Question

Today there are more fires than in the past . Over 100,000 wildfires burn each year in America . Russia has 20,000 to 35,000 wildfires and Australia has about 60,000 each year. These fires destroy（损害）huge areas of forests and burn hundreds of homes .

Many experts believe there are several reasons for this sudden increase in fires. The first reason is climate（气候）change . In 2010, Russia had the hottest and driest summer with strong winds in a century. In just one month, 500 fires destroyed over 2,000 homes. Some people lost their lives .

Traditional fire-fighting practices are another reason for the increase in fires. In America, firefighters used to quickly put out every fire as quickly as they could. They didn’t allow the grass and trees to burn. As a result , today many forests have thicker vegetation（植被）which provides more fuel（燃料）for fires . So surprisingly, America has many more fires today partly because of its past fire-fighting practices.

Scientists now understand that a fire can be a natural part of a healthy forest. As a result, countries like Australia allow some fires to burn naturally. The fire makes old trees thinner. This allows sunlight to reach the ground. As a result, fires help new trees to grow. Therefore , if a fire is not a serious threat（威胁）to people , firefighters may let it burn naturally .

1.Russia had so many fires in one month in 2010 because __________ .

A. lightening spread the fire

B. there was much fuel for fires

C. there were not enough firefighters

D. it was very hot , dry and windy

2.__________ because of the traditional fire-fighting practices in the USA .

A. There are fewer wildfires

B. There are more fires today

C. The weather becomes warmer and drier

D. Trees and grass become thinner

3. The main idea of Paragraph 4 is that __________ .

A. fires are serious threats to human beings

B. Australian firefighters don’t put out fires

C. fires can play an important role in forests

D. it’s difficult for firefighters to control the fires

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?

A. Two reasons for the increase in fires are mentioned.

B. Russia has the hottest and driest forest.

C. Australia allows all the fires to burn naturally.

D. There are more fires in Russia than in the USA.

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文主要介绍了现在比过去有更多的火灾，主要原因是干燥，炎热及大风。同时人们还发现严格的灭火使森林植被更厚，更容易起火。现在科学家认识到只要大火对人类构不成严重的威胁，不是所有的火都要被熄灭。

1.D 推理判断题。根据In 2010, Russia had the hottest and driest summer in a century. In just one month, 500 fires destroyed over 2,000 homes.及上文描述可知炎热，干燥，风导致了许多的大火，故选D。

2.B细节理解题。根据短文中的句子“Traditional fire-fighting practices are another reason for the increase in fires.”可知，在美国，传统的消防实践是火灾增加的另一个原因。故答案为B。

3.C归纳理解题。根据第四段描述的例子论证了科学家对大火可能是平衡森林自燃的观点，可知火在森林里有重要作用。故选C。

4.细节理解题。根据短文内容可知，文章中提到火灾的增加有两个主要原因。The first reason is climate（气候）change . Traditional fire-fighting practices are another reason for the increase in fires.故答案为A。

考点：考查科普类短文阅读。