Animals are considered to be endangered if the species is close to extinction throughout all or most of its environment. Animals become endangered for a variety of reasons.
Some animals become endangered when their habitats contain resources for humans. For example, commercial forest cutting in the Amazon Rainforest has seriously reduced the population of many animal species and lead to the extinction of other groups. Land itself is an important resource to humans since it provides us with living space, and when people replace animal habitats with human habitats, it can lead to larger loss of natural species.
Commercial and industrial operations may reduce land or water for animals and pollute their environment. Due to water pollution, the baiji, a fresh water dolphin native to China, was declared extinct, meaning it’s unlikely the population can recover. Even noise pollution from human activities can lead to the disorder of animal behavior.
Another cause that makes animals become endangered is over-fishing or over-hunting. Over-hunting whales led to near extinction of many species of whales.
The introduction of a non-native species to a habitat may make animals become endangered. The native species may not defend against a new one, and the effects can be dangerous. In Australia, the introduction of the common house cat led to the extinction of the red-fronted parakeet and has seriously damaged the populations of several small animals.
Introduced species can also bring new diseases with them. As a result, animals become endangered. Native animals may not have the power to fight against non-native diseases, and population levels can suffer. Another cause of disease is human-introduced chemicals. The use of DDT is believed to be one of the leading causes in driving the California Condor to near extinction.
When animals become endangered, the entire food chain can be affected. For example, in 2008 disease seriously harmed the honeybee, which is largely responsible for pollinating(授花粉)  plants, including many fruits and vegetables. Without their pollination, a very large part of the human diet could be reduced. In fact, if the honeybee should become extinct, our life would be affected and billions of dollars would be lost. Therefore, many people argue that when animals become endangered it is in man’s own self-interest to protect them.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about ______.

A.ways of protecting animals’ habitats
B.effects caused by species endangerment
C.dangers of bringing in non-native species
D.reasons why animals become endangered
【小題2】Which of the following examples shows that environmental pollution may cause species endangerment?
A.The extinction of the whales.
B.The extinction of the red-fronted parakeet.
C.The decreasing population of the dolphin.
D.The effect of the honeybee on the human diet.
【小題3】Why is it dangerous to introduce a non-native species to a habitat?
A.Native species are likely to die from the new diseases.
B.It’s hard for non-native species to survive.
C.Non-native species will take up more space.
D.Native species are so powerful for non-native species.
【小題4】The California Condor is in danger of dying out because of ______.
A.loss of habitat B.harmful chemicals
C.forest cutting D.unfamiliar diseases
【小題5】We can infer from the last paragraph that ______.
A.humans are to blame for species extinction
B.small animals mean little to the whole food chain
C.protection of the honeybee has cost billions of dollars
D.humans protect animals for the benefit of themselves


【小題1】D
【小題2】C
【小題3】A
【小題4】B
【小題5】D

解析試題分析:現(xiàn)在很多動物瀕臨滅絕,文章通過舉例說明動物滅絕的種種原因,有可能是環(huán)境污染,也有可能是引進(jìn)外來的物種,還有化學(xué)物質(zhì)的使用,人類應(yīng)該負(fù)起責(zé)任保護(hù)這些動物。
【小題1】主旨題:從文章第一段的句子:Animals are considered to be endangered if the species is close to extinction throughout all or most of its environment. Animals become endangered for a variety of reasons.可知這篇文章講的是動物滅絕的原因。選D
【小題2】細(xì)節(jié)題:從三段的句子:Commercial and industrial operations may reduce land or water for animals and pollute their environment. Due to water pollution, the baiji, a fresh water dolphin native to China, was declared extinct, meaning it’s unlikely the population can recover.可知用海豚數(shù)量減少的例子說明環(huán)境污染會導(dǎo)致物種的滅絕,選C
【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)題:從第五段的句子:The introduction of a non-native species to a habitat may make animals become endangered. The native species may not defend against a new one, and the effects can be dangerous.可知引進(jìn)非本地的物種對當(dāng)?shù)氐奈锓N是危險的因?yàn)楫?dāng)?shù)氐奈锓N可能死于新的疾病,選A
【小題4】細(xì)節(jié)題:從第六段的句子:Another cause of disease is human-introduced chemicals. The use of DDT is believed to be one of the leading causes in driving the California Condor to near extinction.可知The California Condor瀕臨滅絕主要是因?yàn)橛泻Φ幕瘜W(xué)物質(zhì),選 B
【小題5】推理題:從最后一段的句子:Therefore, many people argue that when animals become endangered it is in man’s own self-interest to protect them.可知人類應(yīng)該為物種的滅絕負(fù)責(zé)。選D
考點(diǎn):考查環(huán)保類短文

練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.
【小題1】Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?

