| Chinese mainland announced the names of two giant pandas selected for Taiwan compatriots(同胞). The two are Number 16, female and Number 19, male. The final coupling was chosen out of 23 pandas. The female panda, born in August of 2004, is good at climbing and balancing. The one-year-old beauty weights 35 kilograms. The male selection was narrowed down to numbers 19, 21 and 22. The eleven selected giant pandas went through a period of “trial marriages” before the most matching couple was picked up to test whether they could fit for each other. The Chinese mainland offered Taiwan a pair of pandas as one of its goodwill gestures to compatriots in the island province at the end of a historic trip made by Lien Chan, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan, in early May, 2005. The process of giant panda selection started in early August, 2005 and the panda selection expert group decided that the panda couple would be formed from those giant pandas living in the Wolong center, the largest panda protection zone in China. The Taiwan people have enthusiastically received the Chinese mainland’s offer of a pair of pandas to the island’s zoos. The giant panda is one of the world’s most endangered species and is found only in China. It is estimated that 1,590 giant pandas live wild in China and those in captivity totaled 183 in the Chinese mainland by the end of 2005. 1. This passage is mainly about _________. A. the giant panda couple for Taiwan B. Taiwan compatriots expecting pandas C. the selection of pandas to be offered to Taiwan D. the names for the panda couple to Taiwan 2. Chinese mainland presented Taiwan a pair of pandas to ________. A. test whether the couple could fit for each other B. express thanks to Lien Chan’s historic trip to the mainland C. show our friendship and good wishes to Taiwan compatriots D. call on people to protect the most endangered pandas 3. The underlined word “captivity” in the last paragraph may mean _______. A. a place where they cannot move freely B. a natural living place for wild animals C. a place set up for protecting animals D. a place for scientific experiments on animals |