Question

【题目】Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo farts contain no methane (甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas.

While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide，livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries.

"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep，" said Athol Klieve，a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.

"And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base，they're actually up around 50 percent," he said.

Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria，before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.

Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

The idea is controversial (争议)，but about 20 percent of health conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already.

"It's low in fat，it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal (散养动物)，" said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.

【1】 According to the passage, global warming is now mainly caused by ______.

A. methane B. carbon dioxide

C. livestock passing wind D. not mention in this passage

【2】 What does the underlined phrase "the idea" (Paragraph 9)refer to?

A. Australians should give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep.

B. The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient.

C. Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

D. The bacteria could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

【3】How will Australian scientists solve the problem of global warming?

A. Eating more kangaroos.

B. Killing more cattle and sheep.

C. Letting cattle and sheep pass less wind.

D. Transferring the special bacteria in kangaroos' stomachs to cattle and sheep.

Answer 1

【答案】【1】 D

【2】 C

【3】 A

【解析】【1】细节理解题。A、B、C三项均是导致全球变暖的原因，但文中并没有提到哪一个是主要原因，选项D文中没有提到。

【2】词义猜测题。从上文“另一组科学家建议澳大利亚人应少养牛羊，多吃袋鼠肉”及下文“尽管这一观点有争议，但目前约有20%健康意识较强的澳大利亚人已经吃上了被视为”国家象征“的袋鼠”可知，这一观点指的是上文“澳大利亚人应少养牛羊，多吃袋鼠肉”。

【3】推理判断题。从文章第一、二段“为了减少导致全球变暖的温室气体的排放，澳大利亚科学家目前正在想办法将牛羊的胃变成袋鼠式的胃。袋鼠胃中有一种特殊的细菌能 使其放的屁中不含有甲烷。科学家想将这种细菌移至牛羊的胃中，以抑制它们所排放的大量有害气体”推断得知。