When you enjoy your morning cup of tea, you are probably not aware that those tea leaves can mean injury, or even death, for Asian elephants wandering Indian tea gardens.
In the Indian state of Assam, growing numbers of tea farms are destroying the Asian elephant’s habitats and endangering their population. Much of the forest land where tea is grown in Assam is flat and thus farmers must dig drainage trenches or small channels to prevent water from accumulating and hurting the plants. The trenches, however, can be death traps for the elephants.
Since the elephants need to use tea plantations as landmarks when traveling in forests, they almost unavoidably have to move through the farms. Moreover, because there are fewer humans around, pregnant females often use tea-growing areas as safe shelters to give birth. But baby elephants, still not used to rough ground may easily fall into the trenches and get hurt. Once injured, they might not be able to climb out. When mothers try to dig their babies out, both may be trapped in thick mud, even be killed. Furthermore, elephants are known to resist leaving their sick or dying behind, and a group may stay at a trench with a trapped baby for hours, unwilling to move on until all hope is lost.
Is there possibility for elephants to live in harmony with the booming tea business? Elephant Friendly Tea is an organization that takes the initiative to make it possible. The organization encourages consumers to choose brands that take an active part in elephants protection, and has established a certification program to reward tea growers who are doing it right. Until now, only smaller tea brands have been certified, but awareness is growing. The organization believes that people may be encouraged to buy elephant-friendly brands when they know more about the risk tea can cause to these endangered animals.
【小题1】Why do farmers in Assam dig trenches?| A．To trap elephants. | B．To mark boundaries. |
| C．To protect tea trees. | D．To expand tea farms. |
| A．They get stuck by the sharp branches of the tea trees. |
| B．They have difficulty moving around the uneven fields. |
| C．They might miss the landmarks while travelling in forests. |
| D．They fail to find a safe shelter when climbing out of trenches. |
| A．Encouraging consumers to choose high-quality brands. |
| B．Rewarding tea growers for protecting the environment. |
| C．Promoting elephant-friendly trenches and organizations. |
| D．Creating a win-win situation for elephants and tea farms. |
| A．The Trenches Pose Threats to Elephants |
| B．Habitat Loss Affects Endangered Animals |
| C．Growth of Tea Gardens Benefits Plantation |
| D．Farms Sponsor Environmental Organizations |
