Question

    Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts (蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.

And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts,” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal’s worst affected area.

This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten (威胁) Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.

Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.

Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares (公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.

Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agricul-ture Organization warned.

1.By using “dark cloud” to describe locusts in the first paragraph, the author of the article ________.

A.showed the size and speed of the mass of locusts

B.suggested the great damage that locusts can cause

C.warned that locusts would sweep the continent like rain clouds

D.both A and B

2.The story is mainly about ________.

A.West Africa’s united effort in fighting a disaster

B.the difficulty in controlling locusts

C.how locusts caused great damage to West Africa

D.a struggle to fight against a disaster brought by locusts in West Africa

3. Which of the following is WRONG?

A.Sud-Fm offered a reward for fighting locusts so that more people would join in the effort.

B.Senegal is to the southwest of Sudan.

C.The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa.

D.12 countries affected by locusts have united but still lack pesticide.

Answer

1.D

2.D

3.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。这篇短文讲述的是非洲的部分地区遭受了非常严重的蝗虫灾害，造成了很大的损失。现在12个国家的领袖都已经采取措施，展开行动，消灭蝗虫。联合国也呼吁更多的人加入到与蝗虫的战斗中来。

1.推理判断题。由第二段首句中的“this disaster（这场灾难）”可知，文章的开头用a dark cloud 一片黑云来形容蝗虫，是想向我们表明蝗虫的数量非常之多，移动速度之快，以及蝗虫造成的损失有多么严重。第一段中的“billions of locusts（数以亿计的蝗虫）”体现了数量之多，与选项A中的“the size”呼应，“eating everything in their path（吃光它们路途中遇到的所有东西）”与选项B中的“the great damage”呼应。故选D。

2.主旨大意题。这是一篇说明文，前四段都描述了非洲蝗虫灾害的严重性以及给人们生活带来的灾难，最后两段描述了12个国家的领导已经达成计划，但是这样的合作还不够，消灭蝗虫需要国际合作，更多的人参与进来。根据最后两段可知，文章的写作意图还是强调这场灾难的严重性，呼吁大家一起合作来消灭蝗虫。因此推断这个故事是关于与西非蝗虫灾害的一场斗争。故选D。

3.细节理解题。由第二段中的“a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts.（如果他们能捕杀50公斤的蝗虫，一个电台愿意给听众50公斤的大米，）”及“We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts（我们认为这个主意能让更多的人参与到对抗蝗虫的战斗中）”可知，Sud-Fm为了让更多的人参与抵抗蝗虫提供了一个奖励，所以选项A正确。由第三段中的“Sudan in the northeast of Africa（sudan在非洲的东北部）”及第二段中的“Senegal, West Africa（Senegal, 非洲西部）”可知，sudan在Senegal的西南部，选项B正确。由倒数第二段中的“Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. We are now treating 6,000 hectares (公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day（尽管12国领导人同意了一个计划，但是还是远远不够的。我们现在每天能为6000公顷喷洒杀虫剂，但是我们每天需要为两万公顷喷洒杀虫剂）”可知，选项D描述正确。文章中没有提到蝗虫泛滥的原因，故选C。