Unit 5  Reading for writing 2

As dead as a dodo

1 Are you looking at me? Do you know me? I’m a dodo! You may think I’m just a character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Actually, there used to be thousands of us — for real. But now you can only see us in museums.

2 We lived on an island in the Indian Ocean. In the happy old days, there was plenty of food to eat. All the other animals were friendly. What a peaceful and safe life!

3 However, in 1598, humans arrived. They cut down the trees and our lovely forest was gone. They hunted us because we were slow and couldn’t fly. What’s more, their pigs, cats and dogs ate our eggs. As a result, we soon died out.

4 So today we are standing in museums around the world. When you see us, please remember our sad story. The world is full of fantastic animals. Please try your best to help them. Make them as happy as a clam, not as dead as a dodo.