TV STARS FROM THE DESERT
The meerkats of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa are famous and Ann and Steve Toon went
to find them. Meerkats are animals (0) B_ are about 30cm tall and live in groups of 20 (1) 30.
The ones we were looking for were filmed during a period of four years and started in a TV
documentary series. We wanted to see them (2) real. So it's 5.30 am and we are in the middle of
nowhere, (3) for the sun to burn off the remains of yesterday's storm clouds. Nearby, a large
black bird lets rip his deafening, regular wake-up call. This makes us both jump and (4) our
attention from why we are here. And while our eyes are off the ball, a meerkat makes his appearance.
He pops his head out of the burtow where he has spent the night. We realise he has seen us an is
checking us (5) before emerging fully. Apparently satisfied, he stands upright. He is followed by a
female and then some other adults. We are finally metres away from some of the world's (6)
charismatic wild creatures. Here are the homes of 14 meerkat groups who are the real-life, wildlife stars
of an award-winning TV series. To our excitement, the adult meerkats are swiftly followed out of the
burrow by four five-week-old pups. It's the summer breeding season so you would expect (7)
young. We had timed our visit with this possibility in mind but we still couldn't believe our luck.
Unbelievably comical and cute, the youngsters are each a perfect (8) version of their
parents. 'Hum, huh, hum,' we both softly and repeatedly sing as we move closer to the pups with wide
angle lenses. This is the special call we've been taught to use by the volunteer field assistant who
tracked down the group for us. It reassures them that our presence is not a threat. At first we feel silly,
and more than a little self-conscious, but it seems to work since the animals stay calm as we approach
them. Each one (9) _____ scanning their surroundings, and getting in each other's way, as they would
do every other morning. The animals that live here (10) over many years as part of a major,
long-running, research study known as the Kalahari Meerkat Project. Without it, it would not have been
possible to make the TV programmes which had brought us here.
0. B
1.
B. which
B. with
B. out of
B. waited
2.
3.
4.
5.
5.
A. what
A. to
A. in
A. wait
A. attracts
A. out
A. much
A. to see
A. small
A. carries out
A. are studied
B. pays
B. up
C. who
C. in
C. with
C. waiting
C. distracts
C. off
C. most
C. to have seen
C. smallest
C. carries down
C. will be studied
D. whose
D. by
D. for
D. are waiting
D. focuses
D. in
D. utmost
D. having seen
D. little
D. carries on
D. have been studied
B. more
B. seeing
B. smaller
B. carries away
B. were studied
.