Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words (在短文的空格内填入适当的词,使内容通顺,每空格限填一词,首字母已给)
Amy Phelps can’t remember a time when she didn’t love giraffes. She met her first giraffe when she was three years old. “My parents knew the giraffe keeper at the zoo,” she says. “He showed me the magic of giraffes, that they are gentle, intelligent, and funny.” When Amy finished college, she worked as a zookeeper at the City Zoo to follow her d 51 of caring for giraffes.
What does a giraffe keeper do? “You spend a lot of time m 52 big things such as straw and branches (稻草和树枝),” Amy says with a laugh, “You have to be strong enough for this job and stay in shape.” Amy needs to look after nine giraffes. That’s too much work for one person, so she gets help from other three v 53 from local high schools. Her daily routine starts with saying hello to each giraffe and cleaning up after them, which can be tiring but makes her happy. “It’s not my favourite part of the job,” says Amy, “but I like the exercise.”
F 54 the giraffes is a big part of her job. They eat around 100 pounds of food every day, including branches, fruits and vegetables. She also gives them treats and puts food in puzzle toys (益智玩具) to keep them entertained. Besides, Amy takes care of their health and trains them every day. She’s amazed by how s 55 they are and teaches them different tricks, like recognizing parts of their bodies and even painting with a brush. Whenever Amy talks to zoo visitors, she points out how each giraffe is s 56 . “To people who don’t know them, all giraffes look alike. But I see them every day, each giraffe has a different face, way of walking and moving, body shape and markings.” she says.
Amy not only cares for the giraffes in the zoo, but also p 57 those in the wild. She works as a researcher to make sure the long-term survival of Africa’s giraffes. Besides she raises money for the Wild Animal Foundation (野生动物基金会) on World Giraffe Day every year.
“My favourite thing is just spending time with giraffes. I love taking people to meet the giraffes and seeing how much they make people smile.”