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(一)
Several animal species including gorillas (大猩猩) in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if impact of climate change and extreme weather on their homes is not handled, a UN report showed on Sunday.
Released during the course of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and overuse of land have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa. “Many ecosystems have already been affected by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, short-lasting management practices and even invasive species，” Eduardo Rojas, assistant director general at the UNFAO's forestry department, said at the release of the report.
The most affected areas include mountains, islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to move elsewhere and create new habitats. “The remaining populations are limited to very small ecosystems. They have inbreeding (近亲繁殖) problems, and at the end these species may disappear，” he added.
Other examples of affected animals include elephants in Mali, lions in Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi. The report says about 20～30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant number of local species may disappear by 2050 as a consequence. Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.
The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as inland waters, forests and grasslands. The UNFAO also called for the creation of movement channels for animals in areas where their movement was affected. The organization said while more resources (资源) were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed. It also urges local communities to develop projects that ease the effect of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?
A. The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban. B．The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas. C．Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems. D．Causes of damage done to ecosystems.
2. Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected? A. They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases. B．They have difficulty finding enough food for survival. C．They have little chance of moving to other places. D．They can hardly find mates to produce their young.
3. To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ________.
A. restoring damaged ecosystems B．limiting world population growth
C．creating movement channels for animals
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D．urging governments and local communities to take action 4. What would serve as the best title for the passage? A. Climate change and eco-tourism
B．Human activities and the animal kingdom
C．Gorillas, tigers at risk due to climate change D．How to balance human development and animal rights
(二)
Death Valley, one of America's great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.
1．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? A．The water in Badwater is 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
B．The highest air temperature of Death Valley in summer can reach as high as 74℃.
C．The ground has been pushed up violently by explosions of volcanoes. D．There might have been marine lives living in Death Valley. 2．Why were some people killed by Death Valley?
A．Because they didn't respect Death Valley and thus they were punished. B．Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter.
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C．Because they were not careful enough to take with them what they needed. D．Because several volcanoes erupted and caused huge explosions.
3．The underlined word “twisted” in Paragraph 4 most possibly means “________”.
A．bent and turned
B．created and developed C．built and shaped D．changed and ruined
4．The purpose of the article is to ________.
A．encourage people to visit Death Valley, a beautiful national park in America B．warn people not to visit Death Valley because it is quite dangerous there C．introduce to us readers a special national park in America, Death Valley D．raise money for the protection of Death Valley because it is in danger now
(三)
Michele, a filmmaker, dives into an eerie (怪诞的) world. The usually colorful corals are a ghostly white. Most of the fish, crabs, and other animals have disappeared. The reef is sick and dying.
Coral reefs are often called “the rainforests of the sea” because of their abundance of life forms. A great diversity of animals find food and shelter in every crack and crevice.
Today's reefs are about 10,000 years old. Found in sunny, shallow water in warm seas all over the world, reefs are made up of the hard shells of millions of corals. As corals live and die, they create a giant, rocky honeycomb. Only a thin top layer is living coral.
A reef grows only about as fast as your fingernails—three-quarters of an inch a year. But coral reefs are huge, and in time a healthy reef can be thousands of miles long.
Millions of people around the world rely on reef fish and other animals for food. And reefs provide protection from storms at sea. Without thousands of miles of reefs surrounding coastal areas, many beaches and even whole islands could be destroyed by the pounding of powerful ocean waves.
“Let's say a grazing animal like the parrot fish is overfished，” Michele explains. “Without them, the kind of algae (海藻) that the fish feed on could grow like weeds and take over the reef. The competition for space and sunlight could then starve the coral.”
Nearly 27 percent of the world's coral reefs have been lost or damaged. But there is hope. Many reefs around the world—including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the reefs off the Florida Keys in the United States—are now protected areas where scientists study how to keep reefs healthy. They determine how many and which kinds of fish can be taken for food without hurting the reef's delicate balance.
There is hope, too, that people will learn to be good partners to the reefs. “We want our film to inspire people to help coral reefs，” says Michele. “For me, even though I may not go back to the South Pacific, just knowing the reefs are there and thriving brings a sense of contentment (满足) to my spirit.”
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高考英语二轮复习 专题限时训练(三十四) 史地自然型阅读理解配套作业(二)(解析版,新课标)
