When you travel in South America, you’d better pay attention to the following three kinds of dangerous South American animals.

Piranhas（水虎鱼）

Although only a small number of piranhas are considered to be dangerous to humans, the red-bellied piranha is definitely one of those. Evidence has shown that a large group of piranhas can absolutely eat a herd of large animals crossing the river, leaving only bones. This fish lives in the freshwater streams of South America, and they can smell the blood from far away and launch attacks swiftly. It is said that they are only dangerous to humans if the water volumes are less and lower.

Anacondas（水蟒）

This South American monster of a creature often appears in the films or your nightmares！They have weighed over 230 kilograms. It is often considered to be the biggest snake in the world. You certainly don’t want to get caught alone with this snake due to its method of attacking and killing its victim. It is indeed a remarkably different brand of snake type as it regularly coils（缠绕）around all over its target, increasing the pressure until eventually its victim dies. Its jaws are powered by large muscles that produce enough power for its over 100 sharp teeth to pass through the thick skin of an crocodile. They don’t have poison. Sometimes they prefer to camouflage themselves so they look like their surroundings and swiftly draw back when humans are near.

Golden Poisonous Frogs

The golden poison frog might be the most-deadly of the South American animal, which is protected by means of poison. This very small frog, less than 55 mm in length, packs enough punch（效力）to take down a pair of African bull elephants. This apparently harmless frog has always been known to have killed people who have touched it directly. It’s also been noted that chicken and dogs have died by contacting things on which a golden poison frog had wandered! In intense colors, they normally look attractive to their targets.

1.What can we learn about piranhas from the passage?

A. Piranhas are the most dangerous animals.    

B. Piranhas like to live in the deep seabed.

C. Piranhas may attack human beings when the water level is low.

D. Piranhas only attack human beings when they cross the river in groups.

2.How does an anaconda kill its victim according to the passage?

A. It often uses its poison to kill its victim.

B. It often uses its strength to kill its victim.

C. It kills its victim mainly using its powerful teeth.

D. It kills its victim with the help of other snakes.

3.The underlined word “camouflage” in Paragraph 3 means “________”.

A. hide itself by appearing like the surroundings

B. terrify and capture the enemy by making much noise

C. move around to search for delicious food

D. give off harmful gas to kill the targets

4.Chicken and dogs are mentioned in Paragraph 4 to show that ________.

A. no animals can survive the poison of the golden poison frog

B. they like to wander along the path of the golden poison frog

C. the golden poison frog likes eating them most      

D. the poison of the golden poison frog is deadly

   Ah, the time in life when one has to leave home. No one seems to have as hard a time with it as Pepito. Pepito is a little bird who needs to leave the nest, but the problems is, he’s afraid of heights. This makes flying away a bit of a problem, so like most people (or birds in this case) he avoids it, when he finds himself in a new situation, someone happens to give him some advice. A fox suggests he run to where he’s going (I got nervous when he came across a fox, but fortunately the food chain doesn’t apply here), a frog tells him to hop, a gopher to burrow(地洞). After his various attempts not to fly, he makes it to his brothers’ and sister’s new tree, and realizes that what he’s done is much harder than actually trying to fly. It’s a charming story with a good message―often facing up to our fears is much easier than running from them.

       The Stray Dog   By Marc Simont, HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-028933-3, $15.95

As someone who has taken in his share of stray animals, I can totally relate to the family in The Stray Dog. While picnicking one day, they befriend a dog that wanders by. Everyone immediately falls in love, but they leave him behind, figuring he belongs to someone else. But as the week goes by, none of them can get the dog, which they’ve named Willy, off their mind. So naturally the next Saturday they go back to that same place to see if Willy’s still there. They find that not only does he not have an owner, but they’ve arrived just in time to prevent a catastrophe. Kids who love animals will definitely get caught up in the action, and even those who don’t will appreciate the quick thinking children who save the day.

45.Who are these two books written for?

A. One for children and the other for parents.               B. They are both for parents.

C. They are both for children.                                     D. They are for people who have pets.

46.The underlined sentence “but fortunately the food chain doesn’t apply here” means that   .

A. the fox has enough to eat                                      B. Pepito has enough to eat

C. the fox doesn’t intend to eat Pepito                     C. I am too full to eat anything

47.The underlined expression “get caught up” most probably   .

A. get completely interested in                B. get wholly included in

C. get disappointed in                            D. get surprised in

48.Which of the following statements in NOT true according to the text?

   A. Pepito the Brave is a storybook about a bird named Pepito.

   B. Pepito turns to brothers and sisters because a gopher is trying to catch him.

C.      In The Stray Dog there are some quick thinking children.

D.     Willy is the name of the stray dog that has to wander about.