题目内容
6.As shocking as the idea of baby birds growing up in a cigarette-filled home sounds,a new study suggests that some birds may benefit from putting the stuff from cigarette butts (烟蒂) into their nests.The nicotine remaining in smoked filters (滤嘴) may serve as a natural insecticide (杀虫剂),driving harmful insects away from the nests and the baby birds living within.Tobacco plants produce nicotine because it defends against insects that would otherwise eat the plants.The butts are undoubtedly smelly.But birds are actually quite fond of smelly chemicals,such as those found in aromatic (芳香的) plants.Some nest-building species regularly fill their nests with fresh aromatics,possibly because the chemicals are good for the immune system or the development of the chicks.Alternatively,the plant chemicals might act as insecticides.
In the study,researchers at the Autonomous University of Tlaxcala in Mexico set up heat traps,which attract harmful insects,in 55nests around Mexico City.Some traps were lined with the stuff in smoked cigarette filters.The others were lined with the stuff from unsmoked cigarette filters,which did not contain nicotine and other smoking by-products.Whether the nest held eggs,chicks or nothing,the unsmoked cigarette traps collected more harmful insects,suggesting that it is the chemicals that drove harmful insects away.
In a second experiment,the researchers collected 28house sparrow nests and 29house finch (朱雀) nests from Mexico City immediately after the chicks flew out for food.They found that the more smoked filter stuff filled a nest,the fewer harmful insects it had.
The missing piece of the puzzle is whether the reduced number of harmful insects in the nests actually provided any benefit to the chicks.It is also unclear if nicotine or another chemical found in cigarettes may have turned the harmful insects out of the nests.
If the results hold,then this study is an example of wildlife adaptation to urbanization-or at least evidence that birds are smart and can still follow their noses in urban environments.
63.What may be the function of nicotine in cigarette butts for birds?A
A.To provide building materials for bird nests.
B.To drive harmful insects away from bird nests.
C.To protect the plants from being eaten by insects.
D.To attract baby birds to stay in the nests.
64.What is the first experiment aimed at?D
A.Proving that heat traps attract harmful insects in Mexico City.
B.Comparing smoked cigarette filters with unsmoked ones.
C.Analyzing what is produced from smoked cigarette filters.
D.Studying what it is that drives harmful insects away.
65.What can you infer from the passage?C
A.Birds tend to use insecticide to protect the baby birds.
B.Nicotine is the only chemical that drives harmful insects away.
C.Some insects are afraid of smelly chemicals in aromatic plants.
D.Unsmoked cigarette traps attract more harmful insects.
66.Where could you possibly see the passage?A
A.In a science report
B.In an urbanization essay
C.In a tobacco advertisement
D.In an anti-smoking brochure.
分析 本文通过两个实验告诉我们,散发出芳香气味的植物中的有臭味的化学物质可以驱赶有害昆虫.
解答 63.A.考查细节理解.由第一段a new study suggests that some birds may benefit from putting the stuff from cigarette butts (烟蒂) into their nests.The nicotine remaining in smoked filters (滤嘴) may serve as a natural insecticide (杀虫剂可知,遗留在已抽过的滤嘴中的尼古丁可以充当杀虫剂,使有害的昆虫远离鸟儿们的巢穴.故选A.
64.D.考查推理判断.由第二段Alternatively,the plant chemicals might act as insecticides可知,第一个实验最终表明化学物质可以驱逐有害昆虫.由此可知第一个实验的目的应该是研究什么将有害昆虫驱赶走了.故选D.
65.C.考查推理判断.由第一二段可知,鸟儿们喜欢的有臭味的化学物质可以将有害昆虫赶走,可知一些昆虫是害怕这些化学物质的.故选C.
66.A.考查文章出处.本文通过两个实验告诉我们,散发出芳香气味的植物中的有臭味的化学物质可以驱赶有害昆虫,这显然是属于科学报道范畴的文章.故选A.
点评 关于科教类阅读中的一些专业词语或生词,考生要学会略过某些对阅读影响不大的词.如果必须要弄清它的意思,则可以根据词形进行判断,或者从该词在句子中的功用以及与其他词语之间的关系猜测生词的意思.也可根据上下文和其他词语的按时猜测生词的含义.
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