Question

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hungry pandas don’t particularly care whether there’s a partial government shutdown. The Washington National Zoological Park’s most famous residents still need to be fed, as do thousands of other animals, even as the facility closed its gates Wednesday.

The zoo will remain closed to the public. On Wednesday, the normally bustling (熙熙攘攘的) Connecticut Avenue gateway was locked tight. Just behind the fence, a statue of a giant panda that would normally be covered in climbing children sat alone and neglected. The zoo’s animal care staff will use the downtime to conduct comprehensive medical checks on the animals.

The partial government shutdown began on December 22. President Donald Trump’s demand for money for a border wall with Mexico has been the sticking point in passing funding bills for several government departments. Trump said Wednesday that the shutdown will last "as long as it takes."

With no signs that the shutdown will end soon, Washington’s tourism officials are working to ensure that tourists don’t cancel their trips entirely. The mayor’s office and Washington’s tourism bureau (旅游局) have released a list of private museums and off-the-beaten-path attractions for visitors including the Newseum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Museum of the Bible, Ford’s Theatre and DAR Constitution Hall.

“We know that federal government shutdowns cause many disruptions for both residents and visitors, but we want to remind everyone that while the federal government might be closed, D.C. is open for business,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The pandas were not available for comment.

1.Why are the animals waiting to be fed?

A.Because the government has been closed by Donald Trump.

B.Because the zoo makes a profit not enough to support the animals.

C.Because people’s interest in animals gradually declines.

D.Because the government has limited the budget of the zoo.

2.What conclusion can be made based on paragraph 3?

A.Most Americans do not support the president’s plan to build a wall on the border.

B.It might take a long time for lawmakers and the president to agree on a budget.

C.Lawmakers are working with the president to reopen the government quickly.

D.The government shutdown has caused many people to lose their jobs.

3.Why did the mayor’s office and Washington’s tourism bureau release the list of attractions?

A.To attract more visitors from other countries.

B.To reduce the effect of government shutdown.

C.To keep people away from the bustling zoo.

D.To call on citizens to learn about the country’s history and culture.

4.What does the author mean by “The pandas were not available for comment”?

A.The pandas’ needs were not as important as building the border wall.

B.The pandas were busy with cleaning up their own mess.

C.The pandas were innocent and the victims of the political fight.

D.The pandas were ignored and unavailable for visitors.

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲了美国联邦政府的关闭会给居民和游客造成许多干扰，甚至对华盛顿国家动物园的大熊猫也造成了影响。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中的“WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hungry pandas don’t particularly care whether there’s a partial government shutdown. The Washington National Zoological Park’s most famous residents still need to be fed, as do thousands of other animals, even as the facility closed its gates Wednesday.”​华盛顿特区——饥饿的熊猫并不特别关心政府是否部分关闭。华盛顿国家动物园最著名的居民和成千上万的其他动物一样，仍然需要被喂养，即使该设施星期三关闭了大门。由此可知，由于总统把政府部分关闭了，因此动物们等待被喂养。故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中的“President Donald Trump’s demand for money for a border wall with Mexico has been the sticking point in passing funding bills for several government departments. Trump said Wednesday that the shutdown will last "as long as it takes."​”唐纳德·特朗普总统对墨西哥边境墙的资金需求一直是政府部门通过资金的关键所在。特朗普星期三表示停工将持续很长时间。由此可以推断出，唐纳德·特朗普总统对墨西哥边境墙的资金需求一直是几个政府部门通过融资法案的关键，立法者和总统可能需要很长时间才能就预算达成一致。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段中的“With no signs that the shutdown will end soon, Washington’s tourism officials are working to ensure that tourists don’t cancel their trips entirely.”​由于没有迹象表明关闭将很快结束，华盛顿的旅游官员正在努力确保游客不会完全取消行程。由此可知，市长办公室和华盛顿旅游局公布了景点名单的原因是减少政府关门的影响。故选B。

4.词义猜测题。通读全文可知，美国联邦政府的关闭会给居民和游客造成许多干扰，甚至对华盛顿国家动物园的大熊猫也造成了影响。由此推断本句是说熊猫是无辜的，也是政治斗争的受害者。故选C。