1 . Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are interesting animals. They are the biggest cats in the world. A full-grown Amur tiger can weigh over 600 pounds. Unlike lions that live in groups, tigers are solitary animals. Tigers also have very good eyesight and hearing. Its eyesight is six times better than a human’s.
Amur tigers live in the forests located in the Russian Far East and northeastern China. They have a thick yellow fur coat with black stripes(条纹). Their stripes are like human fingerprints. Every tiger has a different and unique stripe pattern. Tigers use their striped coat to hide themselves from the animals they hunt. Their thick fur and a thick layer of fat keep them warm during the long, cold winters in the forest.
As powerful and quiet hunters, Amur tigers usually hunt at night. Sometimes these tigers travel hundreds of miles looking for food. They hunt deer and wild boar(野猪) that live in the forest. They also hunt smaller types of bears. A hungry Amur tiger can eat more than 50 pounds in one night.
Today, Amur tigers are an endangered species. People illegally hunt Amur tigers. Amur tigers are also still in danger because the forests they live in are being destroyed. Illegal logging(砍伐) and new roads destroy their forest homes. It makes it hard for the tigers to find food. It also makes it difficult for the tigers to travel for long distances. They almost disappeared forever at the beginning of the 20th century—They were hunted until only 40 tigers remained in the wild.
Countries like Russia then began to protect these big cats. They made it illegal to hunt them and tried to protect their forest habitat. After these changes, the number of Amur tigers living in the wild increased. Scientists believe there are about 540 Amur tigers living in the wild today.
1. What does the underlined word “solitary” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Scary. | B．Smart. | C．Nonsocial. | D．Big. |
| A．They feature the same stripe pattern. | B．They have bad eyesight and hearing. |
| C．They have no need to hide themselves. | D．They often go hunting when night falls. |
| A．Methods and effects of tiger protection. |
| B．The number of tigers in various countries. |
| C．The differences in the living habits of tigers. |
| D．Reasons for tigers becoming endangered animals. |
| A．Where Do Amur Tigers Live? | B．The Interesting but Endangered Amur Tigers |
| C．The World’s Largest Lions | D．How Many Tigers Are Left in the World? |
The 1975 film Jaws was a great success,
