Reading. How to train elephants

HOW TO TRAIN ELEPHANTS

Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may call

respectively the tough and the gentle. The former method simply consists of setting

an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him. Apart

from any moral considerations, this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a

resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn into a man-killer. The gentle

method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful, good tempered

elephant who will give many years of loyal service. The first essential in

elephant training is to assign to the animal a single trainer who will be entirely

responsible for the job. Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are

capable of a considerable degree of personal affection. There are even stories of

half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to

death when, by some unavoidable circumstance, they have been

deprived of their own trainer. Such extreme cases must probably

be taken with a grain of salt, but they do underline the general

principle that the relationship between elephant and trainer is

the key to successful training.

EXERCISE 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) teach certain tasks or skills

b) separately and in the order mentioned

c) hard; strict; firm

d) feeling angry about someone's behaviour

towards you

e) at a time in the future (phrase)

f) feeling of fondness or love

g) baby cows, elephants, seals, and whales

h) miss someone who has left or died so much

that you eventually die (phrase)

i) take something you want or need away; stop

from having

j) don't take too seriously; don't believe

something is completely true (phrase)

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EXERCISE 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. When comparing the tough and gentle elephant-training techniques, the writer

considers the latter to be

A) stupid and largely immoral

B) the method which is more successful

C) very time-consuming and lacking in rewards

D) the one more likely to harm the elephant

E) the more enjoyable

2. The most important point when training an elephant is

A) not to change the trainer

B) to give it a dog for company

C) to show it lots of affection

D) not to try to train calves

E) to choose a good-tempered elephant

3. According to the writer, the tough training technique

A) is much faster than the gentle

B) requires a trainer of great physical strength

C) creates cheerful, loyal elephants

D) is not only foolish but also immoral

E) is only effective for a short period

EXERCISE 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. I have a great for the elderly couple next-door, who are always so kind

and friendly.

2. The only way I'm going to manage to lose weight is by myself

all the food I like most.

3. The top two most popular overseas holiday destinations for British tourists are Spain and

Greece

4. She felt so about the way she'd been treated at work that she refused

to speak to even her closest friends.

5. If we buy the flight tickets today, we can book the hotel

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