【明報專訊】You may not be surprised by common working animals such as guide dogs, but have you heard of animals that are civil servants?

UK— Chief mousers

The British government started to employ cats to kill mice in 1515. These official mousers(捕鼠貓) live in London with the most famous officials. They receive a wage for their duties, which include catching mice and greeting important guests such as the presidents of other countries.

India— guard monkeys

In 2010, some monkeys were stealing things from government buildings. The government employed some bigger monkeys to protect their facilities, as they believed that the larger monkeys could scare the "thieves" away. However, the New Delhi government "fired" the guard monkeys after protests by environmentalists in 2013. The Ministry of Urban Development of New Delhi issued a notice asking civic agencies to stop using langur guards.

Norway and Scotland—Royal guard penguin

In 1972, Nils Olav I, a penguin from a zoo in Scotland, was chosen to be a member of Norway's army to show the friendship between the two countries. Sir Nils Olav III is the current royal guard penguin.

■Gear up

Answer the questions according to the paragraphs.

(Answers on next text)

(1) The British government has a long history of recruiting cats to catch mice. (True / False)

(2) Which of the following is / are true?

A. The monkeys stole bananas.

B. The penguin always inspects the soldiers.

C. Every country employs animals as civil servants.

D. The chief mousers live with famous people.

■Glossary

civil servant (n) 公務員

employ (v) 聘請

wage (n) 薪金

inspect (v) 檢閱(軍隊)

[Smarties' Power English 第254期]