Question

In spring, you may have seen white foam(泡沫) on a green tree or other plants. As a matter of fact, the foam is where young spittlebugs(吹沫蟲(chóng)) live. These insects are protected by the foam, and they usually don’t do much harm to the plants.

As we all know, in late summer, a mother spittlebug lays her eggs on the plant. The babies will hatch(孵化) in spring. After they come to the new world, they begin to eat juice from the plant. The babies eat more juice than their bodies need for food. The extra juice mixes with a special waste that the spittlebugs produce. When this fluid(液體) is released, it mixes with the air, forming bubbly foam.

What is so great about having a foam home? The space inside is so wet that it can keep the bugs’ soft bodies from drying out. And the foam tastes bad, so it keeps away most animals that would eat the bugs. Some birds will reach their heads through the foam to find the bugs. Wasps and ants might eat them, too. But most of the bugs stay safe inside the foam.

Once the bugs have grown into adults, they stop making foam. They leave their homes and jump from plant to plant in search of food. The adults look a little like tiny frogs. For this reason they are also called froghoppers.

If you see some foam on a plant, you might want to take a careful look inside. Gently push some of the foam aside with a small stick. Deep inside you may see a few insects eating plant juice. They might also be making more foam. Be sure to push the foam back after a moment to cover the insects and keep them safe. Soon the spittlebugs will grow up and leave their foam home. They will join the other insects in the grassland.

1.The eggs of spittlebugs_____.

A. are laid in late spring

B. have to pull through a winter before they hatch

C. are protected by mother spittlebugs all the time

D. will be eaten by ants

2.According to the passage, the white foam_____.

A. does much harm to the plant

B. protects the plant from being harmed

C. is where a mother spittlebug is living

D. is plant juice mixed with spittlebugs’ waste and the air

3.Which of the following is a function of a foam home?

A. Protecting the bugs from being eaten.

B. Helping the bugs find food.

C. Providing enough drinking water for the bugs.

D. Keeping the plant from drying out.

4.After the spittlebugs grow into adults, they______.

A. continue to make foam

B. take on a different look

C. begin to eat tiny frogs

D. begin to do harm to plants

Answer 1

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.B

【解析】

試題解析：本文講述了寄居在泡沫上的吹沫蟲(chóng)是如何形成的和長(zhǎng)大后的它們，以及泡沫對(duì)那些臭蟲(chóng)的保護(hù)作用。

1. we all know, in late summer, a mother spittlebug lays her eggs on the plant. The babies will hatch(孵化) in spring.”在夏末，吹沫蟲(chóng)的媽媽就會(huì)在植物上產(chǎn)卵，然后到冬天，這些卵就會(huì)孵化成小吹沫蟲(chóng)。由此可知，吹沫蟲(chóng)的卵在孵化前要渡過(guò)一個(gè)冬天。故選B。

2. extra juice mixes with a special waste that the spittlebugs produce. When this fluid(液體) is released, it mixes with the air, forming bubbly foam.”露珠與吹沫蟲(chóng)產(chǎn)生的廢物混合起來(lái)，然后當(dāng)這些液體釋放出來(lái)時(shí)，它又會(huì)與空氣中的水蒸氣結(jié)合，因此形成了泡沫。因此可知，泡沫是由吹沫蟲(chóng)產(chǎn)生的廢物和空氣中的水蒸氣混合形成的。故選D。

3. the foam tastes bad, so it keeps away most animals that would eat the bugs.”泡沫嘗起來(lái)很不好，所以這就可以防范其它的動(dòng)物去吃這些臭蟲(chóng)。因此可知，泡沫的一個(gè)功能之一就是保護(hù)臭蟲(chóng)被吃掉。故選A。

4. adults look a little like tiny frogs.”長(zhǎng)大的吹沫蟲(chóng)看起來(lái)就像小的青蛙。因此可知在外表上，吹沫蟲(chóng)長(zhǎng)大后和幼小時(shí)是有點(diǎn)不一樣的。故選B。

考點(diǎn)：考查社科類短文。