1 . For centuries, elephants have played a big role in the world’s economies, culture and religion. The African elephants used to be found all over Africa and the Asian elephants moved from Syria to China to Indonesia. Nowadays, elephants are found in small groups in the south of the Sahara Desert and scarcely in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and India.

In the early twentieth century, there were close to ten million elephants, and now the elephant number is as low as 252, 000 and expected to drop down to 160, 000 by 2025. Between 2007 and 2014, the elephant population fell by at least 30%, or 144, 000 elephants. As researchers have traveled over the African plains, they only spotted one herd of 36 elephants in an area like the size of Mexico. It is clear that these gentle mammals are disappearing right before our eyes.

There are many reasons why the elephant population has been decreasing,one of which is their habitat. Humans are competing with elephants for living space, and as more and more humans clear the land that is being used by elephants, the elephants have less space. Elephant hunting or “poaching” has been a major factor for the disappearance of this species, and they are killed only for their valuable ivory tusks. Although the trade of tusks is illegal, it is still a common practice in many places.

Often, all the local people living among elephants would be farmers, and found that they could make more money by selling the tusks of one elephant, than doing manual labor for twelve years. That alone makes it really hard to prevent them from killing the elephants.

Some places such as Botswana, have put in extra effort to protect their wildlife from poachers by founding their Botswana Defense Force, which is made up of around 700 specially-trained soldiers that are stationed in 40 different areas. You may feel worried about the present situations elephants are in, but there are ways to help. To find out how you can help elephant conservation, adopt an elephant, or donate, click here.

1. The numbers listed in Paragraph 2 show that ________ .

A．humans don’t care for elephants	B．elephants have been next to extinction
C．elephants have become gentler than before	D．elephants have gained more attention

2. What is the biggest factor for the disappearing elephants?

A．Less space.	B．A lack of food.
C．Suffering from a disease.	D．Elephant hunting.

3. Why is it hard to ban killing the elephants among the farmers?

A．Their tusks are money-making.

B．Elephants are destroying their fields cruelly.

C．Farmers hope to make a living by selling their meat.

D．Farmers practice their hunting skills by killing elephants.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To persuade readers to make a donation

B．To guide readers how to protect elephants.

C．To encourage readers to help protect elephants.

D．To introduce the decreasing number of elephants.

3 . Carbon dioxide is released when oil, coal, and other fossil fuels are burned for energy—the energy we use to power our homes, cars, and smartphones. By using less of it, we can limit our own contribution to climate change while also saving money.    1    .

Buy energy-efficient appliances

Since they were first set in 1987, efficiency standards for dozens of appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air. That's about the same amount as the yearly carbon pollution coughed up by nearly 440 million cars. When shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, and other appliances, look for the Energy Star label.    2    .

Reduce water waste

Saving water reduces carbon pollution, too. That's because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat your water.    3    . Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. And switch to water-efficient equipment. If one out of every 100 American homes did this, about 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year would be saved, avoiding 80,000 tons of global warming pollution.

    4    

Gas-smart cars, such as hybrids and fully electric cars, save fuel and money. And once all cars and light trucks meet 2025's clean car standards, which means averaging 54.5 miles per gallon, they'll be a mainstay. For good reason: Compared with the 2011 standards, Americans will spend $80 billion less at the gas station each year and cut their emissions by half. Before you buy a new set of wheels, compare fuel-economy performance.

Rethink planes, trains, and cars

Choosing to live in walkable smart-growth cities and towns with quality public transportation leads to less driving, less money spent on fuel, and less pollution in the air.

    5    . Air transport is a major source of climate pollution. If you can take a train instead, do that.

A．So take shorter showers

B．Drive a fuel-efficient car

C．Cut down on your water consumption completely

D．It will tell you which are the most efficient

E．Change only happens when individuals take action

F．Less frequent flying can make a big difference, too

G．Here are some effective ways each one of us can make a difference