The World of Words: Vocabulary for College Success ... - eLibrary

Passage 121Copyright © Cengage Learning. All Right Reserved.crazy clothes, and wild parties. It was here, and then, (1) that two youngmen decided to indulge themselves by buying an unusual pet—a lion. Intoday’s world, this would be unthinkable. (2) The sale of wild animalscould not withstand the outcry from animal rights groups. But in 1969,the luxury department store Harrods was complacent about its positionas a retail leader, so it sold creatures usually found in the jungle withoutconcern.Besides, this young lion cub had already tried to escape. A lion onthe loose would have jeopardized the reputation of the entire store, notto mention people’s lives. When John Rendall and Anthony Bourke offeredto buy the animal, salespeople breathed a sigh of relief.The adorable baby cub soon became the darling of the neighborhood.Like most cats, he slept a lot, usually in the furniture shop wherehis owners worked. He used a litter box, (3) and was meticulous aboutkeeping himself clean. (4) The local minister chivalrously allowed thecub to run in a nearby gated church yard, so Rendall and Bourke namedhim Christian. (5) His playful and affectionate nature mitigated the fearpeople felt about lions.However, as the months passed, Christian’s size augmented rapidly.He grew from 35 to 185 pounds within a year. He ate a copiousamount; two solid meals, two liquid meals, and supplements wererequired every day. As Christian’s size and appetite grew to mammothproportions, the owners decided they could no longer keep him. (6) Theycould not procrastinate: It was mandatory to find a way for Christianto live in the wild.By chance two people who had been involved in (7) the movie BornFree, which had gathered accolades from animal rights activists, walkedinto the furniture store, and saw the lion. They suggested that the ownerscontact George Adamson, who had handled the lions used in the movie.He had gained the adulation of wildlife enthusiasts with his intelligentand sensitive treatment of the animals.Adamson suggested that Christian be returned to the wild in Kenya.But this required much negotiation with the government. Meanwhile,Christian had become too big for life in London. So he was moved to alarge house in the country, surrounded by land, near the sea. Country liferequired adjustments. (8) Christian’s tolerance for cold water had to becultivated gradually. When he first put his paw into the sea, he shiveredand quickly withdrew it.After a few months the arrangements for travel to Kenya were completed,and Christian was packed in a crate. Rendall and Bourke made thetrip to Africa and accompanied him to the Kora game park. However, realizingthat Adamson was an expert, (9) they gave him full discretion inhandling their former pet and returned to London. Under Adamson’szealous care, Christian gradually became a wild animal living in thegame park.After a while, though, Rendall and Bourke grew lonely for Christian,and decided to visit Kenya. Christian was now living the life of a lion—alion that kills for food. Would he remember them? Would he attack?