1 . For 234 years, the bald eagle has been an official symbol of the U.S. It is, after all, the national animal. But in May, 2016, the former President Barack Obama signed a law naming the bison (野牛) the national mammal. Since then, the eagle has had to share its perch.
The North American bison has long been a symbol of the West. “No other native animal tells America’s story better. It is a long-lasting symbol of power, Native American culture, and the Western wildness. At one time, tens of millions of bison lived in North America. For Native American communities, bison were a source of food and clothing. Bison were at the very heart of their traditional way of life,” says Missouri congressman William Lacy Clay Jr.
That way of life changed in the mid-1800s. People began to travel west and hunt bison. Some hunted for the same reason as Native Americans did. But others killed bison for sport. In 1894, it became illegal to kill bison. But it was almost too late. By the early 1900s, fewer than 1,000 wild bison remained in America.
Some people realized the animals needed to be saved. President Theodore Roosevelt, William Hornaday — the first director of the Bronx Zoo, in New York City — and others formed the American Bison Society. The group was to bring back the bison. Native American tribes and locals also joined the fight. By the mid-1930s, bison were no longer in danger.
Today, there are about 500,000 North American bison. They live in all 50 states. “Only about 30,000 of those animals are living as truly wild bison. Others live on protected lands or in zoos,” says Pat Thomas, the associate director of the Bronx Zoo.
Thomas says naming the bison the national mammal was an important step in making sure the animal is well protected. “This recognition is beginning to complete the circle,” he says, “from a time when there were millions of wild bison, to when bison were hunted until they nearly died out, to the beginning of the recovery.”
1. What does the underlined word “perch” in Para 1 mean?
| A．High place. | B．Dish. | C．Story. | D．Famous name. |
2. What can we infer from William’s words?
| A．Bison have become popular worldwide. |
| B．Bison were protected well in North America. |
| C．The bison plays an important role in America. |
| D．The bison is far more important than the eagle. |
3. What did the American Bison Society do in the mid-1930s?
| A．It succeeded in saving bison. |
| B．It introduced a new law on bison. |
| C．It fought with Native American tribes. |
| D．It brought back bison to the Bronx Zoo. |
4. What was Thomas’ attitude toward the May law on bison?
| A．Disapproving. | B．Uncaring. | C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
