Plans to bring wild tigers back to their original home , their historical range(历史分布范围） in the Ili­Balkhash region, have been announced by Kazakhstan( 哈萨克斯坦 )   and an agreement with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to conduct a tiger reintroduction program has been signed . “It will not only bring wild tigers back to their original home, but also protect the unique ecosystem of the Ili­Balkhash region，” said Askar Myrzakhmetov, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

If successful, Kazakhstan will be the first country in the world to bring wild tigers back to an entire region where they have died out for nearly half a century. Tiger reintroduction projects have only been achieved within national borders and in areas that are considered current tiger habitats . Kazakhstan's tiger reintroduction program is unique and it badly requires the restoration of a vast forest that is part of the wild tiger's historical range.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, wild tigers have lost over 90 per cent of their historical range. Wild tigers have completely disappeared from the region since the late 1940s, due to the loss of habitat. To prepare for the return of wild tigers, on 1st January 2018 Kazakhstan will set up a new nature reserve in the southwestern Ili­Balkhash, in order to restore the unique forest habitat. This will include the protection of existing wildlife, and reintroducing important prey ( 猎物 ), such as the endangered wild Bactrian deer（中亚红鹿).

Restoring tigers will also help protect Lake Balkhash and prevent it from repeating the fate of the Aral Sea, formerly the world's fourth largest lake and now 10 percent of its original size. “The hard work remains ahead of us. We have to spare no effort to make this region ready for tigers and involve all the relevant people to make this happen. That means dealing with illegal activities, having these people who govern parks be well­trained and equipped, increasing prey populations and involving local communities，” said Ekaterina Vorobyeva, Director of the WWF program.

【小题1】What is Askar Myrzakhmetov's attitude toward the tiger reintroduction program?

A．Doubtful.	B．Favorable.
C．Concerned.	D．Disapproving.

【小题2】What made the wild tigers disappear in the Ili­Balkhash region?

A．The increasing loss of prey.	B．The evolution of the species.
C．The lack of natural living places.	D．The serious environmental pollution.

【小题3】Which measure may be taken for the reintroduction of tigers?

A．Regulating human activities.	B．Limiting the number of prey.
C．Building a reserve for tigers only.	D．Training tigers to be more adaptable.

【小题4】What is the best title of the passage?

A．Efforts to restore forests in Kazakhstan

B．Bringing tigers back home to Kazakhstan

C．Attempts to handle illegal activities effectively

D．Preventing tigers disappearing in Kazakhstan