Question

 

Wild beavers (河狸) are back! Experts say that the wild beaver families are doing well. The beavers are even boosting wildlife and the environment!

Over ten years ago, a family of beavers turned up in a part of the river Otter, in Devon. No one knew exactly where they came from. It was a big surprise, wild beavers hadn't lived in England for around 400 years!

In 2015, the government allowed the beavers to stay there as part of a trial (试验). They wanted to see if these animals could be reintroduced to the wild. The trial ends in February. Some scientists from the University of Exeter already say the beavers help the wildlife in the area. One scientist called it "an amazing story".

A lot of this is because of dams. Beavers build dams along the river. This creates deep pools in the riverbed and slows the water down. Scientists say this is perfect for many different types of plants and animals! Many plants are growing near the beavers. Different types of animals are also becoming more and more in the river. Beavers also help make flooding less, scientists say. The beavers' dams slow down the speed of the river, especially after heavy rain.

There are, however, some problems. Beavers gnaw (咬,啃)on trees and this can harm them. Their dams can also sometimes create floods (洪水) on people's land.

Beavers aren't the only animals that are being reintroduced to the wild! In 2019, red squirrels were brought back to an area of the Scottish Highlands. Further away, the world's rarest (罕见的) duck, the Madagascar pochard, is making a comeback. It was set free into the wild on the African island in 2019 and is doing well.

Who knows what other animals might be making a comeback?

1.Which of the following best explains "boosting" in paragraph 1?

A.building B.spreading C.helping D.creating

2.Why did the government want a trial first? Because they wanted to ________.

A.grow more plants along the river

B.build dams for the beavers in the wild

C.introduce the beavers to the wild

D.see if the beavers could be reintroduced to the wild

3.What are the good things about wild beavers living on the river Otter?

A.They help plants grow and make flooding less. B.They bring heavy rain and floods.

C.They gnaw on trees and harm them. D.Their dams create floods on people's land.

4.How many kinds of animals are mentioned in the news story which have been reintroduced to the wild?

A.One. B.Two. C.Three. D.Four.

5.How do you think animal lovers feel about the news?

A.Embarrassed. B.Pleased. C.Tired. D.Disappointed.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.C

5.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了几种重新引入到野外的野生动物，以野生河狸为例说明了重新被引入到野外的野生动物状况良好，并介绍了其对环境发展的促进作用和不良影响。

1.词句猜测题。building建造；spreading传播；helping帮助；creating创造。根据第三段“the beavers help the wildlife in the area”可知，野生河狸帮助了该地区的野生动物，故野生河狸可以促进野生动物和环境的发展，故划线部分boosting意为“促进、提高”，可以用help“帮助”解释，即野生河狸帮助了野生动物和环境的发展。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段“They wanted to see if these animals could be reintroduced to the wild”可知，政府想要先做一个试验的目的是看这些野生河狸能否被重新引入野外。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段“Many plants are growing near the beavers…Beavers also help make flooding less”可知，野生河狸能够帮助植物生长，并减少洪水的发生，这是野生河狸带来的好处，其余的诸如引发洪水和啃咬树木，这些都是坏处。故选A。

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段“Beavers aren't the only animals…red squirrels were brought back…the world's rarest duck, the Madagascar pochard, is making a comeback”可知，文中一共提到了三种被重新引入到野外的动物，分别是河狸、红松鼠和马达加斯加麻鸭。故选C。

5.推理判断题。根据第二段“It was a big surprise”及全文内容可知，对于动物爱好者来说，野生动物重新被引入到野外的消息无疑是让他们非常高兴的。故选B。