Question

【题目】

In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. In another place or time, the death of single crop species (物种) might not have been so important. But in Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost solely on the patato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine(饥荒). Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again, but on a much wider scale.

Over the centuries, farmers have discovered thousands of different species of food crops. Each species has special qualities. Some can be grown in very hot or cold climates. Others are not affected by certain diseases. However, you won’t find many of these species in your local supermarket. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only species of plants and farming only species of animals that are easy to produce in large numbers.

For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice: now fewer than 100 are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties grown just a century ago have disappeared. Scientists believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world’s food varieties to disappear.

One solution to this problem is to collect and store the seeds (种子) as many different plant varieties as we can before they disappear. The idea was first suggested by Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov. In the 1920s and 1930s, he collected around 400,000 seeds from five contients. More recently, others are continuing the work he began.

In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to protect historic plant varieties, like the seeds her great –grandfather brought to the U.S. from Germany more than a hundred years ago. She and her husband started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds.

More importantly, the people at Heritage Farm don’t just store the seeds; they plant them. By doing this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace that haven’t been grown for years. These food species are not just special in terms of appearance or taste. They also offer farmers food solutions for the future, from the past.

【1】What is this passage mainly about?

A. The need to protect different food species.

B. How to increase the number of food species.

C. The fact that many food species are dying out.

D. How to prevent food species from disappearing.

【2】Why are some scientists worried that such a famine could happen again?

A. Because people depend on certain species of food crops.

B. Because the same deadly disease may attack crops again.

C. Because the world’s population is larger than that in 1845.

D. Because farmers grow the same potatoes as those in the past.

【3】The following sentence would best be placed at the end of _______________.Meanwhile, thousands of other species are dying out.

A. Paragraph 1B. Paragraph 2C. Paragraph 3D. Paragraph 4

【4】What can we learn from the passage?

A. The disease spread very quickly and killed thousands of people in Ireland.

B. Around 80 percent of the rice varieties in the Philippines have disappeared.

C. People have been storing seeds to save plane varieties for less than 100 years.

D. Heritage Farm is the first place in the U.S. for people to store and trade seeds.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】B

【4】A

【解析】

本文介绍了如何防止食物种类的消失。文章介绍了一个物种的死亡可能会导致一场可怕的饥荒（爱尔兰农场的块茎马铃薯植株的灭绝）。文章提到几个世纪以来，农民们发现了数千种不同种类的粮食作物。但是在过去的一个世纪里，世界上一半以上的食物品种已经消失。解决这个问题的一个办法是尽可能多地收集和储存种子，以免它们消失。基于此美国爱荷华州，的黛安·奥特·惠利（DianeOtt-Whealy）和丈夫创办了一个名为传统农场的地方，人们可以在那里储存和交易种子。这样就会防止食物种类的消失了。

【1】主旨大意题。根据Scientists believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world’s food varieties to disappear. 科学家相信，在过去的一个世纪里，我们已经让世界上一半以上的食物品种消失。以及句子One solution to this problem is to collect and store the seeds (种子) as many different plant varieties as we can before they disappear. 解决这个问题的一个办法是尽可能多地收集和储存种子（种子），以免它们消失。可以推知这篇文章主要讲如何防止食物种类的消失。故选D。

【2】细节理解题。根据most farmers today are growing only species of plants and farming only species of animals that are easy to produce in large numbers. 今天的大多数农民只种植植物品种，只养殖易于大量繁殖的动物品种。可知，科学家担心这样的饥荒会再次发生是因为人们依赖某些种类的粮食作物。故选A。

【3】细节理解题。根据第三段的举例：For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice: now fewer than 100 are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties grown just a century ago have disappeared. Scientists believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world’s food varieties to disappear. 例如，在菲律宾，曾经有数千种水稻品种：现在在那里种植的水稻不到100种。在中国，一个世纪前种植的小麦品种中有90%已经消失。科学家相信，在过去的一个世纪里，我们已经让世界上一半以上的食物品种消失。可知，这一段是对上文的解释，就是为了证明：与此同时，成千上万的其他物种正在灭绝。因此句子Meanwhile, thousands of other species are dying out.放在第二段的最后较好。这样衔接连贯。故选B。

【4】推理判断题。根据In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. 1845年，一种致命的疾病袭击了爱尔兰的农场，杀死了所有的块茎马铃薯植株。可知，这是一个物种的死亡导致了一场可怕的饥荒，可能会给爱尔兰造成数千人的死亡。所以A正确。根据For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice: now fewer than 100 are grown there. 例如，在菲律宾，曾经有数千种水稻品种：现在在那里种植的水稻不到100种。可知，菲律宾大约80%的水稻品种已经消失。是不对的，应该远大于80%。所以B不对。根据In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to protect historic plant varieties, like the seeds her great –grandfather brought to the U.S. from Germany more than a hundred years ago. 在美国爱荷华州，黛安·奥特·惠利（Diane Ott-Whealy）希望保护历史悠久的植物品种，比如她曾祖父100多年前从德国带到美国的种子。可知，储存种子的时间大于100年。所以选项C不对。根据She and her husband started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds. 她和丈夫创办了一个名为传统农场的地方，人们可以在那里储存和交易种子。可知，在美国，传统农场是人们储存和交易种子的地方。是不是第一个，短文没有提及。故选项D是不正确的。故选A。

用细节定位法来做细节理解题。

细节理解题属直接解答性问题，是阅读理解题中最简单的一种，多数属中低难度的送分题。但由于中考所占的比例很大，应特别引起注意。

事实和细节题的命题特点是：把某词语、某个句子或某具体事实用不同于原文的另一方式或句型表达，即同义改写。解答这类题的窍门是：A)注意掌握英语的多种表达法；B）正确分析词语在句中的作用；C）熟练运用英语的句型转换；D）读懂题干所提出的问题，并准确地找到文中涉及该问题的句子。

做细节题具体方法与步骤如下：

略读材料,大概了解原文，掌握中心或主旨。

按文章的体裁，作者写作的组织模式及有关的信息词，如for example，first，second…等预测应该到何处寻找自己所需要的事实。

将自己精力放在寻找你所需要的细节上，快速通篇跳读，眼睛自左至右，自上而下呈Z形扫视，直到找到细节出处，待找到含细节句子时，放慢速度，仔细核对比较内容，直至找到答案。