A.Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream.
B.Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones.
C.People can only remember unpleasant dreams.
D.More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams.
【小題2】According to the tests in the 1980s, dreaming takes place­­______.
A.between each 90-minute cycle
B.a(chǎn)t any time during 90-minute cycles
C.during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles
D.in the last stage of 90-minute cycles
【小題3】People woken during REM sleep can______.
A.hardly remember their dreams
B.easily remember their dreams
C.only remember their dreams
D.partly remember their thinking activity
【小題4】"Insomniacs" are persons who______.
A.can always remember their dreams
B.have trouble getting into sleep at night
C.experience rapid eye movement
D.usually wake after each 90-minute sleep period

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

(2013·高考北京卷,D)People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once,a new research suggests.The findings,based on performances and self­evaluations by about 275 college students,indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity,but because they are easily distracted (分心) and can’t focus on one activity.And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,”said David Sanbonmatsu,a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked,how good they thought they were at it,and how sensation­seeking (尋求刺激) or impulsive (沖動)they were.They then evaluated the participants’multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly,the scientists said,most people thought they were better than average at multitasking,and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once.But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test.They also were more likely to admit to sensation­seeking and impulsive behavior,which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity,but because they’re distractible,and they get sucked into things that are not as important,”Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley,a researcher at the University of California,San Francisco,who was not a member of the research group,said one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less focused tend toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.
The findings do suggest,however,why the sensation­seekers who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving.“People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.”said Paul Atchley,another researcher not in the group.“This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re dangerous.”
【小題1】The research led by Sanbonmatsu indicates that people who multitask________.

A.seek high productivity constantly
B.prefer handling different things when getting bored
C.a(chǎn)re more focused when doing many things at a time
D.have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time
【小題2】When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research,they________.
A.a(chǎn)ssessed the multitasking ability of the students
B.evaluated the academic achievements of the students
C.a(chǎn)nalyzed the effects of the participants’tricky mental
tasks
D.measured the changes of the students’understanding ability
【小題3】According to Sanbonmatsu,people multitask because of their________.
A.limited power in calculation
B.interests in doing things differently
C.inability to concentrate on one task
D.impulsive desire to try new things
【小題4】From the last paragraph,we can learn that multitaskers usually________.
A.drive very skillfully
B.go in for difficult tasks
C.fail to react quickly to potential dangers
D.refuse to explain the reasons for their behavior

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different senses to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses, while most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type.The giant panda eats only one particular type of bamboo. Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet. The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health. Choosing the right food, therefore, has become an area of study in modern life. 
【小題1】We can infer from the text that humans and animals ________.

A.depend on one sense in choosing food
B.a(chǎn)re not satisfied with their food
C.choose food in similar ways.
D.eat entirely different food
【小題2】Which of the following eats only one type of food?
A.The white butterfly. B.The small bird.
C.The bear D.The fox
【小題3】Certain animals change their choice of food when ______.
A.the season changes
B.The food color changes
C.They move to different places
D.They are attracted by different smells.
【小題4】We can learn from the last paragraph that _____.
A.food is chosen for a good reason.
B.Some people care little about healthy diet
C.some people have few choices of food
D.French and British food is good.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

A recent experiment held in Japan shows that it is almost impossible for people to walk exactly straight for 60 metres. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found 20 healthy men and asked them to walk as straight as possible to a target 60 metres away at normal speed. Each man had to walk on white paper fixed flat to the floor wearing wet colored socks. The footprints revealed that all walked in a winding rather than a straight line. Researchers found that people readjust the direction of walking every few seconds. The amount of the winding differed from subject to subject. This suggests that none of us can walk in a strictly straight line. We walk in a winding way mainly because of a slight structural or functional imbalance of our limbs (四肢). Although we may start walking in a straight line, several steps afterwards we have changed direction.
Eyesight helps us to correct the direction of walking and leads us to the target. Your ears also help you walk. After turning around a lot with your eyes closed, you can hardly stand still, let alone walk straight.
It’s all because your ears help you balance. Inside your inner ear there is a structure which contains liquids. On the sides of the organ are many tiny hair-like structures that move around as the liquid flows. When you spin (旋轉(zhuǎn)) the liquid inside also spins. The difference is that when you stop, the liquid continues to spin for a while. Dizziness is the result of these nerves in your ear. When you open your eyes, although your eyesight tells you to walk in a straight line, your brain will trust your ears more, thus you walk in a curved line.
【小題1】The experiment held in Japan proved that _______.

