Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies. To learn more about how captivity affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos. The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years----more than three times as long. Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups. Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive. The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants. What do the scientists find in their research? A) Female elephants live longer than male elephants. B) Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts. C) Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. D) Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds.
B
Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a "green labeling" study published by Consumers International Friday. Among the report's more unacceptalbe findings - a German fertilizer described itself as "earthworm friendly"; a brand of flour said it was "non-polluting" and a British toilet paper claimed to be "environmentally friendlier". The study was written and researched by Britain's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumers International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission. "While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear that there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impacts they buy," said Consumers International director, Anna Fielder. The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average. The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent , insect sprays and some garden products. It did not test claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999. Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards. "Many products had specially designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing," said report researcher Philip Page. "Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading," he said. The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as... It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to _ . A) make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements B) see all household products meet environmental standards C) warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products D) verify the effects of non-polluting products
A
Q: One day in January, my uncle, my cousin and I decided to go hunting.We left by car in the afternoon.It was a Range Rover with four-wheel drive.It took us three hours to get there.After we arrived at 5:15 p.m., we fixed the tent, then made coffee and had a short rest.After that, we went hunting, using a falcon .We spent two hours without finding anything.On our way back to the camp, my cousin saw a rabbit.I removed the falcon's bead cover and let go of the aggressive falcon.When the rabbit saw the falcon, it ran fast, but my falcon was a professional hunter.He flew up and came down to trick the rabbit.After two minutes, the rabbit was caught.We took it back to the camp to cook our dinner.We ate the delicious food, drank Arabic coffee, and sat around the fire talking until 10:30 p.m. We left the camp the next day at 7 o'clock in the morning.We went north.However, around 10:00 a.m.our car got stuck in the sand! We spent about three hours trying to pull out the car without any progress.Finally, we decided to walk.As it was hard for an old man or a young boy to walk more than 40km in the desert, I decided to get help myself.I took a bottle of water with me and started to walk south alone.I knew the way well, but it was a long way in the sand.I walked more than four hours without stopping.When I felt so tired and thirsty, I stopped to rest.I drank all the water and slept for around two hours. When I got up, it was dark.I continued to walk south.I was worried about my uncle and cousin.Suddenly, I met a Bedouin man who was riding his camel.He took me to his house.When I had had enough rest, I asked him to take me to the road where I found a car.It took me to the city to get help.I had one day to get back to my uncle and cousin.When I got back to them, they were so happy because I had gotten help and they were able to see me again. How did the writer finally get out of the desert? A) He was picked up by a car. B) A camel took him to the road. C) A passer-by Bedouin helped him. D) His uncle and cousin found and rescued him.
A: C