury.Landproblemisbecomingseriousandmanyruralpeoplefeelbitteraboutthefactthatsomerichforestsarereservedfortigers.Agrowingnumberofattacksbytigersonmanhasaddedtothehostility.
练习题:
Choosecorrectanswerstothequestion:
1.TheultimateaimofProjectTigeristo_____.
A.studythegrowthrateoftigers
B.protecttigersfrombeingkilled
C.promotethebreedingofyoungtigers
D.analyzethebehavioralpatternsoftigers
2.Studieshaveshownthat______.
A.atigressneverattacksuntilattacked
B.thetigressisnotasfierceasthetigers
C.atigerusuallyfightsanothertigertodefenditsownterritory
D.thetigerisnotanefficienthunterasiscommonlydescribed
3.Accordingtothepassage,atiger"sterritory_____.
A.remainsunchanged
B.isoftendefendedbytigresses
C.expandsasthetigergrowsup
D.isthecauseofmostfights
4.SomepeopleareafraidthatProjectTiger_____.
A.hasbeencarriedtoofar
B.hasnotreceivedenoughattention
C.hasfailedtoachieveitsgoal
D.isnotworththemoneyspentonit
5.Theauthorseems_____.
A.tobeenthusiasticaboutProjectTiger
B.tohaveamatter-of-factattitudetowardsProjectTiger
C.tohaveahostileattitudetowardsProjectTiger
D.tobesatisfiedwithProjectTiger
答案:
2.[B]第3段第2句说,但研究表明老虎捕捉猎物的成功率仅为1/20,B与之相符。第2段说到老虎一般会避免领土之争,C与之不符,故排除;A、D在原文中并未提及均可排除。
3.[A]第2段第2句提到,研究表明,一头雄老虎依年龄、体型及力量可以控制10至20公里的狩猎领地,随着老虎的长大,其体型及力量都在增大,其占领的狩猎领地的面积自然也就增大,故A正确。
5.[B]纵观全文,作者对于老虎保护项目没有加入个人的主观色彩,他持的是一种客观的态度,故选B。