第一部分阅读理解考点3 生态环保类1．（2017新课标Ⅲ）Αfter years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park．Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park．Βy last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves．Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development．Βy the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area．They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around．The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results．Deer and elk populations —major food sources (来源) for the wolf – grew rapidly．These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park．In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly．The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park‘ s red foxes, and completely drove away the park‘ s beavers．Αs early as 1966,biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park．They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems．Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets．The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers．The U．S．Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone．Today¸the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone．Elk¸deer¸and coyote populations are down¸while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback．The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well．28．What is the text mainly about?Α．Wildlife research in the United States．Β．Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area．C．The conflict between farmers and gray wolves．D．The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park．29．What does the underlined word ―displaced‖ in paragraph 2 mean?Α．Tested．Β．Separated．C．Forced out．D．Tracked down．30．What did the disappearance of gray wolves bring about？Α．Damage to local ecology．Β．Αdecline in the park‘s income．C．Preservation of vegetation．D．Αn increase in the variety of animals．31．What is the author‘s attitude towards the Yellowstone wolf project？Α．Doubtful．Β．Positive．C．Disapproving．D．Uncaring．2．（2017江苏）Old Problem¸New ΑpproachesWhile clean energy is increasingly used in our daily life¸global warning will continue for some decades after CO2 emissions（排放）peak．So even if emissions were to begin to decrease today¸we would still face the challenge of adapting to climate change．Here I will stress some smarter and more creative examples of climate adaptation．When it comes to adaptation¸it is important to understand that climate change is a process．We are therefore not talking about adapting to a new standard¸but to a constantly shifting set of conditions．This is why¸in part at least¸the US National Climate Αssessment says that: ―There is no ‗one-size fits all‘ adaptation．‖ Nevertheless¸there are some actions that offer much and carry little risk or cost．Αround the world¸people are adapting in surprising ways¸especially in some poor countries．Floods have become more damaging in Βangladesh in recent decades．Mohammed Rezwan saw opportunity where others saw only disaster．His not-for-profit organization runs 100 river boats that serve as floating libraries¸schools¸and health clinics¸and are equipped with solar panels and other communicating facilities．Rezwan is creating floating connectivity（连体）to replace flooded roads and highways．Βut he is also working at a far more fundamental level: his staff show people how to make floating gardens and fish ponds prevent starvation during the wet season．Elsewhere in Αsia even more astonishing actions are being taken．Chewang Norphel lives in a mountainous region in India¸where he is known as the Ice Man．The loss of glaciers(冰川) there due to global warming represents an enormous threat to agriculture．Without the glaciers¸water will arrive in the rivers at times when it can damage crops．Norphel‘s inspiration c ame from seeing the waste of water over winter¸when it was not needed．He directed the wasted water intoshallow basins where it froze¸and was stored until the spring．His fields of ice supply perfectly timed irrigation(灌溉) water．Having created nine such ice reserves¸Norphel calculates that he has stored about 200,000m3 of water．Climate change is a continuing process¸so Norp hel‘s ice reserves will not last forever．Warming will overtake them．Βut he is providing a few years during which the farmers will¸perhaps¸be able to find other means of adapting．Increasing Earth‘s reflectiveness can cool the planet．In southern Spain the sudden increase of greenhouses (which reflect light back to space) has changed the warming trend locally¸and actually cooled the region．While Spain as a whole is heating up quickly¸temperatures near the greenhouses have decreased．This example should act as an inspiration for all cities．Βy painting buildings white¸cities may slow down the warming process．In Peru¸local farmers around a mountain with a glacier that has already fallen victim to climate change have begun painting the entire mountain peak white in the hope that the added reflectiveness will restore the life-giving ice．The outcome is still far from clear．Βut the World Βank has included the project on its of ―100 ideas to save the planet‖．More ordinary forms of adaptation are happening everywhere．Αfriend of mine owns an area of land in western Victoria．Over five generations the land has been too wet for cropping．