Question

What do you usually do when a flying insect lands on your arm? You may blow it away．But what if that insect is a ladybug（瓢虫）? It is possible that you would let it stay．What is it about ladybugs that we like?

Farmers once thought ladybugs were a good lucky sign．A ladybug in the field meant the crops would be successful and that the weather would be good．The farmers may have thought too highly of such a small bug，but in fact ladybugs do help out with the crops．They eat harmful insects．

Actually，it is not the adult ladybug that eats other insects． It's the baby ladybug．When the baby ladybugs hatch（孵化），they are very hungry and will eat mites，aphids，mealy bugs，green flies，and other crop-destroyers． In the 1800s，ladybugs were brought all the way from Australia to California and set free among orange trees that were dying from being eaten by insects．They completely saved all the trees．

Ladybugs go about their daily business without worrying much about anything．Very few birds or insects will eat a ladybug because it gives off a dangerous fluid（液体）．Ladybugs also protect themselves by playing dead．They fall off leaves and never move until their attacker goes away．

So the next time you see a ladybug，think about what it may be doing．Maybe it is off to save an orange tree．Maybe its next move will be to roll off a leaf and play dead or stand up to a bird about 100 times its size．Maybe it's letting you know that the weather will be good tomorrow．Who knows? Ladybugs are special that way．

1.Ladybugs were brought from Australia to California in the 1800s to____．

A．add more ladybugs to area

B．report the weather for farmers

C．act as a lucky sign of good crops

D．save orange trees by eating insects

2.From the passage we know that ____．

A．it's the adult ladybug that eats most o{ the harmful insects

B．ladybugs often roll off a leaf and play dead to attack the birds

C．ladybugs can give off a dangerous fluid to protect themselves

D．the baby ladybug mainly eats mites，aphids，mealy bugs，and oranges

3.The underlined phrase "stand up to" most probably means ____．

A．watch           B．support

C．save             D．fight

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：短文大意：农民们曾经认为瓢虫是好幸运的标志。在田间瓢虫意味着庄稼就会成功的，天气会好的。但事实上瓢虫通过吃害虫帮助他们保护作物。

1.D 细节理解题。根据第三段中In the 1800s，ladybugs were brought all the way from Australia to California and set free among orange trees that were dying from being eaten by insects．可知在19世纪，把瓢虫从澳大利亚带到加利福尼亚释放在橙树中间通过吃害虫保护橙树。所以该选D。

2.C细节理解题。根据第四段中Ladybugs go about their daily business without worrying much about anything．Very few birds or insects will eat a ladybug because it gives off a dangerous fluid（液体）可知很少有鸟类或昆虫会吃瓢虫因为它散发出一种危险的流体。所以该选C。

3.词义猜测题。根据前半句话Maybe its next move will be to roll off a leaf and play dead可推知"stand up to"得意思为“打架”，所以该选D。

考点：日常生活类阅读。