In 2016, a young British father was trampled(踩踏)to death by an elephant on the island of Koh Samui in ThaiJand. The tragedy once again raised questions over whether it is ethical to use elephants as entertainment.
For many visitors, the chance to interact with elephants is at the top of their holiday wish list. There's no shortage of opportunities to do so, from taking photos of baby elephants to riding them through the jungle, to watching them dance.
But what most visitors don't realize is elephants are involved in extremely cruel methods to make them behave. They are often kept in terrible conditions. This includes being chained up when not performing, without interaction with other elephants, a poor diet, etc. They are also subjected to training practices including beatings. Away from their natural habitat and forced to repeat the same routines day in day out, which continues throughout their dramatically-shortened lives.
Unfortunately, riding elephants is still one of the most popular tourist activities in Asia. The World Animal Protection investigated 3,000 elephants at tourist sites across Southern Asia in 2017. The study found that 77% of them were living in "severely cruel" conditions. It also found that there had been a 30% rise in the number of elephants at tourism venues in Thailand since 2010.
Many parks advertise themselves as sanctuaries (庇护所)but they aren’t. Real sanctuaries will limit contact with the elephants and visitors can only observe them from a distance most of the time.
The government needs to play a much bigger role in putting an end to elephant tourism. As travelers, please avoid any place offering riding or allowing interacting sessions with elephants. When you see abuse happening, do your bit by leaving your review on review sites and social media to warn other tourists. Many parks are now becoming ride-free as a result of pressure from tourists, the industry and the media.
1.What does the underlined word “ethical” most probably mean?
A.Safe B.Welcome C.Moral D.Available
2.What’s the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The cause of elephant tourism. B.The way of interacting with elephants.
C.The opportunities tourist can get. D.The worse condition elephants are in.
3.How does the writer support the main idea in Paragraph 4?
A.By making different comparisons B.By following the order of time and places.
C.By analyzing cause and effect. D.By giving examples and listing numbers.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The media and internet worked greater.
B.Riding elephants is free with tourists’ efforts.
C.Ending elephant tourism is necessary but hard.
D.Governments and tourists solved the problem together.