Reading and vocabulary. Amur Leopard

Slowly stalking down the snowy hillside, the Amur leopard watches its prey through the trees. In the clearing below, a sika deer munches on tree bark, one of its few remaining food sources during the cold Russian winter. The leopard crouches, its body so low to the ground that its belly fur brushes the snow. Suddenly it bounds and springs forward, tackling the deer from 10 feet away. It’s dinnertime.

Most people think of leopards prowling the           of Africa, but these spotted predators thrive in many different countries and           . Amur leopards can be found in the mountainous         of eastern Russia and northern China. Named after the Amur River, a body of water that runs along the border of both countries, these cats are well adapted to this harsh             . Their soft, dense fur keeps them warm in the bitter cold, and their large paws work like snowshoes to let them walk on      without sinking.

Amur leopards weigh about 80        [pound, pounds], some 30 pounds less than the average African leopard. But       [this, these] cats can still take down prey up to three       [time, times] their size. They prefer to feast on deer and boar, but will eat rabbits and        [mouses, mice] if they can’t find bigger game. Scientists sometimes call Amur leopards the “silent killer” since they’re so good    [at, on] sneaking up on prey.