Question

    Ecology is a complicated thing. c Given the facts that elephant damage often kills trees and bush fires often kill trees, a combination of the two will make things worse. However, as research shows just published in Biotropica, by Benjamin Wigley of Nelson Mandela University, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can actually help to make things better.

Since 1954，the Kruger National Park has been the site of experiments. Dr Wigley carried out these experiments by looking at trees in three different zones. In one of these zones, the vegetation (植被) was burned every year. In the second it was burned every other year. The third zone, by contrast, was actively protected from fire. To keep things consistent, he only looked at the fate of a single tree species, the marula (玛鲁拉树), whose bark is often eaten by elephants. In July 2016, he and his colleagues identified 20 marulas in every zone and used a hammer and a knife to remove a 5 cm circular section of bark from each of them.

To their surprise, damaged trees in the annual burnt zone regrew 98% of their lost bark during the two years of the study. Those living in the second burnt zone regrew 92% of it. But those in the zone where fires were banned regrew only 72%.

The researchers also found something else around the trees' wounds: ants. Ten of the 20 trees in the fire-banned zone developed ant colonies in their wounds. The ants were known to damage tissue healing. By contrast, only five trees in the second zone and three in the annual zone developed ants' nests in their wounds.

It looks, therefore, as if bush fires are burning trees'。wounds to kill the ants. Though such fires are surely harmful to healthy trees, it seems, in an example of two negatives making a positive, as if they are actually helpful to sick ones.

1.What is the finding of the research?

A.More fire does good to trees. B.Fire makes damaged trees. grow better.

C.Ants always help trees gr8w well. D.Elephants often damage tree barks.

2.What do we know about the experiments?

A.They were finished in one year.

B.They were carried out in different parks.

C.The damaged trees grew well as other trees.

D.The trees chosen had been damaged by the researchers.

3.Why did the author mention ants in the last two paragraphs?

A.To prove that ants are bad animals.

B.To show the benefit fire brings to damaged trees.

C.To express how ants influence trees' growth.

D.To introduce the role ants play in ecology.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Is Fire Totally Bad for Trees2 B.How does Fire Destroy the Trees?

C.The Balance of Trees and Ants D.Trees, Animals and Disasters

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

本文是说明文。一项新的研究表明，如果一棵树已经遭到大象啃食或蚂蚁的毁坏，火可以帮助其更快地生长。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句However, as research shows just published in Biotropica, by Benjamin Wigley of Nelson Mandela University, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can actually help to make things better.“然而,正如刚刚在纳尔逊·曼德拉大学(Nelson Mandela University)的本杰明·威格利(Benjamin Wigley)发表的《生物tropica》(Biotropica)上发表的一项研究表明,如果一棵树已经被破坏,火实际上可以帮助使事情变得更好。”可知，研究表明：如果一棵树已经遭到毁坏，火可以帮助事情变得更好。故选B。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句In July 2016, he and his colleagues identified 20 marulas in every zone and used a hammer and a knife to remove a 5 cm circular section of bark from each of them. “研究者们在每个区域内确认了20棵玛鲁拉树存活，并用锤子和刀从每棵树上取下直径5厘米的圆形树皮”。可知，这些被选中的树事先都被研究者们破坏了。故选D。

3.推理判断题。倒数第二段中The ants were known to damage tissue healing.“这些蚂蚁被认为会损伤组织愈合。”可知，蚂蚁会破坏树木组织的愈合。而最后一段第一句It looks, therefore, as if bush fires are burning trees' wounds to kill the ants.“因此,似乎布什的大火正在燃烧树木的伤口来杀死蚂蚁。”可知，丛林大火可以杀死不利于树木组织恢复的蚂蚁，这样一来“负负得正”，火实际上对生病的树木是有益的。故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段Ecology is a complicated thing. c Given the facts that elephant damage often kills trees and bush fires often kill trees, a combination of the two will make things worse. However, as research shows just published in Biotropica, by Benjamin Wigley of Nelson Mandela University, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can actually help to make things better. “生态学是一件复杂的事情。考虑到大象的伤害经常杀死树木,而灌木火灾经常会杀死树木,两者的结合会使情况变得更糟。然而,正如刚刚在纳尔逊·曼德拉大学(Nelson Mandela University)的本杰明·威格利(Benjamin Wigley)发表的《生物tropica》(Biotropica)上发表的一项研究表明,如果一棵树已经被破坏,火实际上可以帮助使事情变得更好。”由此可知，这篇文章讲述的是新研究表面某种意义上说火可以使树木生长地更好，故选A。