14.Easter (復活節(jié)) is still a great day for worship,candy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs,but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.And no,not because the kids like to pull their ears.The culprit is climate change,and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbits in the US.
Take the Lower Keys Marsh rabbit for example.An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys,this species of cottontail is a great swimmer--it lives on the islands!--but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising sea levels.According to the Center for Biological Diversity,an ocean level rise of only 0.6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat (棲息地) completely.
The snowshoe hare,on the other hand,has a color issue.Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer,each designed to give them better cover from predators 捕食者).As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country,however,more and more bunnies are being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring,making them an easier mark for predators.Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight,but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question.The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits,a relative of rabbits and hares,might be the first of these species to go extinct due to climate change.About 7-8 inches long,pikas live high in the cool,damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains.As global temperatures rise,they would naturally migrate to higher ground--but they already occupy the mountaintops.They can't go any higher.The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat heats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem.These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico,and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters,but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher,so they are stuck in the middle.Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US,pygnty rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West.They are belie ved to be the smallest rabbits in the world.Their habitats have been destroyed by development.Several populations,such as the Columbia Basin pygmy,almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs.Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators,but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter.
32.The writer mentions Easter at the beginning of the passage in order toB
A.show the importance of Easter Day
B.introduce the issue about bunnies
C.remind people of Easter traditions
D.discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies
33.The word"culprit"(paragraph 2)is closest in meaning toA
A.criminal B.judge C.victim D.producer
34.The problem faced by volcano rabbits and rock rabbits is thatD
A.both are affected by less snow
B.both are affected by rising sea levels
C.neither can find enough food
D.neither can migrate to higher places
35.Which best describes the writer's tone in the passage?B
A.Approving.B.Concerned.C.Enthusiastic.D.Doubtful.
分析 每年復活節(jié)可愛的兔子給大家?guī)砹撕芏鄽g樂,然而隨著全球變暖趨勢的加劇,這種給我們帶來愉悅的兔子也不可避免地受到了一定的影響.兔子們處境危險,本文以幾種兔子的實際情況加以說明.
解答 32.B 寫作意圖題.根據(jù)常識可知,一提到復活節(jié),人們自然會想到復活節(jié)兔子,再看后文大篇幅介紹幾種兔子的處境,不難看出開篇提及復活節(jié)是為了引出有關(guān)兔子的話題.故選B.33.A 詞義猜測題.根據(jù)畫線后的句子and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbits in the US.可知一些研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),氣溫升高至少對美國的五種兔子有不良影響.所以罪魁禍首是氣候變化,culprit相當于criminal,意為"災難制造者,犯罪者".故選A.34.D 細節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第三段的they would naturally migrate (遷徙) to higher ground-but they already occupy the mountaintops.They can"t go any higher.他們會很自然地遷移到更高的地面,但他們已經(jīng)占據(jù)了山頂.他們不能再高了.和倒數(shù)第二段第二句的后半部分but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher,so they are stuck in the middle.但是沒有合適的植物讓它們遷移到更高的地方,所以它們被夾在中間.可知,兩種兔子面臨的問題是不能往更高處去,故選D.35.B 作者態(tài)度題.文章首尾呼應,作者對兔子的生存環(huán)境充滿了擔憂與關(guān)注.A項意為"贊許的";B項意為"關(guān)心的,擔憂的";C項意為"熱情的";D項意為"懷疑的". 故選B.
點評 本文是歷史文化類閱讀,主要考查細節(jié)理解題和推理判斷題.在做細節(jié)理解題時,首先根據(jù)題目要求迅速在文章里找出相應的段落、句子或短語.認真比較選項和文中細節(jié)的區(qū)別,在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實,要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷.