Question

    Over the past few months huge groups of locusts(蝗虫), one of which occupied an area more than three times the size of New York City, have eaten up crops across the Home of Africa and the Middle East, leaving an estimated 20 million people at risk of famine(饥荒). The first generation's eggs are starting to hatch, and now even bigger swarms(虫群) are forming threatening. Countries from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Yemen, Iran, Pakistan and India, “representing a threat to food security and livelihoods,” says the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO).

Desert locusts' populations explode when weather conditions are right. That explosion can create huge swarms that can travel great distance-more than 90 miles in a day-in search of food. Warm weather and unusually heavy rains in the Horn of Africa at the end of 2019 provided the moist(湿润的) soil necessary for hatching eggs. From there, the insects spread rapidly, resulting in one of the worst outbreaks the region has seen in more than 70 years.

A typical swarm numbering 4 billion to 8 billion locusts, can consume in one day the same  amount of food as 35 million people. Some swarms have been so thick in parts of Kenya that they have prevented planes from taking off. Governments have used widespread aerial spraying of pesticides when available; in poorer regions, where aircraft are unavailable, soldiers battle the swarms with handheld spray pump.

The FAO has appealed for $138 million to support affected communities, If the locusts are not stopped before the next generation hatches, the impact could be terrible: the FAO guesses that an additional 25 million people across the region could lose their crops. Scientists in Kenya hope a new computer-assisted tracking program that combines satellite data with weather-mapping software will help predict the swarms next destination, buying-regional authorities enough time to prepare a response. Buy coronavirus- related travel restriction have delayed relief efforts as well as response mechanisms. The locusts have no such travel limitations.

1.The author uses many statistics in the passage to show_____

A.the disastrous consequence of the outbreaks of locusts

B.the serious conditions facing the New York City

C.the speed of swarms of locusts travelling

D.the exact number of crops consumed by locusts

2.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A.The great distances locusts can travel.

B.The explosion of locusts' population.

C.The perfect conditions for hatching their eggs.

D.The result of the unusual outbreaks of locusts.

3.What does the last paragraph imply?

A.The travel restrictions may probably worsen the urgent situation.

B.It is unlikely to predict the swarms' next destination now.

C.A lot of money has been raised after the FAO's appeal

D.It's not difficult for humans to win the battle against the locust

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。本文主要讲述了目前蝗虫泛滥的情况，以及蝗虫泛滥的严重程度、蝗虫泛滥的天气原因、给人带来的后果和组织打算做出的应对措施。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段中Over the past few months huge groups of locusts, one of which occupied an area more than three times the size of New York City, have eaten up crops across the Home of Africa and the Middle East, leaving an estimated 20 million people at risk of famine.可知在过去的几个月里，成群结队的蝗虫吞噬了整个非洲和中东地区的庄稼，使大约2000万人面临饥荒的危险。其中一个蝗虫群占据的面积是纽约市的三倍多。第一段用具体数据描述了蝗虫占据的面积之大，覆盖面之广、迫使上百万人饥荒，这些都表明了蝗虫爆发给人类带来的灾难性后果。由此可推知，作者在文章中用了很多数据是为了说明蝗虫爆发的灾难性后果。故选 A。

2.主旨大意题。根据第二段中Warm weather and unusually heavy rains in the Horn of Africa at the end of 2019 provided the moist soil necessary for hatching eggs. From there, the insects spread rapidly, resulting in one of the worst outbreaks the region has seen in more than 70 years.可知2019年底，温暖的天气和罕见的大雨为非洲之角提供了孵化虫卵所需的湿润土壤。从那里开始，这种昆虫迅速蔓延，导致了该地区70多年来最严重的疫情之一。由此可知，第二段主要描述的是蝗虫大规模孵化的有利条件。故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段中Buy coronavirus- related travel restriction have delayed relief efforts as well as response mechanisms. The locusts have/no such travel limitations.可知与冠状病毒相关的旅行限制延误了救援工作和应对机制。蝗虫没有这样的旅行限制。由此可推知，旅行限制可能会使紧急情况恶化。故选A。