A.the participants kept readjusting their direction of walking
B.a(chǎn)ll the participants had a good sense of direction
C.the experiment was done in different ways
D.none of the participants finished the 60 metres
【小題2】The underlined word “subject” in Para. 1 refers to ________.
A.a(chǎn) person with a functional imbalance
B.a(chǎn) person chosen to be studied in an experiment
C.the subject one studies at school
D.the direction of walking
【小題3】The purpose of writing the article is to ________.
A.prove that ears and eyes help us to walk straight
B.explain why we can hardly walk in a strictly straight line
C.point out the importance of noticing everyday science
D.give background information about a latest study

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解



It doesn’t kill germs better than cooler water, but turning tap temperatures high, the US burns carbon equal to the emissions of Barbados.
People typically wash their hands seven times a day in the United States, but they do it at a far higher temperature than is necessary to kill germs, a new study says. The energy waste is equivalent to the fuel use of a small country.
It’s cold and flu season, when many people are concerned about avoiding germs. But forget what you think you know about hand washing, say researchers at Vanderbilt University. Chances are good that how you clean up is not helping you stay healthy; it is helping to make the planet sick.
Amanda R. Carrico, a research assistant professor at the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment in Tennessee, told National Geographic that hand washing is often “a case where people act in ways that they think are in their best interest, but they in fact have inaccurate beliefs or outdated perceptions.”
Carrico said, “It’s certainly true that heat kills bacteria, but if you were going to use hot water to kill them it would have to be way too hot for you to tolerate.”
She explained that boiling water, 212°F (99.98°C), is sometimes used to kill germs - for example, to clean drinking water that might be polluted with germs. But “hot” water for hand washing is generally within 104°F to 131°F (40°C to 55°C.) At the high end of that range, heat could kill some germs, but the sustained contact that would be required would scald the skin.
Carrico said that after a review of the scientific literature, her team found “no evidence that using hot water that a person could stand would have any benefit in killing bacteria.” Even water as cold as 40°F (4.4°C) appeared to reduce bacteria as well as hotter water, if hands were scrubbed, rinsed(沖洗)and dried properly.
In fact, she noted that hot water can often have an unfavorable effect on hygiene. “Warmer water can harm the skin and affect the protective layer on the outside, which can cause it to be less resistant to bacteria,” said Carrico.
Using hot water to wash hands is therefore unnecessary, as well as wasteful, Carrico said, particularly when it comes to the environment. According to her research, people use warm or hot water 64 percent of the time when they wash their hands. Using that number, Carrico’s team calculated a significant impact on the planet. 
“Although the choice of water temperature during a single hand wash may appear minor, when multiplied by the nearly 800 billion hand washes performed by Americans each year, this practice results in more than 6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually,” she said.
That’s roughly equal to the emissions of two coal-fired power plants, or 1,250,000 passenger vehicles, over the course of a year. It’s higher than the greenhouse gas emissions of small countries like El Salvador or Armenia, and is about equivalent to the emissions of Barbados. If all US citizens washed their hands in cooler water, it would be like eliminating the energy-related carbon emissions of 299,700 US homes, or the total annual emissions from the US zinc or lead industries. 
The researchers found that close to 70 percent of respondents said they believe that using hot water is more effective than warm, room temperature, or cold water, despite a lack of evidence backing that up, said Carrico. Her study noted research that showed a “strong cognitive(認(rèn)知的) connection” between water temperature and hygiene in both the United States and Western Europe, compared to other countries, like Japan, where hot water is associated more with comfort than with health.
The researchers published their results in the July 2013 issue of International Journal of Consumer Studies. They recommended washing with water that is at a “comfortable” temperature, which they noted may be warmer in cold months and cooler in hot ones.
【小題1】What does the writer mainly focus on when writing this passage?

A.Whether hot water helps kill germs effectively in hand washing.
B.How hot water contributes to the serious worsening of our planet.
C.Why the consumption of hot water is unnecessary and wasteful.
D.What the advantages and disadvantages of using hot water are.
【小題2】The underlined word scald in paragraph six probably means         .
A.burnB.improveC.softenD.wrinkle
【小題3】According to the passage, all the following share roughly the same CO2 emissions yearly EXCEPT         .
A.two coal-fired power plantsB.US zinc or lead industries
C.1,250,000 passenger vehiclesD.El Salvador or Armenia
【小題4】Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A. Boiling water at 212°F (99.98°C) works effectively in killing germs.
B. Warmer water can damage the protective layer of the outside skin.
C. There is much difference between cold water and hot water in reducing bacteria.
D. Americans have inaccurate beliefs or outdated perceptions in hand washing.
【小題5】Which of the following is the standard of a comfortable water temperature for washing hands?
A. Warmer in winter and cooler in summer.    
B. Between 104°F to 131°F (40°C to 55°C).
C. Below 104°F (40°C) or above 131°F (55°C).  
D. Warm enough to kill germs and clean up.
【小題6】 If you want to read stories of this kind afterwards, which of the following magazines will you probably subscribe to?
A.Universal Science Fiction B.Science & Discoveries
C.Environment & Protection D.Exploration of America

