题目内容
In the Pacific Northwest there is a kind of owl (猫头鹰) that serves as a unique piece to the Northwest habitat (栖息地) — the northern spotted owl.
Northern spotted owls are known to be curious. When seeing you, these owls will come down close and check you out.
The northern spotted owl has been a savior of old-growth forests. Old-growth forests are forests that have been around for a long time without significant disturbances. One way the spotted owl has become a protector of old-growth forests is simply by being there. The northern spotted owl has become endangered, and so to protect them from dying out, the government has to protect their habitat. So now any destruction of old-growth forests is illegal. Another way the owls help their habitat is by eating small animals. This helps create a balance in the forest.
So, if the northern spotted owl is in a habitat that is protected by laws, why are they still endangered?
Unfortunately, a cousin of the northern spotted owl has moved into its neighborhood. The bigger, more aggressive “barred owl” has grown in population and due to loss of the forests they lived in on the East Coast of the United States, they have begun to move to the west coast.
These owls are taking the food source and pushing northern spotted owls out of their own home. Although the barred owl is able to live in different habitats, the northern spotted owl can only live in old-growth forests.
Many government officials have been at a loss to find an answer to the difficult question, “What do we do with the non-native barred owls?” Some methods include shooting them. It is a difficult problem to deal with. Can you think of any possible solutions?
1.The northern spotted owl ________.
A. is particular about its food
B. has difficulty adapting to a new habitat
C. seems dangerous and aggressive
D. is a common bird in the USA
2.Old-growth forests seem to ________.
A. become less safe for the owls
B. benefit from northern spotted owls
C. be in danger of dying out
D. regrow at a fast speed
3.Northern spotted owls are in danger mainly because of ________.
A. illegal hunting
B. the destruction of the forests
C. another kind of owl
D. environmental pollution
4.The methods being used to help northern spotted owls are ________.
A. creativeB. far-sightedC. unbearableD. ineffective
