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_____.
B.isoftendefendedbytigresses
C.expandsasthetigergrowsup
4.SomepeopleareafraidthatProjectTiger_____.
B.hasnotreceivedenoughattention
C.hasfailedtoachieveitsgoal
D.isnotworththemoneyspentonit
5.Theauthorseems_____.
A.tobeenthusiasticaboutProjectTiger
B.tohaveamatter-of-factattitudetowardsProjectTiger
C.tohaveahostileattitudetowardsProjectTiger
D.tobesatisfiedwithProjectTiger
