The Biggest and the Gentle
The elephant is the biggest four-legged animal in the world.It is also the gentlest,but not always!
Elephants are like us in some ways.They live for a long time—fifty or sixty years.They can remember things very well.They never forget great sadness or great happiness.When female elephant dies,her daughters and her granddaughters are sad for many months.They stay with the dead body.Then they carry a bit of it away with them.They never forget a dear friend.
Elephants are like us,but they are also different.They live in families of females.There will be a few young males a few“baby boys”.But the females will soon send them away.And elephant family keeps only its daughters,mothers and grandmothers.And its great-grandmothers.
The females stay together for fifty,sixty…a hundred years.The older animals look after the younger ones.The mothers teach their daughters and set a good example.
And what happens to male elephants?Well,the young males stay with their family.Then the females just send them away.A bull elephant does not often have a friend.He lives apart,away from the family,and often away from other bulls.
Sometimes the females call a bull.He can visit them then,and stay for some time.But soon his“wives”and sisters send him away again.The females have a very happy family life.What do the bulls think about it?We don’t know.
Elephants are very sad when________.
A.their parents die |
B.a bull leaves their family |
C.they are attacked by men |
D.they lose a female in the family |
When a female elephant dies,the others________.
A.leave its dead body there |
B.shed(流出)tears together |
C.take a bit of the dead body away sadly |
D.bury the dead |
Elephants are usually________towards other animals.
A.fierce(凶的) |
B.friendly |
C.rude |
D.grateful |
In the elephant family,there are________.
A.parents living together |
B.parents and all their babies living happily |
C.only bulls with their male friends |
D.females and sometimes a few young males |
An adult bull elephant often________.
A.lives alone |
B.lives together with his“wife” |
C.has many female friends |
D.has many male friends |