A thousand years ago, Hong Kong was covered by a thick forest. As more and more people came to live in Hong Kong, these trees were cut down and burnt. Now there is ________ forest left, though there are still some small areas (地方) covered by trees. We call these woods. Elephants, tigers and many ________ animals were living in the thick forest. When people came to live in Hong Kong, the plants began to die out. Early farmers grew rice and ________ pigs and chickens in the valleys. They cut down the trees and burnt them. They needed ________ to keep themselves warm in winter, to cook their food and to keep away the dangerous animals. Elephants quickly disappeared (消失) because there was not enough food for them. So did most of the wolves and tigers. Monkeys and many other animals soon ________ in the same way.

You might think that there are no longer any animals in Hong Kong ________ in the zoos. But there are still about 36 different animals ________ there. One of the most interesting Hong Kong’s animals is the barking deer. These are beautiful little animals ________ a rich brown coat and a white patch (补丁) under the tail. They look like deer but they are much smaller. They are less than two feet height. They make a noise rather like a dog ________ . In Hong Kong the barking deer has only a real enemy— ________. People hunt (猎) these little animals though it is illegal (违法的). There are now not many barking deer left. So it is important for people to protect wild animals.