Question

    Brush turkeys are heading back into urban Sydney areas, according to an environmental expert, and there is not much people can do about it.

The Australian brush turkey has “big feet”. They damage people’s beloved backyards by raking up dirt to make large nests which can sometimes hold up to 56 eggs in one mound(土堆). This is because one male brush turkey can breed(交配繁殖) with up to six females who can lay up to 12 eggs.

The population of brush turkeys in Australia was severely reduced along the east coast in the 1960s after coming close to extinction during the Depression as they were easy to hunt for food. As a result, they become a protected species in the 1970s which made it illegal to shoot them.

“In the 1980s, they took over Brisbane, and Sydney is about 10 years behind what happened up here,” Professor Darryl Jones, deputy director of the Environmental Futures Research Institute at Griffith University, said. “Once they get into the city they work out there’s a lot of food and they have a fair bit of protection.”

While brush turkeys have cultural significance in Queensland, they can be annoying for many in Sydney. Former Central Coast resident(居民) Paul told 702 ABC Sydney that he had “an ongoing battle for years” with brush turkeys that built nests in his garden.

“We had plague proportions(瘟疫之灾) when we lived on the Central Coast. I was trying to grow food and vegetables but I had to give up,” he said. “They just completely dug them up. I was fighting a losing battle.”

But Sydney resident Joy thinks differently. “Brush turkeys are part of nature,” she said. “I’ve been able to successfully have a flower garden and a vegetable garden and have brush turkeys wander through the yard. The way I’ve done it is just to put sticks in the ground around the plants. I haven’t had any problems at all and people need to think of ways to overcome these problems rather than kill animals.”

1.What’s one characteristic of brush turkeys?

A.They are afraid of humans. B.They often build mounds to hide eggs.

C.They usually live in coastal areas. D.A female lays a dozen eggs each time.

2.Why were brush turkeys nearly dying out during the Depression?

A.They were over-hunted for their meat. B.They couldn’t find enough food.

C.They were hated and hunted by people. D.Their natural habitats were destroyed.

3.What troubled Paul was that_____.

A.a plague broke out on the Central Coast.

B.he was sometimes attacked by brush turkeys.

C.his garden was messed up by brush turkeys.

D.he had no place to grow food and vegetables.

4.What is Joy’s opinion of brush turkeys?

A.They do much harm to gardeners.

B.Their number should be controlled.

C.Sydney is suitable for them to survive.

D.People should live in harmony with them.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

本文是说明文。文章介绍了澳大利亚丛林火鸡的生活习性、数量变化及扎堆悉尼市区生活后对当地居民的影响。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中的“by raking up dirt to make large nests which can sometimes hold up to 56 eggs in one mound.”可知, 雄性火鸡清理泥土做成大巢，有时一窝可容纳多达56个卵。即丛林火鸡经常刨土筑巢，把蛋放进去孵化。故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段中的“coming close to extinction during the Depression as they were easy to hunt for food”可知，大萧条时期，人们捕杀丛林火鸡作为食物，因此它们的数量大大减少，几近灭绝。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中Paul所说的话“I was trying to grow food and vegetables but I had to give up”和“They just completely dug them up. I was fighting a losing battle.”可知，让Paul苦恼的是，他曾经想要自己种植蔬菜，但他的花园被丛林火鸡刨得乱七八糟，这让他很无奈。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Brush turkeys are part of nature”和“people need to think of ways to overcome these problems rather than killing animals.”可知，Joy认为丛林火鸡是大自然的一部分，人们不该捕杀它们，而是应该想其他办法解决目前存在的问题。这说明她主张人类应该与丛林火鸡和谐相处。故选D。