Forcenturies,inthecountriesofsouthandSoutheastAsiatheelephanthasbeenanintimatepartoftheculture,economyandreligion,andnowheremoresothaninThailand.UnlikeitsAfricancousin,theAsianelephantiseasilydomesticated(驯化).Therareso-calledwhiteelephantshaveactuallylenttheauthorityofkingshiptoitsrulersanduntilthe1920sthenationalflagwasawhiteelephantonaredbackground.TotheearlyWesternvisitorsthecountry’sromanticnamewas“LandoftheWhiteElephant”.
Today,however,thestoryisverydifferent.Outofworkandoutofland,theThaielephantstrugglesforsurvivalinanationthatnolongerneedsit.Theelephanthasfounditselfmoreorlessabandonedbypreviousownerswhohavemovedontoadifferenteconomicworldandawesternizedsociety.Andwhiletheelephant’sproblemsbeganmanyyearsago,nowitratesaverylownationalpriority.
Howthisreversalfromnationalicon(圣像)toneglectedanimalcameaboutisataleofworseningenvironmentalandthechanginglivesoftheThaisthemselves.AccordingtoRichardLair,Thailand’sexpertsontheAsianelephantandauthorofthereportGoneAstray,attheturnofthecenturytheremaywellhavebeenasmanyas100,000domesticelephantsinthecountry.InthenorthofThailandaloneitwasestimatedthatmorethan20,000elephantswereemployedintransport,1,000ofthemaloneontheroadbetweenthecitiesofChiangMaiandChiangSaen.Thiswasatatimewhen90percentofThailandwasstillforest—ahabitat(栖息地)thatnotonlysupportedtheanimalsbutalsomadethemnecessarytocarrygoodsandpeople.Nothingploughsthroughdenseforestbetterthanamassivebutsure-footedelephant.
By1950theelephantpopulationhaddroppedtoastillsubstantial13,397,buttodaythereareprobablynomorethan3,800,withanother1,350roamingfreeinthenationalparks.Butnow,Thailand’sforestcoversonly20percentoftheland.Thisdeforestation(采伐森林)isthecentralpointoftheelephant’sdifficultsituation,forithaseffectivelyputtheanimalsoutofwork.Thiscentury,astheroadnetworkgrew,sotheelephant’sroleasabeastofburdendeclined.
练习题：
Choosecorrectanswerstothequestion:
1.WhatcanweknowaboutAfricanelephantsfromthepassage?
C.TheyarelivingabetterlifethanAsianelephants.
D.TheirfateisquitesimilartothatofAsianelephants.
2.Thailandwasoncecalled“LandoftheWhiteElephant”because_______.
A.whiteelephantisrarelyseenandthusveryspecial
B.whiteelephantwasanationalsymboluntilthe1920s
C.whiteelephanthashelpedkingstogaintherulingauthority
D.thisnamewassoromanticthatitwaspopularamongvisitors
3.WhyistheThaielephant“outofwork”,accordingtotheauthor?
A.Becausetheelephantsarenolongerusefultotheirowners.
B.Becausetheirownersarewesternizedandneglectthem.
C.Becausethegovernmentpayslittleattentiontotheproblem.
D.Becausetherearetoomanyelephantsandtoofewjobs.
4.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrueabouttheelephantpopulationatvarioustimes?
A.Therewere100,000tamedelephantsattheturnofthecentury.
B.20,000elephantswereemployedintransportinThailandattheturnofthecentury.
C.By1950theelephantpopulationinThailandhasbeenquitesmall.
D.Todaytheelephantpopulationisestimatedat5,150.
5.Thepassageismostprobablyfrom_______.
