The project provided opportunities for researchers from India and abroad to study tigers in thereserves and gather previously unavailable information about their habits. Studies show thata male tiger may control a hunting territory of between 10 and 20 square kilometers,depending on its age, size and strength. Theterritory of male includes the smaller territories(領地) of three or four tigresses. A tiger marks the boundaries of its territories by spraying urineand other bodily liquids on bushes. But it tries to avoid territorial fights, being guided by thedistinctive body smell of other tigers. Tigers fight to death only when a tigress is defendingher young, or when a tiger is guarding a tigress from the attentions of other males.

　　The popular image of the tiger is that of a merciless and unconquerable hunter. But studiesshow that it catches only one of 20 victims it tries to attack.

　　Fears have recently developed that Project Tiger has been too successful. It has enabled thetiger population to double (by mid-80 S), but India"s human population has also grown outof control. Currently it is 750 million and likely to be 900 million by the end of the century.Land problem is becoming serious and many rural people feel bitter about the fact that somerich forests are reserved for tigers. A growing number of attacks by tigers on man has addedto the hostility .

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1.The ultimate aim of Project Tiger is to _____.

　　A.study the growth rate of tigers

　　B.protect tigers from being killed

　　C.promote the breeding of young tigers

　　D.analyze the behavioral patterns of tigers

　　2.Studies have shown that ______.

　　A.a tigress never attacks until attacked

　　B.the tigress is not as fierce as the tigers

　　C.a tiger usually fights another tiger to defend its own territory

　　D.the tiger is not an efficient hunter as is commonly described

　　3.According to the passage, a tiger"s territory _____.

　　A.remains unchanged

　　B.is often defended by tigresses

　　C.expands as the tiger grows up

　　D.is the cause of most fights

　　4.Some people are afraid that Project Tiger _____.

　　A.has been carried too far

　　B.has not received enough attention

　　C.has failed to achieve its goal

　　D.is not worth the money spent on it

　　5.The author seems _____.

　　A.to be enthusiastic about Project Tiger

　　B.to have a matter-of-fact attitude towards Project Tiger

　　C.to have a hostile attitude towards Project Tiger

　　D.to be satisfied with Project Tiger

　　答案詳解：

　　1.[D] 根據文章第1段，老虎被捕殺是其數量劇減的根本原因，因此使老虎免于被殺是野生動物保護基金會的最終目的，故選D。

　　2.[B] 第3段第2句說，但研究表明老虎捕捉獵物的成功率僅為1/20，B與之相符。第2段說到老虎一般會避免領土之爭，C與之不符，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，一頭雄老虎依年齡、體型及力量可以控制10至20公里的狩獵領地，隨著老虎的長大，其體型及力量都在增大，其占領的狩獵領地的面積自然也就增大，故A正確。

　　4.[C] 文章第4段首句說,許多人近來開始擔心老虎項目過于成功，C項是該句的同義替換，故為答案。

　　5.[B] 縱觀全文，作者對于老虎保護項目沒有加入個人的主觀色彩，他持的是一種客觀的態度，故選B。