Question

    The okapi is a mammal living above the equator in one of the most biodiverse areas in central Africa. The animal was unknown to the western world until the beginning of the 20th century, and is often described as half-zebra, half-giraffe, as if it were a mixed-breed creature from a Greek legend. Yes its image is prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo-the only country in the world where it is found living in the world. The okapi is to Congo what the giant panda is to China or the kangaroo to Australia.

Although the okapi has striped markings resembling those of zebras’, it is most closely related to the giraffe. It has a long neck, and large, flexible ears. The face and throat are greyish white. The coat is a chocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles. Overall, the okapi can be easily distinguished form its nearest relative. It is much smaller (about the size of a horse) and shares more external similarities with the deer than with the giraffe. While both sexes possess horns in the giraffe, only males bear horns in the okapi.

The West got its first whiff of the okapi in 1890 when Welsh Journalist Henry Morton Stanley had puzzled over a strange “African donkey” in his book. Other Europeans in Africa had also heard of an animal that they came to call the “African unicorn.” Explorers may have seen the fleeting view of the striped backside as the animal fled through the bushes, leading to speculation that the okapi was some sort of rainforest zebra. Some even believed that the okapi was a new species of zebra. It was only later, when okapi skeleton was analyzed, that naturalists realized they had a giraffe on their hands.

In 1987, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was established in eastern Congo to protect this rare mammal. But decades of political turbulence has seen much of the Congo’s natural resources spin out of the government’s control, and okapi numbers have fallen by 50 percent since 1995. Today, only 10,000 remain.

1.Which of the following is a picture of an okapi?

A. B.

C. D.

2.Which of the following descriptions is true about the okapi?

A.It is an important symbol of Congo.

B.It has been well protected since 1987.

C.It is a mystical creature from a Greek legend

D.It is more closely related to the zebra than the giraffe.

3.What does the underlined word“whiff”most likely mean in Paragraph 3?

A.Firm belief. B.Kind intention.

C.Strong dislike. D.Slight trace.

4.What can be inferred about Henry Morton Stanley?

A.He was the first Europeans to analyze okapi skeleton.

B.He had found many new species of animals in Africa.

C.He did not know the“African donkey"in his book was the okapi.

D.He had seen the backside of an okapi dashing through the bushes.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】

本文为说明文。文章介绍了生活在赤道以上的哺乳动物--- okapi，这种动物直到20世纪初才为西方世界所知，通常被描述为半斑马半长颈鹿，仿佛它是希腊传说中的混血动物。1987年，在刚果东部建立了Okapi野生动物保护区，来保护这种稀有的哺乳动物。现在okapi成为刚果的重要象征。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段“the okapi has striped markings resembling those of zebras’, it is most closely related to the giraffe. It has a long neck, and large, flexible ears. The face and throat are greyish white. The coat is a chocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles. Overall, the okapi can be easily distinguished form its nearest relative. It is much smaller (about the size of a horse) and shares more external similarities with the deer than with the giraffe.” okapiOkapi有类似斑马的条纹，但它与长颈鹿的关系最为密切。它的脖子很长，耳朵又大又灵活。脸和喉咙是灰白色的。皮毛是巧克力色到红棕色，与白色的水平条纹和腿上的环以及白色的脚踝形成了鲜明的对比。总的来说，okapi可以很容易地把它从近亲中分辨出来。它比长颈鹿小得多（大约马的大小），与鹿有更多的外部相似性。分析四副图片可知B项符合题意，故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据第一段“The okapi is to Congo what the giant panda is to China or the kangaroo to Australia.” Okapi对刚果，就像大熊猫对中国或袋鼠对澳大利亚。根据常识可知，大熊猫是中国的象征，袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征。因此可推断出Okapi是刚果的重要象征。故选A。

3.词义猜测题。根据划线词后的“…when Welsh Journalist Henry Morton Stanley had puzzled over a strange “African donkey” in his book... Other Europeans in Africa had also heard of an animal that they came to call the “African unicorn.” 当威尔士记者亨利·莫顿·斯坦利在他的书中对一头奇怪的“非洲驴”感到困惑。欧洲人也听说过一种他们称之为“非洲独角兽”的动物。由此可推断出西方在1890年是第一次发现了这种动物的一点踪迹。分析选项A. Firm belief坚定的信仰； B. Kind intention善意；C. Strong dislike非常不喜欢；D. Slight trace一点踪迹。由此可知D项符合题意，故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据第三段的第一句The West got its first whiff of the okapi in 1890 when Welsh Journalist Henry Morton Stanley had puzzled over a strange “African donkey” in his book. 1890年，当威尔士记者Henry Morton Stanley在他的书中把okapi看作是一头奇怪的“非洲驴”而感到困惑，由此可知，Henry不知道书中的“非洲驴”是okapi，故选C。