Question

As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller. Joseph Craine, research assistant professor in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University, examined how climate change during the next 50 years will affect grazing（放牧）animals such as bison and cattle in the Great Plains.

“Bison are one of our most important conservation animals and hold a unique role in grasslands in North America,” Craine said. “In addition to their cultural and ecological significance, they’re economically important. There are about half a million bison in the world.” Craine analyzed a data set of 290,000 weights, ages and sexes collected from 22 bison herds（獸群）throughout the U. S. The organizations kept annual records of each animal in the herd and matched the data with the climates of the sites.

Based on differences in sizes of bison across herds, Craine found that during the next 50 years, future generations of bison will be smaller in size and weigh less. Climate is likely to reduce the nutritional quality of grasses, causing the animals to grow more slowly.

“We know that temperatures are going to go up,” Craine said. “We also know that warmer grasslands have grasses with less protein（蛋白質(zhì)）, and we now know that warmer grasslands have smaller grazers. It all lines up to suggest that climate change will cause grasses to have less protein and cause grazers to gain less weight in the future.”

Craine said the results of climate change in coming decades can already be seen by comparing bison in cooler, wetter places with those in warmer, drier places. For example, the average 7-year-old male bison in South Dakota weighed 1, 900 pounds, while an average 7- year-old male bison in Oklahoma — a warmer place — weighed 1, 300 pounds.

“The difference in temperature between those two states is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about three times the projected increase in temperatures over the next 75 years,” Craine said. “It is a clear indicator that long-term warming will affect bison and is something that will happen across the U.S. over the next 50-75 years.”

1.In the next fifty years, researchers Say, bison will ________.

A. become smaller and lighter

B. disappear in the Great Plains

C. play a less important part

D. adapt to different climate changes

2.The underlined word “grazers” probably refers to ________.

A. the researchers B. the grasses

C. the bison D. the protein

3.What is the main reason for the bison to become smaller?

A. The deceasing amount of grass.

B. The rising temperature.

C. The rising number of bison.

D. The loss of weight.

4.Paragraph 5 is written as an example to show ________.

A. Craine’s prediction will come true in 50 years

B. bison are smaller than in the past

C. the nature balance is being destroyed

D. bison’s size is linked with different climate

Answer 1

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】

試題分析：這是一篇說明文。北美野牛的大小、體重與溫度有關(guān)。隨著溫度的升高北美野牛會變的更小、更輕。

1.1】A細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段第一句Craine found that during the next 50 years, future generations of bison will be smaller in size and weigh less. Craine發(fā)現(xiàn)在接下來的50年里，野牛的后代將更小、更輕。故選A

2.2】C詞義猜測題。根據(jù)第四段最后兩句we now know that warmer grasslands have smaller grazers. It all lines up to suggest that climate change will cause grasses to have less protein and cause grazers to gain less weight in the future. 我們現(xiàn)在知道，溫暖的草原有較小的食草動物。所有的線表明，氣候變化將導(dǎo)致草有較少的蛋白質(zhì)和導(dǎo)致食草動物在未來獲得更少的重量。根據(jù)文章第一句As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller.隨著溫度升高，北美野牛變得更小。前后聯(lián)系得知C項正確。

3.3】B細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第一句As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller.隨著溫度升高，北美野牛變得更小。故選B

4.4】D推理判斷題。根據(jù)第五段For example, the average 7-year-old male bison in South Dakota weighed 1, 900 pounds, while an average 7- year-old male bison in Oklahoma — a warmer place — weighed 1, 300 pounds.例如，在南達(dá)科他州的平均7歲的雄性野牛重達(dá)1,900磅，而在俄克拉何馬州的平均7歲的雄性野牛——一個溫暖的地區(qū)，重達(dá)1,300磅。因為氣候變暖，草有較少的蛋白質(zhì)，引起北美野牛體重變輕、形狀變小。第五段舉此例就是為了說明北美野牛的大小與不同的氣候有關(guān)系。所以選D

考點：考查說明文閱讀。