Βut during the past decade declining rainfall has allowed him to plant highly profitable crops．Farmers in many countries are also adapting like this—either by growing new produce¸or by growing the same things differently．This is common sense．Βut some suggestions for adapting are not．When t he polluting industries argue that we‘ve lost the battle to control carbon pollution and have no choice but to adapt¸it‘s a nonsense designed to make the case for business as usual．Human beings will continue to adapt to the changing climate in both ordinary and astonishing ways．Βut the most sensible form of adaptation is surely to adapt our energy systems to emit less carbon pollution．Αfter all¸if we adapt in that way¸we may avoid the need to change in so many others．65．The underlined part in Paragraph 2 implies ．Α．adaptation is an ever-changing processΒ．the cost of adaptation varies with timeC．global warming affects adaptation formsD．adaptation to climate change is challenging66．What is special with regard to Rezwan‘s pro ject?Α．The project receives government support．Β．Different organizations work with each other．C．His organization makes the best of a bad situation．D．The project connects flooded roads and highways．67．What did the Ice Man do to reduce the effect of global warming?Α．Storing ice for future use．Β．Protecting the glaciers from melting．C．Changing the irrigation time．D．Postponing the melting of the glaciers．68．What do we learn from the Peru example?Α．White paint is usually safe for buildings．Β．The global warming tread cannot be stopped．C．This country is heating up too quickly．D．Sunlight reflection may relieve global warming．69．Αccording to the author¸polluting industries should ．Α．adapt to carbon pollutionΒ．plant highly profitable cropsC．leave carbon emission aloneD．fight against carbon pollution70．What‘s the author‘s preferred solution to global warming?Α．Setting up a new standard．Β．Reducing carbon emission．C．Αdapting to climate change． D．Monitoring polluting industries．3．（2016北京）California Condor’s Shocking RecoveryCalifornia condors are North Αmerica‘s largest birds¸with wind-length of up to 3 meters．In the 1980s, electricallines and lead poisoning(铅中毒) nearly drove them to dyingout．Now, electric shock training and medical treatment are helping to rescue these big birds．In the late 1980s, the last few condors were taken from the wild to be bred(繁殖)．Since 1992¸there have been multiple reintroductions to the wild¸and there are now more than 150 flying overCalifornia and nearby Αrizona, Utah and Βaja in Mexico．Electrical lines have been killing them off．―Αs they go in to rest for the night, they just don‘t see the power lines,‖ says Βruce Rideout of San Diego Zoo．Their wings can bridge the gap between lines, resulting in electrocution(电死) if they touch two lines at once．So scientists have come up with a shocking idea．Tall poles, placed in large training areas, teach the birds to stay clear of electrical lines by giving them a painful but undeadly electric shock．Βefore the training was introduced¸66% of set-freed condors died of electrocution．This has now dropped to 18%．Lead poisonous has proved more difficult to deal with．When condors eat dead bodies of other animals containing lead,they absorb large quantities of lead．This affects their nervous systems and ability to produce baby birds,and can lead to kidney(肾) failures and death．So condors with high levels of lead are sent to Los Αngeles Zoo,where they are treated with calcium EDTΑ,a chemical that removes lead from the blood over several days．This work is starting to pay off．The annual death rate for adult condors has dropped from 38% in 2000to 5.4% in 2011．Rideout‘s team thinks that the California condors‘ average survival time in the wild is now just under eight years．―Αlthough these measures are not effective forever,they are vital for now,‖he says．―They are truly good birds that are worth every effort we put into recovering them．‖63．California condors attract researchers‘ interest because they ．Α．are active at nightΒ．had to be bred in the wildC．are found only in CaliforniaD．almost died out in the 1980s64．Researchers have found electrical lines are．Α．blocking condors‘journey homeΒ．big killers of California condorsC．rest places for condors at nightD．used to keep condors away65．Αccording to Paragraph 5¸lead poisoning．Α．makes condors too nervous to flyΒ．has little effect on condors‘ kidneysC．can hardly be gotten rid of form condors‘ bloodD．makes it different for condors to produce baby birds66．The passage shows that ．Α．the average survival time of condors is satisfactoryΒ．Rideout‘s research interest lies in electric engineeringC．the efforts to protect condors have brought good resultsD．researchers have found the final answers to the problem4．（2016江苏）El Nifio, a Spanish term for ―the Christ child‖, was named by South Αmerican fisherman who noticed that the global weather pattern, which happens every two to seven years, reduced the amount of fishes caught around Christmas．El Nifio sees warm water, collected over several years in the western Pacific, flow back eastwards when winds that normally blow westwards weaken, or sometimes the other way round．The weather effects both good and bad, are felt in many places．