When Ariel Cordova-Rojas rode her bike to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, New York, last November, she planned to go hiking and bird-watching. A mile into her walk, she found a female mute swan (疣鼻天鹅) near the water’s edge. Cordova-Rojas, 30, who had worked at the Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation centre in Manhattan, knew that mute swans can be angry and ready to attack. But as she approached this one, it didn’t move.
She was certain that the bird needed medical attention. Cordova-Rojas put her jacket over the bird’s head to keep it calm, carefully picked it up, and held it in her arms. And then a thought struck her: What do I do now?
Her best hope was the rehab (康复) centre, but that was across the East River and clear on the other side of town. How was she going to transport a 17-pound swan on her bike all that way? Luckily, some strangers driving by offered her, her bike, and the swan a lift to a nearby subway station.
On the subway, no one seemed particularly frightened by the feathered passenger. One guy, says Cordova-Rojas, was “sitting right in front of me on his phone. I don’t know if he noticed there was a swan in front of him.”
Cordova-Rojas called the rehab centre on the road, and Tristan Higgin-botham, an animal-care manager, picked her up at the subway station and drove the bird, the bike, and the rescuer to the centre. There, staff members determined that the swan might have lead poisoning (中毒), caused by taking weights used on fishing lines.
The staff got the swan back up on her feet. Sadly, even with all that care, the swan got a serious infection (感染). Two months after Cordova-Rojas came to her rescue, she passed away.
It’s a disappointing ending, but the real story is just how far some people are willing to go to save a swan in the big city-literally. In all, Cordova-Rojas travelled two hours by foot, car, and subway while honking (按喇叭) her bike. Says Higgin-botham, “That’s the perfect summary of who she is,”
4. Why did Cordova-Rojas put her jacket over the bird’s head?
A.To catch the swan. | B.To calm the swan down. |
C.To keep the swan warm. | D.To block the swan’s sight. |
5. How did Cordova-Rojas get to the subway station with the swan?
A.She rode her bike. | B.She got there on foot. |
C.She took a bus. | D.She was offered a lift. |
6. What was wrong with the swan?
A.She had lead poisoning. | B.She was injured on her feet. |
C.She was trapped by a fishing net. | D.She nearly died from hunger. |
7. What’s the best title for the text?
A.How to Protect Birds | B.Strangers Kind Action |
C.Honk If You Love Birds | D.The Last Song of the Swan |