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Jerry Morris died on 28 October 2009. He was 99 years old. You have probably never heard of him. He was a professor of public health. More than 50 years ago he produced one of the most famous epidemiological (流行病學(xué)) papers of the 20th century.
His study showed that bus conductors were much less likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers. Why? Because the conductors spent their working day walking. It seems obvious now but in the middle of the last century doctors were puzzled by the rising numbers of people who got heart diseases. Jerry Morris found one of the main causes: a sedentary (久坐不動的) lifestyle. He started exercising for a few minutes each day and lived until his 100th year.
If you wish to protect your heart, you have to do more than wander in the garden. The exercise needs to be reasonable. Jogging is not for everyone and a round trip to the gym takes a couple of hours, plus the monthly membership fee is only good value if you visit regularly. The answer is simple: walk.
A half-hour purposeful walk five times a week will lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Older people sometimes feel they have left it too late. But it is never too late to start and there are no upper age limits. Start gently. Take your time: a 15-minute flat walk in the nearest park, four or five times a week. Within a month or so, you are already beginning to protect your heart. Build the walks up. When you can comfortably walk for half an hour in the park, go further: try following rivers and canals.
Regular walkers have their own natural gymnasium. There is no membership fee, just some of the finest scenery in the world. Great Britain is the walker’s gym. When you have followed the rivers and canals, and are enjoying walking for a couple of hours, head for the coast. Once again, build it up slowly. When you are comfortable with long coastal walks, you can think of our national parks.
【小題1】Jerry Morris is mentioned in the first paragraph mainly to __________.

A.make his epidemiological message known to the public 
B.praise his research into ways of improving public health  
C.introduce the topic of doing exercise and keeping healthy 
D.give an example of a person who lives a healthy and long life 
【小題2】We can learn from the passage that __________.
A.bus conductors are more likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers.  
B.doctors in the 1950s knew why heart diseases kept happening to people.  
C.walking is better than doing sports in a gym because it saves time and money. 
D.British people love walking because they have free gymnasium with finest scenery. 
【小題3】What suggestion does the writer give about walking?
A.Parks are the best place for walking.  
B.Starters should not push themselves too hard.  
C.A two-quarter walk a day is suitable for starters. 
D.People of old age might not be fit enough to start walking. 
【小題4】What might be the best title for this passage?
A.Long Life Comes from Walking  
B.Walking Helps Cure Heart Disease  
C.A Walk a Day Keeps the Doctors away  
D.An Hour’s Walk in Nature is Worth Two in the Gym 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in: Someone will give you an electronic PIN to wear. The PIN tells the house who you are and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights near you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you, too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it for you. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to want something. There is a home control console (控制臺) which is a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you the key to my car, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the key. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that in ten years from now, most new houses will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've got.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others'. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, ”How did I live without them?”
【小題1】The writer’s house is made of the following EXCEPT_________.

A.bamboo B.woodC.glassD.software
【小題2】What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
A.An IT expert.B.A famous doctor.
C.A sportsman.D.An experienced teacher.
【小題3】The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because______________.
A.it has your favorite music following you
B.you can make a telephone call anywhere
C.the writer is able to change his new idea into practice
D.it is controlled by computers
【小題4】What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.How to develop a new system.B.The function of the PIN.
C.How great the computers are.D.Easy life in the future.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I'm dead—take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet” when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait— I'm not dead yet” quickly goes away. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory, Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the “Wait—I'm not dead yet” chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the “not dead yet” chemical overrides the “dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical dies away. Other nearby ants then notice the remaining “dead” chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
【小題1】What is the function of the first paragraph?

A.Leading the following paragraphs.
B.Showing the main idea of the passage.
C.Introducing the background of the passage.
D.Giving a summary of the passage.
【小題2】Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “overrides” in the fourth paragraph?
A.is weaker thanB.is stronger thanC.is better thanD.is worse than
【小題3】What can we learn from the passage?
A.Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving.
B.When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical.
C.A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical.
D.Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案