Question

    A remarkable variety of insects live on this planet. More species of insects exist than all other animal species together. Insects have survived on earth for more than 300 million years，and may possess the ability to survive for millions more.

Insects can be found almost everywhere—on the highest mountains and on the bottom of rushing streams, in the cold South Pole and in bubbling hot springs. They dig through the ground, jump and sing in the trees, and run and dance in the air. They come in many different colors and various shapes. Insects are extremely useful to humans, pollinating (授粉) our crops as well as flowers in meadows, forests, deserts and other areas. But ticks and some insects, such as mosquitoes and fleas, can transmit disease.

There are many reasons why insects are so successful at surviving. Their amazing ability to adapt permits them to live in extreme ranges of temperatures and environments. The one place they have not yet been found to any major extent is in the open oceans. Insects can survive on a wide range of natural and artificial foods—paint, pepper, glue, books, grain, cotton, other insects, plants and animals. Because they are small, they can hide in tiny spaces.

A strong, hard but flexible shell covers their soft organs and is resistant to chemicals, water and physical impact. Their wings give them the option of flying away from dangerous situations or toward food or mates. Also, insects have an enormous reproductive capacity: An African ant queen can lay as many as 43,000 eggs a day.

Another reason for their success is the strategy of protective color. An insect may be right before our eyes, but nearly invisible because it is cleverly disguised like a green leaf, lump of brown soil, gray lichen (青苔), a seed or some other natural object. Some insects use bright, bold colors to send warning signals that they taste bad, sting or are poisonous. Others have wing patterns that look like the eyes of a huge predator, confusing their enemies. Some insects also imitate bitter-tasting insects; hungry enemies are fooled into avoiding them.

1.Insects protect themselves from chemicals by ______.

A.hiding in tiny spaces B.flying away when necessary

C.having a strong shell D.changing colors or shapes

2.Some insects disguise like natural objects so as to ______.

A.avoid being discovered B.frighten away their enemies

C.send warning signals D.look bitter-tasting

3.The passage is mainly about ______.

A.how insects survive in different places B.why insects can survive so successfully

C.what insects can do to the environment D.where insects can be found in quantity

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要叙述了昆虫可以在地球上存活上百万年的原因，包括：适应能力，擅长繁殖和运用保护色。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第四段的A strong, hard but flexible shell covers their soft organs and is resistant to chemicals, water and physical impact. 可知昆虫坚硬而灵活的外壳可以保护它们不受化学物质、水和其它物理影响。C. having a strong shell（有坚硬的壳）符合以上说法，故选C项。

2.推理判断题。根据文章最后一段的An insect may be right before our eyes, but nearly invisible because it is cleverly disguised like a green leaf, lump of brown soil, gray lichen (青苔), a seed or some other natural object.可知利用保护色，昆虫看起来就像一篇叶子，棕色的土壤，灰色的地衣，种子或者其它大自然的物体。故推测它们伪装的目的是避免被发现。A. avoid being discovered（避免被发现）符合以上推测，故选A项。

3.主旨大意题。根据文章第一段的Insects have survived on earth for more than 300 million years，and may possess the ability to survive for millions more.和文章叙述的主要内容可知，本文主要讲述了昆虫在世界上存活上百万年的原因。B. why insects can survive so successfully（为什么昆虫可以成功存活）符合以上说法，故选B项。