师说高考理解性默写:有谁会关于大象的英语短文？

Elephant animal totem
If the United States is Turtle Island, a continent supported on the back
of a turtle, then India would be Elephant Island, a continent supported
on the back of an elephant. Throughout the centuries, Indian tradition
dictated that all royalty the rulers of the land, be home on the backs of
the children of the great beast that carried the world through space.

The elephant was the totem animal of the god Shiva, the Destroyer,
who seeks to banish illusion and to encourage a clearer perception
of reality Shiva and his goddess-spouse, Radha, produced among their
children the elephant-headed god Ganesha, who, as Lord of Ilosts,
impregnated the virgin Maya to bring Buddha into flesh.

Especially sacred in India was the white elephant, considered far too
priceless to be used for work or warfare, but to be maintained by its owner
in the finest of style. When we speak today of a "white elephant" purchase,
we have realized too late that we have purchased an object at a price that
exceeds its true value.

Sometimes seen as a symbol of great sexual prowess in the Asian countries,
the Chinese portray the elephant as representative of royalty, strength of
purpose, and discretion.

In the widest, most universal, and most obvious depiction of the elephant it
is a symbol of strength. At various times in Medieval Europe, the elephant
also became an emblem of wisdom, moderation, and eternity Then,
accomplishing a complete change of cosmology, there appeared the
elephant-headed demon, Behemoth, a favorite in Dark Side sorcery.

If you have accepted the elephant as your totem animal, it may not be long
before you are asked to assume a role of great responsibility in the workplace
or in your community. If you feel attracted to the elephant as a totem animal, it
is likely that you are involved in social work, public service, or politics. You
may also feel a strong commitment to caring for the ill, the very young,
and the elderly.

Whenever you sense an injustice, you will be there on the side of the underdog.

As your spirit helper, the elephant will be able to draw you back to a greater
appreciation for the ancient mysteries than you have previously experienced.
You will soon discover that your guide is extremely concerned about your
maintaining always a solid balance of body, mind, and spirit. Under the
tutelage of this spirit helper, you will place your time in the Silence as your
top priority. You might find yourself wishing to burn some incense while you
are meditating with this totem animal in order to help create an environment in
which exploration of other higher levels of consciousness will be the rule, rather
than the exception.

ELEPHANT ANIMAL FACTS
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The only extant (living) species in the Order Proboscidae are the elephants. The order, however, includes a number of other now extinct species. The earliest record of a member in this group was a small pig-like creature called Moertherium. It lived in a swamp area in what is now modern day Egypt some 50 million years ago. There were a number of other species like it who in turn evolved into the Woolly Mammoths and Imperial Mammoths.

Recently, there has been much debate over the status of the Forest elephant, which is found in West and Central Africa. Originally classed as a sub-species of the African elephant, new research has indicated that the two may in fact be separate species, and has been give the provisional name Loxodonta cyclotis. The African elephant and Forest elephant are morphologically different and exhibit different social behaviourisms but these differences were previously ascribed to a physical adaptation to different habitats. Genetic research has indicated that the differences at the cellular level between the two sub-species may be significant enough to recognise two distinct species. The debate is yet to be resolved, but as at October 2004 this race of elephant has not been given individual species status.

The scientific name for the species, Loxodonta africana is derived from 'loxos' which means lozenge, and 'donta' meaning tooth. This a reference to the lozenge shaped ridges of the animal's molar teeth.

The Asian elephant can weigh up to 5400 kg (11,900 lb). It currently occupies forested habitats in hilly or mountainous terrain, up to about 3600 m (11,800'). An adult eats approximately 150 kg (330 lb) per day - mainly grasses but also leaves, twigs and bark. It feeds during the morning, evening and night and rests during the middle of the day, requiring shade during the hot season to keep from overheating. Elephants cannot go for long without water (they require 70-90 liters (19-24 gal) of fluid/day) and sometimes must travel long distances each day between their water supplies and feeding areas.

One calf is born every 3-4 years after a pregnancy lasting about 22 months. Although mature male elephants may live alone, females live in family groups consisting of mothers, daughters and sisters, together with immature males. Wild elephants can live to be sixty years old.

The Asian elephant once ranged from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in ancient Mesopotamia in the west, east through Asia south of the Himalaya to Indochina and the Malay Peninsula, including Sri Lanka and Sumatra and possibly Java, and north into China at least as far as the Yangtze River. In the 19th century it was still common over much of the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka and the eastern parts of its range. By 1978, Asian elephants were found in the same countries as they are at present.

Technological advances, together with other factors associated with colonialism, led in most countries to a drastic crash in elephant numbers during the 19th century. (Olivier 1978) "With the spread of civilization and growth of population, the area under cultivation for the production of food has rapidly extended during recent decades. Consequently the former feeding-grounds of wild elephants have diminished,..." (Gee 1950) After the introduction of firearms to Sri Lanka around 1950, cultivators killed more than 300 elephants in seven years to protect their crops. (Morgan-Davies 1958)

Female Asian elephants are not affected by ivory poaching (due to their lack of tusks), so poaching has not affected the overall population numbers of Asian elephants as drastically as it has in the case of the African elephant. The single most important cause of the decline of the Asian elephant has been the loss of habitat. They have also been affected by persecution due to the crop damage they are perceived to cause.