Saturn, an alligator, aged 84, died at the Moscow Zoo. That in itself made Saturn unusual. In the wild, the normal life span for an alligator is 30 to 50 years. But longevity was the least unusual aspect of Saturn’s life story.
Saturn was born somewhere in Mississippi in 1936 and was shipped to the Berlin Zoo from which he disappeared on November 23rd, 1943, when the zoo was stricken in an air bombing campaign. Of the 16,000 animals once kept in the Berlin Zoo, fewer than 100 survived the war. Saturn was one of them.
When he got freedom in 1943, Saturn was 7 years old. In June 1946, an almost adult Saturn was discovered and captured by British army. The alligator was then turned over to the allied Soviet troops in Berlin who sent him on to Moscow where he would live in the next 74 years.
It was in Moscow that word got around that Saturn was a pet which belonged to Adolf Hitler. This undocumented episode with Hitler made Saturn a public figure.
“Even if he belonged to someone,” the zoo’s announcement of Saturn’s death says, “animals are not involved in war and politics.” Officials at the Moscow Zoo treated him as an honored guest. “We tried to take care of him with great care and attention. He was picky about food.” Even among his keepers, he knew who he liked. He perfectly remembered the trusted keeper.
If a zoo animal can be a historical figure, officials say this one qualifies.
“Saturn is a whole era for us. There is not the slightest exaggeration,” the announcement of his death said. “He came after the victory in WWII — and witnessed its 75th anniversary. It is a great happiness that each of us could look into his eyes, just quietly being near. He saw many of us as children. We hope that we did not disappoint him.”
Death may not end Saturn’s public career. It has been reported that his body will be maintained and placed on show at Moscow’s Charles Darwin Museum of Biology.
【小题1】What does the underlined “That” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Saturn’s death. | B．Saturn’s longevity. |
| C．Saturn’s life story. | D．Saturn’s living conditions. |
| A．Saturn was born and raised in the Berlin Zoo in 1936. |
| B．Saturn survived an air attack and got freedom in 1943. |
| C．Saturn got caught by the allied Soviet troops in 1946. |
| D．Saturn celebrated its 75th birthday and died in 2020. |
| A．He was kept a pet there. | B．He could remember all the keepers. |
| C．He lived a go-as-you-please life. | D．He got well-known as a picky eater. |
| A．His story with Adolf Hitler. | B．His uncommon 84-year lifespan. |
| C．He will be on show after death. | D．He was identified as a history witness. |
| A．To introduce an unusual alligator. | B．To draw visitors to the Museum in Moscow. |
| C．To present the impact of war on poor animals. | D．To show a close bond between man and animals. |
