Page 22 - Grammar_Explorer_3_Amy_Cooper_&_Samuela_Eckstut_Didier1_1 (1)_Neat

A= \Je)\ i Simple Present and Present Progressive

EXPLORE

Q. 1 READ the article about lowland gorillas in northern Congo. What are researchers trying to
learn about these animals?

The Family Life

of Lowland Gorillas

Scientists know very little about how lowland gorillas behave in the rainforests where
they live. However, one thing is clear: their numbers are rapidly declining.! In order to
help these animals survive, researchers are trying to learn as much as possible about their
family relationships as well as their behavior and diet in the wild.

One family that scientists are currently observing belongs to Kingo. It includes
Kingo, his four wives—each with her own baby—and one orphan.’ The ten gorillas live
comfortably in a rainforest in northern Congo. Together with a team of trackers,? the
researchers follow the family everywhere. Today, they are watching Kingo at lunchtime.

Kingo always eats alone; his wives and babies never go near him. After he eats, he
usually takes a nap. He lies back in the hot shade and instantly falls asleep. Then when
he wakes up, he leads his family through the forest in search of more food. The young
males stay close by his side, and they copy every move he makes. Kingo’s wives walk
behind him. When he stops, they stop, and when he moves, they move.
Kingo’s stop today is a pond. Here he is pulling up plants, washing them in the
water, and then eating them. This 300-pound (136-kilogram) king of the jungle couldn't
be happier right now. The mothers are resting, and the young ones are taking naps or
playing. As the researchers can clearly see, this is just one big, happy family.

1 decline: become less
2 orphan: a child whose parents have died
8 tracker: someone who finds animals by following marks in the ground or other signs that show where
the animals have been

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of the Congo