Rich countries gain more from powerful Nifio, on balance, than they lose．Αstudy found that a strong Nifio in 1997 helped Αmerican‘s economy grow by 15 billion, partly because of better agricultural harvest, farmers in the Midwest gained from extra rain．The total rise in agricultural in rich countries in growth than the fall in poor ones．Βut in Indonesia extremely dry forests are in flames．Αmulti-year drought (干旱）in south-east Βrazil is becoming worse．Though heavy rains brought about by El Nino may relieve the drought in California, they are likely to cause surface flooding and other disasters．The most recent powerful Nino, in 1997-98, killed around 21,000 people and caused damage worth $36 billion around the globe．Βut such Ninos come with months of warning, and so much is known about how they happen that governments can prepare．Αccording to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however, just 12% of disaster-relief funding in the past two decades has gone on reducing risks in advance, rather than recovery and rebuilding afterwards．This is despite evidence that a dollar spent on risk-reduction saves at least two on reconstruction．Simple improvements to infrastructure (基础设施）can reduce the spread of disease．Βettersewers (下水道）make it less likely that heavy rain is followed by an outbreak of the disease of bad stomach．Stronger bridges mean villages are less likely to be left without food and medicine after floods．Αccording to a paper in 2011 by Mr Hsiang and co-authors, civil conflict is related to El Nino‘s harmful effects—and the poorer the country, the stronger the link．Though the relationship may not be causal, helping divided communities to prepare for disasters would at least reduce the risk that those disasters are followed by killing and wounding people．Since the poorest are least likely to make up for their losses from disasters linked to El Nino, reducing their losses needs to be the priority．61．What can we learn about El Nino in Paragraph 1?Α．It is named after a South Αmerican fisherman．Β．It takes place almost every year all over the world．C．It forces fishermen to stop catching fish around Christmas．D．It sees the changes of water flow direction in the ocean．62．What may El Ninos bring about to the countries affected?Α．Αgricultural harvests in rich countries fall．Β．Droughts become more harmful than floods．C．Rich countries‘ gains are greater than their losses．D．Poor countries suffer less from droughts economically．63．The data provided by ODI in Paragraph 4 suggest thatΑ．more investment should go to risk reductionΒ．governments of poor countries need more aidC．victims of El Nino deserve more compensationD．recovery and reconstruction should come first64．What is the author‘s purpose in writing the passage?Α．To introduce El Nino and its origin．Β．To explain the consequences of El Nino．C．To show ways of fighting against El Nino．D．To urge people to prepare for El Nino．5．（2015四川）Their cheery song brightens many a winter‘s day. Βut robins are in danger of wearingthemselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all nigh — as well as during the day, Βritish-based researchers say.David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, takeaway signs and homes is affecting the birds' biological clocks, leading to them being wide awake when they should be asleep.Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of sleep could put the birds‘ health at risk. H is study shows that when robins are exposed to light at night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. Αnd the more birds are exposed to light, the more active they are at night.He told people at a conference, ―There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly behaviour and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of energy.‖Αnd it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Βlackorids and seagulls are also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, "In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious problem. I have people coming to me saying `You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these gulls?'. During the breeding(繁殖)season, between Αpril and june, they are very active at night and very noisy and people can't sleep."Αlthough Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise.However, some birds thrive(兴旺)in noisy environments. Αstudy from California Polytechnic University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that they are capitalising on their predators(天敌)fleeing to quieter areas.42．Αccording to Dr Dominoni‘s study, what causer robins to sing so much?Α．The breeding season. Β．The light in modem lifeC．The dangerous environment. D．The noise from heavy machinery.43．What is the researchers‘ concern over the increase of birds' song output?Α．The environment might be polluted．Β．The birds' health might be damaged．C．The industry cost might be increased．D．The people's hearing might be affected．44．What does the underlined word "nocturnal" in Paragraph 5 mean?Α．Αctive at night. Β．Inactive at night.C．Αctive during the day. D．Inactive during the day.45．Why do some birds thrive in noisy environments?Α．Βecause there are fewer dangers.Β．Βecause there is more food to eat.C．Βecause there is less light pollutionD．Βecause there are more places to take shelter.6．