2.After being driven to near extinction,wolves are back in Washington state.
Wolf 32 M,called The Old Guy by wolf specialist Ben Maletzke,lived some 12 years as the patriarch(族長)of the Teanaway Pack,kicking off the recovery of wolves in Washington.The pack's territory was roasted by wildfire in 2014.But wolf 32 M and his family remained in existence,bringing the call of the wild back for the first time in a century.These wolves are what Maletzke calls stepping stones in recovery--the animals that could help lead the way to new territory not yet repopulated by wolves.
Wolves spread to new territory to find mates and begin packs of their own.It is this pack dynamic that wildlife biologists are counting on,in time,to urge wolves into areas where they do not presently live."We just need a couple to pick up and go,"Maletzke says.
All along,the Teanaway Pack has stayed mostly out of trouble probably,helped by a lot of range riding (牧區(qū)巡邏) intended to help reduce conflicts over wolf recovery by keeping wolves away from cattle."He is an example of wolves living and doing what they do,even around people,"Maletzke says of wolf 32 M.
Story Warren,a student at the University of Montana,was just a girl when she first saw 32 M's tracks in the Teanaway River Valley-an exciting encounter that helped generate a serious interest in wildlife that now fuels her studies.To her,the return of the wolf is about more than the species;it is about recovering something even bigger:hope.
"Growing up in my generation,there is so much bad ecological news,a lot of hopelessness about climate change and loss of biodiversity and extinctions,"Warren says,"To have something as wild as wolves coming back to Washington is very encouraging for me--just to know such an amazing and powerful creature exists."
(1)Why does Maletzke call Wolf 32 M family "stepping stones"?
A.They are nearly dying out.
B.They are victims of wildfire.
C.They are worth protection.
D.They are pioneers in wolf recovery.
(2)What function does paragraph 3 serve?
A.To present a result.
B.To clarify a concept.
C.To offer an explanation.
D.To make a prediction.
(3)What can be learned from the example of the Teanaway pack?
A.Wolves face a lot of trouble.
B.Wolf recovery counts on its population.
C.Certain measures to ensure cattle safety are required.
D.Wolves should be forbidden from human residence.
(4)What does Warren think of the coming back of wolves?
A.It fuels more studies on wildlife.
B.It clears up bad ecological news.
C.It worsens climate change.
D.It excites hope for the ecosystem.