A life

涂丽平

主题语境：与黑猩猩相处 篇幅：365词 建议用时：7分钟

1 To be accepted by a group of wild chimpanzeesis the result of months of patience. In England，before I started my field study， I met one or twopeople who had seen chimpanzees in the wild.“You'll never get close to chimps—not unlessyou're very well hidden，” they told me.

2 At first， it seemed they were right， but graduallyI was able to move nearer the chimpanzees，until at last， I sat among them， enjoying a degree ofacceptance that I had hardly dreamed possible. I observed details of their lives neverrecorded before. I saw chimpanzees in the wild hunt and kill for meat. Most astonishing ofall， I saw the chimpanzees use crude tools—the beginning of tool use. This discovery couldprove helpful to those studying man's rise to dominance over other primates（ 靈长目动物）.

3 The primary aim of my field study was to discover as much as possible about the wayof life of the chimpanzees before it is too late. Knowledge of social traditions and culture ofsuch an animal， studied under natural conditions， could throw new light on the growth andspread of early human cultures.

4 During the first two months of my field study， I often despaired. Each dawn I set out alone， following the little streams as I explored the valleys one by one. Sometimes I saw agroup of chimpanzees feeding in a tree， but seldom managed to get close before the shyapes moved away. Frequently I heard their noisy calling， but usually they had moved offbefore I could catch up with them. Disheartened， I walked wearily back to camp each dusk.

5 I never attempted to hide， and gradually the animals became used to the strangepale?skinned person. After about six months， most of the chimpanzees would sit and look atme calmly at distances of 100 yards. So， gradually， I began to learn the basic behavior patternsof the chimpanzees， and after six months I was able to pick out and name some individuals.When I saw Mike relaxing in the sun， for example， or Count Dracula walking past，it was like meeting a friend.

Reading

Check

1. What did the author discover about the chimpanzees during the field study？

A. They kept their distance from the author to show their respect.

B. They were skilled hunters and could use tools.

C. They showed no similarities to humans.

D. They were social animals with simple communication.

2. What was the primary aim of the author's field study？

A. To study the growth and spread of early human cultures.

B. To observe the interactions between different primate species.

C. To understand the migration patterns of the chimpanzees.

D. To investigate the physical characteristics of the chimpanzees.

3. How did the author feel during the early period of the field study？

A. Happy. B. Confident. C. Discouraged. D. Confused.

4. What can be inferred about the authors studying chimpanzees in the wild？

A. The author relied mostly on observation from a distance.

B. The author used tools to communicate with the chimpanzees.

C. The author spent much time gaining the trust of the chimpanzees.

D. The author focused on studying the physical characteristics of the chimpanzees.

Language

Study

Ⅰ. 日積月累

chimpanzee n. 黑猩猩

patience n. 耐心

gradually adv. 逐渐地

acceptance n. 接受

observation n. 观察

astonishing adj. 惊人的

despair v. 绝望

crude adj. 粗陋的

field study 野外研究

behavior pattern 行为模式

Ⅱ. 语法填空

Darkness 1.__________（fall） swiftly and I climbed to my mountaintop lookout post，opened a tin of beans， and boiled my kettle over a little fire. The moon was 2.__________（near） full， and the mountains were beautiful and rather ghostly when I returned3.__________the chimpanzees. I disturbed them as I settled down with my blanket about 50yards away， and they began to call out loudly， 4.__________（alert） a troop of baboons （狒狒）sleeping in the valley below. The 5.__________（chimpanzee） soon quieted down， but the baboonswent on barking 6.__________a long time.

The chimpanzees slept 7.__________（sound） for the rest of the night. As it grew8.__________（light）， I gradually made out the dark shape of Mrs Maggs， a mother chimpanzee，with her daughter Jo curling up beside 9.__________（she）. Soon Jo sat up and yawned.Mrs Maggs rolled over onto her back， moved out an arm suddenly， 10.__________alsoyawned. Jo jumped onto her chest， leaned forward， and pressed her face against hermother's.