Question

【题目】 Sometimes we throw apple remains into forests, hoping small animals around may find them. But what if they are never noticed? People believe they would rot (腐烂) one day. So it doesn’t matter. Is that true?

Sure they will. But it won’t happen overnight.

Marjorie Woodruff, works in the Grand Canyon, set up a small experiment. She put a banana peel (皮), orange peels in a box, wide enough to allow small animals to go in and out. After six months, the orange peels had dried out, the banana had turned black. Nothing had been eaten or had rotted.

She buried the same things in sand and soil and six months later everything could still be seen.

In fact, it takes two months for apple remains to rot and an orange peel can take up to one year.

“Do we eat orange peels? We do not. So why would a squirrel (松鼠) eat?” Woodruff writes in High Country News, “The animals do just fine on nuts and berries. They do not need us.”

There’s another point to think about.

When animals start to get food from people, they may stop looking for their own food in nature. This is dangerous because it may weaken their hunting ability. Besides, they need different food.

Food waste also attracts animals to areas where there are a lot of people, says the Leave No Trace organization. This may put their life in danger as they may get used to looking for food alongside busy roads. Many of them are too small to be noticed by drivers.

When you’re throwing fruit remains, you may be fined (罚款). Fines are different. Some states might only fine people $100, but a few states fine people more than $6,000 for a first time.

【1】Where does Marjorie Woodruff work?

【2】How long does it take for apple remains to rot?

【3】Which animal is mentioned?

【4】How much might you be fined at least if you throw fruit remains?

【5】Why can’t we give food waste to animals?

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】In the Grand Canyon

【2】Two months

【3】Squirrel

【4】100 dollars

【5】Because different animals need different food and it will weaken their hunting ability.

【解析】

本篇文章难度适中，主要讲述马乔里伍德拉夫用香蕉皮和橘子皮做一个试验，说明他们不易腐烂，且全文说明动物有他们自己想要吃的食物，扔一些人们不吃的东西给动物吃，这不是一个好的做法。最后讲述每个地方针对乱丢垃圾的处罚钱数目不一样。

【1】细节理解题。根据Marjorie Woodruff, works in the Grand Canyon可知，马乔里伍德拉夫在科罗拉多大峡谷工作，故填In the Grand Canyon。

【2】细节理解题。根据In fact, it takes two months for apple remains to rot可知，苹果皮腐烂需要两个月，故填Two months。

【3】细节理解题。根据So why would a squirrel (松鼠) eat“为什么松鼠会吃呢？”可知，文中提到了松鼠，故填Squirrel。

【4】细节理解题。根据Some states might only fine people $100, but a few states fine people more than $6,000 for a first time“一些州可能仅仅罚人们100美元，但是一些州第一次会罚人们多达6000美元”可知，至少罚100美元，故填100 dollars。

【5】细节理解题。根据“Do we eat orange peels? We do not. So why would a squirrel (松鼠) eat?” Woodruff writes in High Country News, “The animals do just fine on nuts and berries. They do not need us.”“我们吃橘子皮吗？我们不吃，所以为什么松鼠要吃？这个动物仅仅吃坚果和浆果，他们不需要我们”以及When animals start to get food from people, they may stop looking for their own food in nature. This is dangerous because it may weaken their hunting ability. Besides, they need different food“当动物开始从人么这里得到食物时，他们可能会停止自己寻找食物，这个是危险的，因为这个可能会削弱他们的打猎能力，除此之外，他们需要不同的食物”可知，不同的动物需要不同的食物，并且这样会削弱他们的打猎的能力，故填Because different animals need different food and it will weaken their hunting ability。