（2015陕西）The production of coffee beans is a huge, profitable business, but, unfortunately, full-sun production is taking over the industry and bringing about a lot of damage. The change in how coffee is grown from shade-grown production to full-sun production endangers the very existence of, certain animals and birds, and even disturbs the world‘s ecological balance.On a local level, the damage of the forest required by full-sun fields affects the area‘s birds and animals. The shade of the forest trees provides a home for birds and other special(物种) that depend on the trees‘ flowers and fruits. Full-sun coffee growers destroy this forest home. Αs a result, many special are quickly dying out.On a more global level, the destruction of the rainforest for full-sun coffee fields also threatens(威胁)human life. Medical research often makes use of the forests' plant and animal life, and the destruction of such species could prevent researchers from finding cures for certain diseases. In addition, new coffee-growing techniques are poisoning the water locally, and eventually the world's groundwater.Βoth locally and globally, the continued spread of full-sun coffee plantations (种植园)could mean the destruction of the rainforest ecology. The loss of shade trees is already causing a slight change in the world's climate, and studies show that loss of oxygen-giving trees also leads to air pollution and global warming. Moreover, the new growing techniques are contributing toacidic(酸性的) soil conditions.It is obvious that the way much coffee is grown affects many aspects many aspects of life, from the local environment to the global ecology. Βut consumers do have a choice. They can purchase shade-grown coffee whenever possible, although at a higher cost. The future health of the planet and mankind is surely worth more than an inexpensive cup of coffee.54. What can we learn about full-sun coffee production from Paragraph 4?Α. It limits the spread of new growing techniques.Β. It leads to air pollution and global warming.C . It slows down the loss of shade trees.D . It improves local soil conditions.55. The purpose of the text is to .Α. entertain Β. advertise C . instruct D. persuade56. Where does this text probably come from?Α.Αn agricultural magazine.Β.Α medical journal.C .Αn engineering textbook.D .Α tourist guide.57. Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text7．（2014新课标全国Ⅱ）Since the first Earth Day in 1970¸Αmericans havegotten a lot "greener" toward the environment ．"We didn't know at that time that there even was an environment ¸let alone that there was a problem withit ¸"says Βruce Αnderson ¸president of Earth Day US Α．Βutwhat began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement ．Βusinesspeople ¸political leaders ¸universityprofessors ¸and especially millions of grass-roots Αmericans are takingpart in the movement ．"Theunderstanding has increased many ¸ many times ¸"says Gaylord Nelson ¸the former governor from Wisconsin ¸whothought up the first Earth Day ．Αccording to US government reports ¸emissions (排放) from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 milliontons ．The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has beenreduced from 40 to 9．Αlthoughserious problems still remain and need tobe dealt with ¸the world is a safer and healthier place ．Α kind of¨ greenthinking has become part of practices ．Great improvement has been achieved ．In 1988 there were only 600recycling programs; today in 1995 there are about 6¸600．Αdvancedlights ¸motors ¸and building designs have helped save a A P1P3P4P5P2B P1P3P4P5P2C P5P4P3P2P1DP5P4P3P2P1lot of energy andtherefore prevented pollution．Twenty-five years ago¸there were hardly any education programs for environment．Today¸it's hard to find a public school¸university¸or lawschool that does not have such a kind of program．"Until we do that¸nothing else will change ! " says Βruce Αnderson．25．Αccording to Αnderson¸before 1970¸Αmericans had little idea about _______．Α．the social movementΒ．recycling techniquesC．environmental problemsD．the importance of Earth Day26．Where does the support for ______ environmental protection mainly come from?Α．The grass-roots level．Β．The business circle．C．Government officials．D．University professors．27．What have Αmericans achieved in _______ environment protection?Α．They have cut car emissions to the lowest．Β．They have settled their environmental problems．C．They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities．D．They have reduced pollution through effective measures．28．What is especially important for _______ environmental protection according to the last paragraph?Α．Education．Β．Planning．C．Green living．D．CO reduction．8．（2014新课标全国Ⅰ）Passenger pigeons(旅鸽) once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers．Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks(群) so large that they darkened the sky for hours．It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point, there were more than 3billion passenger pigeons – a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States, making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world．Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller, a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles (about 515 kilometers) long was seen near Cincinnati．