Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of．the world’s largest black bears．They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains，a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife．
The streams, lakes，mountains and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the area．Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing and important wild animals are endangered by highway construction．To protect the Poconos’natural beauty from irresponsible development．the Nature Conservancy(保护协会)named the area one of America’s“Last Great Places”．
Operating out of a century—old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond，Pennsylvania，the conservancy’s partner Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection．By forming partnerships with people like Francis Altemose，the Conservancy has been able to protect more than14，000 acres of environmentally important land in the area．
Altemose’s family has farmed in the Poeono area for generations．Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program．As a result，his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson．
Cook owes the Conservancy’s SUCCESS in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents．
“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community．”Cook said．“The people who live there respect the land．They value quiet forests，clear streams and abundant wildlife．They are eager to help with conservation effort．”
For more information on how you can help The Nature Conservancy protect the Poeonos and the world’s other“Last Great Places．”please call l一888—5646864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at WWW．tnc．org．
1．More people are attracted to Pocono Mountains because ．
A．there live the world’s largest black bears
B．transportation is convenient in the area
C．many houses are being built there
D．natural conditions are wonderful there
2．The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America’s“Last Great Places”is to ．
A．gain support from the local community
B．protect it from irresponsible development
C．make it a better home for black bears
D．provide financial security for future generations
3．We can learn from the passage that ．
A．Francis is voluntary to cooperate with the Conservancy
B．wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly
C．the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened
D．farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast
4．What is important in protecting the Poconos according to Cook?
A．The setting up of an environmental protection website．
B．Support from organizations like The Nature Conservancy．
C．Cooperation with the local residents and business leaders．
D．Inclusion of farmlands in the 81"ca protection program．
5．The passage most probably is ．
A．an official document B．a news story
C．an advertisement D．a research report