Panda pride 萌寵外交官

宋平平

Pandas are not only a national treasure， but are loved around the world.

Last year， a giant panda cub born in August at the Smithsonians National Zoo， US， was given the name Xiao Qi Ji， which is translated into English as “Little Miracle”. The choice was the result of a five?day online vote that drew nearly 135，000 voters in the US. Interestingly， National Public Radio said that in a nod to Chinese tradition， the name was not chosen until 100 days after the birth.

This cubs birth proved to be quite inspiring. “Xiao Qi Jis birth is a true miracle that has been so uplifting to all of us during the pandemic，” Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said in a video congratulatory message. “We are connected again in the growth of our little ambassador， and in our shared joy and friendship.”

The furry black?and?white animals have played an important role in Chinas diplomacy， known as “panda diplomacy”. According to the Japanese Royal Annual， the practice dates back to the Tang Dynasty， when Empress Wu Zetian sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese emperor. China revived panda diplomacy in the 1950s when China sent two pandas to the Moscow Zoo. By 1982， China had given 23 pandas to nine different countries. However， most of them have died. China stopped giving away pandas in the early 1980s. Instead， the animals were loaned to other countries.

However， these cute “diplomats” find it hard to survive in other countries. Their dietary habit is one significant reason. Their nutrition mostly comes from bamboo shoots. Adult pandas consume about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily. Pandas can also be quite picky. They refuse to eat bamboo shoots after they have blossomed.

In general， they are to be returned to China after 10 years. But countries are still trying their best to facilitate this special type of diplomacy. “We dont own the pandas， but the whole world wants to help save the pandas， and we do that through our knowledge exchange，” Steven Monfort， director of the Smithsonians National Zoo， told China Daily.

[Reading][Check]

1. What made the birth of Xiao Qi Ji so uplifting？

A. Its lovely figure.

B. Its Chinese background.

C. The place where it was born.

D. The outbreak of the pandemic.

2. What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about？

A. Interesting stories of pandas.

B. The important role of pandas.

C. The history of panda diplomacy.

D. The relationship between China and Ja?pan.

3. What mainly makes pandas difficult to survive abroad according to paragraph 5？

A. Their dietary habit.

B. Their homesickness.

C. Their living environment.

D. Their reproductive capacity.

4. In what column is this article likely to appear？

A. Opinion. B. Animals.

C. Events. D. Environment.

[Language][Study]

Text?centered chunks

in a nod to 對(duì)……贊同;為符合……

play an important role in 在……中扮演重要角色

be known as 被稱為……

date back to 追溯到……

give away 捐贈(zèng)

in general 通常

try ones best to do 盡力做……