Encounter With Elephants
I stopped dead in my tracks. There was someone, or something else in the vicinity. Scanning my surroundings, I could see nothing except thick foliage and towering trees. This scared me even more, knowing that I could not see where it was hiding. “Did you hear that?” I asked my guide, Hugo.
“What?” asked Hugo. I could feel him tensing up beside me. Just as I thought that it was a figment of my imagination, we heard it again, loud and clear this time round. Looking at each other, Hugo and I started approaching the source of the sound cautiously.
Just as we were about to reach the spot, Hugo held up his hand, signaling me to stop. He moved in front of me before he signaled me to follow him. I was touched by Hugo’s gesture. We parted the overgrown vines of a huge tree. What we saw took our breath away. The motionless body of a huge elephant lay on its side on the forest floor. Beside it was a small elephant, pushing the body of the other elephant with its trunk, as if it was trying to wake it up.
When the small elephant sensed our arrival, it retreated and trumpeted loudly at us. We put our hands up to show that we meant no harm. Then we approached the other elephant slowly. “Is it dead?” I asked Hugo. Hugo bent down and placed his palm on the elephant’s body. Then he checked its eyes. From the grave look in his eyes, I knew that there was nothing we could do to save the elephant. Taking out his walkie-talkie, Hugo contacted the park rangers for help. Meanwhile, the small elephant continued its low moaning. It seemed to realize that its mother was gone. After the park rangers came and investigations were made, it seemed that the older elephant was shot by one of the poachers. It was hard to imagine how many elephants had been killed just for their tusks. The park rangers took the small elephant with them. Before it left us, it kept glancing back, as it to thank us for saving it and taking care of its mother.
From paragraph 1
1. Why did the writer stop walking?
2. “This scared me even more,…” What is the writer referring to?
3. Which of the following is the meaning of the word ‘vicinity’ as used in this paragraph?
a) Surrounding a particular place
b) Near a range of low hills
c) A clearing in a forest
d) A wooded alley
From paragraph 2
4. Which of the following is the meaning of the expression ‘figment of imagination’ as used in this paragraph?
a) A fragment of something
b) Something not real
c) A story
d) Part of creativity
From paragraph 3
5. Why do you think Hugo moved ahead of the writer and signaled him to stop?
6. Quote the sentence that shows us that the writer was grateful to Hugo.
7. How many elephants were injured?
8. What was the small elephant doing when the two men saw it?
From paragraph 4
9. What did the small elephant do when it sensed the men’s arrival?
10. What had happened to the big elephant?
11. How did the two men get help?
Answer Key
From paragraph 1
1. Why did the writer stop walking?
The writer sensed that someone or something was nearby.
2. “This scared me even more,…” What is the writer referring to?
He could not see anything because of the thick foliage and the towering trees.
3. Which of the following is the meaning of the word ‘vicinity’ as used in this paragraph?
a) Surrounding a particular place
From paragraph 2
4. Which of the following is the meaning of the expression ‘figment of imagination’ as used in this paragraph?
b) Something not real
From paragraph 3
5. Why do you think Hugo moved ahead of the writer and signaled him to stop?
Hugo was the writer’s tour guide and he wanted to protect the writer from any danger.
6. Quote the sentence that shows us that the writer was grateful to Hugo.
“I was touched by Hugo’s gesture.”
7. How many elephants were injured?
One elephant was injured.
8. What was the small elephant doing when the two men saw it?
small elephant was pushing the body of the other elephant with its trunk, as if it was trying to wake it up.
From paragraph 4
9. What did the small elephant do when it sensed the men’s arrival?
When the small elephant sensed the men’s arrival, it retreated and trumpeted loudly at them.
10. What had happened to the big elephant?
It had been killed by poachers.
11. How did the two men get help?
They contacted the park rangers using a walkie-talkie
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