第4部分：閱讀理解(第31-45題，每題3分，共45分)

下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道題。請根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，為每題確定1個最佳選項(xiàng)。

第一篇 Operation Migration

If you look up at the sky in the early fall in the northern part of North America, you may see groups of birds. These birds are flying south to places where they can find food and warmth for the winter. They are migrating(遷徙). The young birds usually learn to migrate from their parents. They follow their parents south.In one unusual case, however, the young birds are following something very different. These birds are young whooping cranes, and they are following an airplane!

The whooping crane is the largest bird that is native to North America. These birds almost disappeared in the 1800s. By 1941, there were only about 20 cranes alive. In the 1970s, people were worried that these creatures were in danger of disappearing completely. As a result, the United States identified whooping cranes as an endangered species that they needed to protect.

Some researchers tried to help. They began to breed whooping cranes in special parks to increase the number of birds. This plan was successful. There were a lot of new baby birds. As the birds became older, the researchers wanted to return them to nature. However, there was a problem: These young birds did not know how to migrate. They needed human help.

In 2001, some people had a creative idea. They formed an organization called Operation Migration. This group decided to use very light airplanes, instead of birds, to lead the young whooping cranes on their first trip south. They painted each airplane to look like a whooping crane. Even the pilots wore special clothing to make them look like cranes. The cranes began to trust the airplanes, and the plan worked.

Today, planes still lead birds across approximately 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers), from the United States-Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. They leave the birds at different sites. If a trip is successful, the birds can travel on their own in the future. Then, when these birds become parents, they will teach their young to migrate. The people of Operation Migration think this is the only way to maintain the whooping crane population.

Operation Migration works with several other organizations and government institutes. Together, they assist hundreds of cranes each year. However, some experts predict that soon, this won’t be necessary. Thanks to Operation Migration and its partners, the crane population will continue to migrate. Hopefully, they won’t need human help any more.

31. Whopping cranes migrate in winter to .

A. raise baby whooping cranes.

B. get human help.

C. find warmth and food.

D. lay eggs.

32. Whopping cranes are native to .

A. Mexico.

B. South America.

C. the Persian Gulf

D. North America.

33. Operation Migration aims to .

A. lead young cranes on their first trip south.

B. teach adult cranes how to fly.

C. breed cranes in special parks.

D. transport cranes to the North.

34. The distance covered by the young whooping cranes on their trip south is .

A. 1,200 miles.

B. 120 miles

C. 1,931 miles

D. 2,000 miles

35. If Operation Migration is successful, whooping cranes will .

A. follow airplanes south every year.

B. learn to migrate on their own.

C. live in Canada all year round.

D. be unable to fly back.

參考答案：CDAAB

第二篇 "Lucky" Lord Lucan — Alive or Dead

On 8th November 1974 Lord Lucan, a British aristocrat(貴族), vanished. The day before, his children's nanny(保姆) had been brutally murdered and his wife had been attacked too. To this day the British public are still interested in the murder case because Lucan has never been found. Now, over 30 years later, the police have reopened the case, hoping that new DNA techniques will help solve this murder mystery.

People suspected that "Lucky", as he was called by friends, wanted to kill his wife he no longer lived with. They say that Lucan entered his old house and in the dark, killed the nanny by mistake. His estranged(分居的) wife heard noises, came downstairs and was also attacked, but managed to escape. Seven months after the murder, a jury concluded that Lucan had killed the nanny.

What happened next is unclear, but there are several theories which fall into one of three categories: he may have killed himself, he could have escaped or he might have been killed. It appears that the night after the murder, "Lucky" borrowed a car and drove it, Lucan's friend Aspinall said in an interview that he thought Lucan had committed suicide by sinking his boat in the English Channel.

Another version of events says that "Lucky" left the blood-soaked car on the coast and took a ferry to France. He was met there by someone who drove him to safety in another country. However, after a time, his rescuers became worried that they would become involved in the murder too and so Lucan was killed.

A further fascinating theory was made in the book Dead Lucky by Duncan MacLaughlin, a former detective. He believes that Lucan travelled to Goa, India, where he assumed the identity of a Mr.Barry Haplin. Lucan then lived in Goa till his death in 1996. In the end the claim turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. The man who died in 1996 was really Haplin, an ex-school teacher. So what is the truth about "Lucky"? DNA testing has solved many murder cases, but who knows if it can close the book on this one.

36.The British public are still interested in the murder case because .

A. the murderer was an aristocrat.

B. the murderer's DNA has been found.

C. the murderer was a famous man.

D. the murderer has not been caught

37. It was suspected that Lucan killed the nanny because .

A. she was cruel to his children.

B. she attacked his wife.

C. she stole his car

D. she was mistaken for his wife

38.Aspinall thought Lucan killed himself .

A.by sinking his boat

B.in a car accident

C.on the night 30 years after the murder

D.by jumping into the English Channel

39.According to the version in Paragraph 4,Lucan .

A.had escaped but was killed later.

B.was involved in a murder in France

C.was caught in another country.

D.met his partners on a ferry.

45.The word “assumed”in the last paragraph means .

A.disclosed.

B.set up.

C.took on.

D.changed.

參考答案：DDAAD

第三篇On the Trial of the Honey Badger

On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learn a lot more about honey badgers(獾). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers’ movements and behavior as discreetly(謹(jǐn)慎地) as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them.In view of the animal’s reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.

“The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,” he says. “That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture. If they sense you have food, for example, they won’t be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They’re actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious(兇惡的). Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.”

The research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal’s fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Preciously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey(獵物). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups. They were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialized with each other.

Following some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.

As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animal’s curiosity—or their sudden aggression. The badgers’ eating patterns, which had been disrupted, returned to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to adopt the badgers’ relaxed attitude when near humans.

41. Why did the wild life experts visit the Kalahari Desert?

A. To find where honey badgers live.

B. To catch some honey badgers for food.

C. To observe how honey badgers behave.

D. To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation.

42. What does Kitso Khama say about honey badgers?

A. They are always looking for food.

B. They do not enjoy human company.

C. They show interest in things they are not familiar with.

D. It is common for them to attack people.

43. What did the team find out about honey badgers?

A. There were some creatures they did not eat.

B. They were afraid of poisonous creatures.

C. Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.

D. They may get some of the water they needed from fruit.

44. Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?

A. They don’t run very quickly.

B. They defend their territory from other badgers.

C. They hunt over a very large area.

D. They are more aggressive than females.

45. What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around them?

A. They became less aggressive towards other creatures.

B. They lost interest in people.

C. They started eating more.

D. Other animals started working with them.

參考答案：CCCCD

（責(zé)任編輯：vstara）

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