英语听力精选进阶版 7096（在线收听）

Background: 北爱尔兰的贝尔法斯特动物园正在寻找一位曾在二战时期照顾过一只动物园大象宝宝的善良姑娘。恰逢该动物园创办75周年纪念日，动物园方面宣布，正式开始寻找这位曾在自己家花园看养大象的姑娘。

The baby elephant, Sheila, was moved out of Belfast Zoo because of fears she might be hit by bombers 轰炸机 during the Belfast Blitz 贝尔法斯特闪电战 of 1941.

She was one of the lucky ones. A lot of the animals were killed because of fears they might escape during the bombing and attack people. They included a tiger, a black bear, a lynx, a hyena, and two polar bears.

But Sheila was walked down the road by zoo-keepers 动物园饲养员 to a nearby house where a woman gave her sanctuary 庇护 in her backyard 后院 for several months until the bombing was over.

The woman has never been identified and the zoo knows her only as "the elephant angel 天使".

As it celebrates its 75th birthday the bosses have decided to try to identify 寻找 her. Mark Challis is the manager of Belfast Zoo. He explained a bit more about Sheila's story.

"Well we know that Sheila, the elephant that was in the zoo at that time spent some time living with a lady relatively near to the zoo and we have one sweet photograph, you can see it on our zoo website.

"We have a photograph of the elephant with the lady and friend, honestly and literally in her back garden and that's roughly all we know.

"So we're just trying to find a little bit more information and maybe, not sure that the lady might be alive, but maybe her relatives 亲戚 or somebody will recognise 认出 the back of that house and we can fill in 填写 some detail on this story."

Once the bombing was over, Sheila went back to the zoo and lived for another quarter of a century 25年. She died of a skin complaint 皮肤疾病 in 1966.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

bombers 轰炸机

the Belfast Blitz 贝尔法斯特闪电战

zoo-keepers 动物园饲养员

sanctuary 庇护

backyard 后院

angel 天使

identify 寻找

relatives 亲戚

recognise 认出

fill in 填写

quarter of a century 25年

skin complaint 皮肤疾病

Questions and Answers

1. What was the name of the elephant?

The elephant was called Sheila.

2. How did the elephant get from the zoo to the lady’s garden?

The zoo-keepers walked with the elephant from the zoo to the lady’s house.

3. How long was the elephant in the lady’s garden?

The elephant was in the lady’s garden for several months until the bombing was over.

4. How many years has the zoo been open?

The zoo has been open for 75 years.