题目内容
| Many species are already in peril of _____ (绝种)because of our destruction of their natural habitat. |
| extinction |
In the eyes of dog lovers, the dog is man’s best friend. But for much wildlife, loose dogs may be a dangerous enemy, according to a study by a biologist from Utah State University in the US.
Based on much existing research and their own case studies, Julie Smith of Utah State University and four other scientists conclude that loose dogs may represent a huge danger to wildlife, especially endangered species, by hunting down or worrying them and by spreading diseases. They also found that dogs, their worldwide numbers around 500 million, can cause more damage to wildlife and livestock(牲畜) than wolves and other enemies of these animals.
Smith gave examples from the US state of Idaho, where research showed the presence of dogs reducing some deer populations. On the Navajo American Indians’ reservation in northeastern Arizona, packs of loose dogs are attacking livestock. They have killed populations of small animals such as rabbits and act as a disease carrier for rabies(狂犬病) among people and other animals, she said. Loose dogs also were to blame for distemper(温热病) outbreak leading to a die-off of endangered black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming in the 1980s.
The phenomenon is not just limited to US; it’s a global problem. Julie Smith once studied three endangered species in central Asia: wild sheep, gazelles and antelope. The rate of injury and death to these animals by loose dogs was very high. In another case, Smith found that dogs, not wolves, as originally suspected, were responsible for a large number of livestock killings in the mountainous Basque country between Spain and France.
Authors of the new study said the problem is likely to worsen as communities expand. Then how to deal with it?
Indeed, in many countries, leash(拴狗的皮带) laws permit punishment of dog owners whose pets attack wildlife. But lawbreakers are rarely punished because the police lack both people and money.
Smith has low-cost solutions to the problem for dog lovers, though. They include public dog-training programs and vaccinating (预防接种) dogs against rabies and other illnesses.
1.Julie Smith’s study mainly tells us that _______.
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A．many species are endangered because they are killed by loose dogs. |
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B．wild dogs are immune to many diseases. |
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C．wolves are still the greatest enemy of livestock. |
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D．loose dogs are a great danger to wildlife. |
2.Which of the following statements about loose dogs is TRUE according to the research?
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A．There are around 500 million loose dogs around the world. |
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B．The black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming were once the main food source of local loose dogs. |
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C．The problem caused by loose dogs is the most serious in the US. |
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D．People used to think that wolves, rather than loose dogs killed livestock in the Basque country. |
3.Which of the following is among Julie Smith’s solutions to the trouble caused by loose dogs?
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A．More strict leash laws |
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B．Public dog-training programs. |
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C．Vaccinating people against rabies and other illnesses. |
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D．More support from the police. |
4.What is the main point of the article?
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A．A global disaster caused by loose dogs. |
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B．What makes the dog man’s greatest friend. |
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C．The problem of loose dogs and the possible solutions. |
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D．The danger of the increasing numbers of dogs. |
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in the range of, be accessible to, drown, be replaced with, leave us breathless, have a tendency, in preparation for, be keen on, in an instant, die away, die out, feel refreshed, all things considered |
1.Generally speaking. new things __________________ young people.
2.Many species are ________________ due to climate changes and human activities.
3.The old computers in our school _______________ new laptops months ago.
4.She _______________ after her sleep and continued to work.
5.Many houses ________________ by the flood.
6.The beautiful scenery of the sea ___________________. It was really unbelievable.
7.It is difficult to find a house _________________ our price.
8.A growing number of students are taking the driving course _____________ future careers.
9.Alice _______________ working in Spain. That’s why she has been learning Spanish.
10.______________________, Tom is the most suitable person for the position.
Prince Charles yesterday promised to reduce the royal impact on the environment through sweeping changes to his personal lifestyle and official schedule. The prince will replace carbon-heavy private jets and helicopters with scheduled flights and train services.
The move came as Prince Charles urged business leaders to publish the environmental pact(条款、协议) of their activities.
He said, “Few accountants and business decision-makers ask, ‘How much of our critical natural resource is left? How many miles of polar ice cap has our business helped melt this year? By how many inches have we raised sea levels? How many species have we put at risk? How many homes will be flooded, how many people will die of thirst or starvation because of our activities? ’ These are not comfortable questions, but, by God, they need to be asked.”
He added, “At the moment these costs do not appear in anyone’s books… Yet they are real, they are incurred now and in a relatively short time, the damage being caused may be beyond remedy.” He said the world was “running up the biggest global credit card debt in history, but with little or no thought for how the bill will ever be paid”.
Flanked by the prime minister and business and community leaders at St James’ Palace, the prince said his new “accounting for sustainability” project would give consumers the power to choose products that caused less damage to the planet.
Duchy Originals, the prince’s food company, is taking steps to work out how much carbon dioxide and other green-house gas are emitted in growing, processing and distributing its products. The changes to the prince’s travel arrangements announced yesterday are part of a wider review of the carbon footprint associated with activities at all three of his residences. Clarence House in London, Highgrove and Birkhall on the Balmorals estate, as well as the activities of his 21 personal and 105 full-time staff. Measures include a review of electricity use, commuter and other staff travel and are intended to identify further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. The review will report in June , when Clarence House will announce annual targets to reduce carbon emission.
1.How does Prince Charles feel about business leaders in terms of environmental protection?
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A．Dissatisfied. |
B．Disappointed. |
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C．Doubtful. |
D．Impatient. |
2.In response to Prince Charles’ calls, Duchy Originals will ______.
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A．make as much green food as possible |
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B．cut down its cost |
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C．figure out its greenhouse gas emission |
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D．continue its greenhouse gas emission |
3.The underlined phrase in paragraph 4 probably refers to ______.
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A．the great amount of waste produced by industry |
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B．the high cost of industry in their producing process |
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C．the great amount of debts of the royal family |
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D．the great damage caused to the environment |
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
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A．Prince Charles promised Greener Royal Lifestyle |
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B．Better Late than Never |
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C．Prince Charles and His Concern for Environment |
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D．The Royal Family Has a Role to Play in Environment Protection |
本文介绍了美国著名的生物学家Edward Wilson 的著作The Future of Life中的一些有关如何开发、利用和保护自然资源的情况。
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book.
1. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
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A．the environment for plants |
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B．the biodiversity of our earth |
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C．the wastes of natural resources |
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D．the importance of human values |
2.How many species are most important to our present food supply?
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A．Twenty. |
B．Eighty. |
C．One hundred |
D．Ten thousand. |
3.Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
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A．learn how to farm scientifically |
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B．build homes for some dying species |
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C．make it clear what to eat |
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D．use more species for food |
4. We can infer that the text is _______
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A．a description of natural resources |
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B．a research report |
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C．a book review |
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D．an introduction to a scientist. |