A
The jaguars(美洲豹）didn't bother me much during the day. Adonis, our local guide who was leading us deep into the Guatemalan jungle, guaranteed that we wouldn't come under attack from the jaguars. The most recent time he had seen one was more than a year ago. Last week, he had spotted some jaguar tracks, which was probably about as close to the animals as we would get, he said.
But his guarantee meant little that night as I cowered in my hammock(吊床) under the Central American stars. Now my mind turned every soft sound of waving leaves into a moving big cat full of murderous intent(probably to get back at the rude human who had interrupted its life.) And, if it wasn't a jaguar ready to attack, it was a poisonous snake, picking which of my bottoms to sink its long sharp tooth into.
Tiredness calmed my overactive imagination and I slept slightly. Next day, big surprise:no death by either snake bite or jaguar attack and injury. We packed up our stuff and continued toward our destination, El Mirador, the site of the tallest temple in the Mayan world.
Although we may have questioned why we had left a perfectly nice beach to come here, that night no doubts remained. Just before sunset we took our places at the top of the temple hill. A Mayan astrologer(占星家) had probably sat in the same place 2, 000 years before and improved his knowledge of the Milky Way.
Tonight, as with every night, spectacular pink shades marked the western skyline. The sky darkened and, one by one, the stars shone with a soft light into life. .
21. What did the guide think of the jaguars?
A. They were difficult to find. B. They were aggressive killers.
C. They were tough to deal with. D. They had close relations with man.
22. What does the underlined word "cowered"in Paragraph 2 most nearly mean?
A. Shrank. B. Skipped. C. Relaxed. D. Danced.
23. What message is the author trying to convey in the last paragraph?
A. We should show respect to nature.
B. Traveling in the jungle can be dangerous.
C. The ecology problem requires urgent attention.
D. The universe is lasting while human life is short.