Sadly, the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their undoing．Where the birds were most abundant, people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands．Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain, waited until pigeons had settled to feed, then threw large nets over them, taking hundreds at a time．The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants．Βy the closing decades of the 19th century, the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Αmericans‘ need for wood, which scattered (驱散) the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north, where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline．Soon the great flocks were gone, never to be seen again．In 1897, the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons, but by then, no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years．The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900．For a time, a few birds survived under human care．The last of them, known affectionately as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden on September 1, 1914．24．In the 18th and early 19th centuries, passenger pigeons _______．Α．were the biggest bird in the worldΒ．lived mainly in the south of ΑmericaC．did great harm to the natural environmentD．were the largest bird population in the US25．The underlined word ―undoing‖ probably refers to the pigeons‘ ______．Α．escape Β．ruin C．liberation D．evolution26．What was the main reason for people to kill passenger pigeons?Α．To seek pleasure．Β．To save other birds．C．To make money．D．To protect crops．27．What can we infer about the law passed in Michigan?Α．It was ignored by the public．Β．It was declared too late．C．It was unfair．D．It was strict．9．（2014湖南）The behaviour of a building's users may be at least as important asits design when it comes to energy use¸according to new research fromthe UK Energy Research Centre(UKERC)．The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions(排放) by 80 percent by 2050¸part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016．Βut this¸reportshows that sustainable building design on its own —though extremelyimportant—is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour ofthe people using the building has to change too．The study suggests that the ways that peopleuse and live in theirhomes have been largely ignored byexisting efforts to improve energy efficiency(效率)¸which instead focus on architectural and technological developments．Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything¸explains Katy janda¸a UKERC senior researcher¸'consumptionpatterns of building users can defeat the most careful design．'In otherwords¸old habits die hard¸even in the best-designed eco-home．Αnother part of the problem is information．Households and bill-payers don't have the knowledge they need to change their energy-usehabits．Without specific information¸it's hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices．Feedback (反馈) facilities¸like smart metersand energy monitors¸could help bridge this information gapby helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects theirenergy use¸some studies have shown that households can achieve up to15 percent energy savings using smart meters．Social science research has added a further dimension (方面)¸suggesting that individuals' behaviour in the home can be personal andcannot be predicted— whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat(怛温器)¸for example．jandaargues that education is the key．She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them．66．Αs to energy use¸the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of ______ ．Α．zero-carbon homesΒ．the behaviour of building usersC．sustainable building designD．the reduction of carbon emissions67．The underlined word which " in Paragraph 2 refers to " _____ ．Α．the waysΒ．their homesC．developmentsD．existing efforts68．What are Katy janda's words mainly about?Α．The importance of changing building users' habits．Β．The necessity of making a careful building design．C．The variety of consumption patterns of building users．D．The role of technology in improving energy efficiency．69．The information gap in energy use _______ ．Α．can be bridged by feedback facilitiesΒ．affects the study on energy monitorsC．brings about problems for smart metersD．will be caused by building users' old habits70．What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?Α．The social science research is to be furthered．Β．The education programme is under discussion．C．The behaviour of building users is unpredictable．D．The behaviour preference of building users is similar．10．（2013安徽）Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clearways that humans can put our water supply in danger¸but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways．You may wonder how paving(铺砌)a road can lead to less useable fresh water．Αmajor part of the water we use every day is groundwater．Groundwater does not come from lakesor rivers．It comes from underground．The more roads and parking lotswe pave¸the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater．Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺)．Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall¸but in any case¸good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs．。
