Question

    Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of meeting a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long and weighed between five and 10 tons and it would spend most of its day moving slowly in the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller’s sea cow, which has now died out.

Today, many people don’t know that such a strange creature once existed, or don’t know its unbelievable story. but many scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical (神秘的) animal.

Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller’s sea cow didn’t happen until 1741. When a sailing expedition (探险) was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailors survived by hunting and eating the enormous sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in groups. That and its slow moving behavior made it easy to be caught.

Those sailors that escaped from the island spread word of the amount of meat to be found off its shore. As a result, more and more people came to hunt the animals. It is said that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month.

However, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. This makes the sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age.

1.What does the underlined phrase “in question” in Para 1 mean?

A.In danger. B.Referred to.

C.In doubt. D.Being questioned.

2.When did the Steller’s sea cow become extinct?

A.In 1717. B.In 1741.

C.In 1768. D.In 1775.

3.Which of the following words can best describe the Steller’s sea cow?

A.Endangered. B.Huge.

C.Strange. D.Mild.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.An unbelievable story about the Steller’s sea cow.

B.When the Steller’s sea cow became extinct.

C.How the Steller’s sea cow has been driven extinct.

D.The discovery about the Steller’s sea cow dying out.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了虎头海牛是怎样灭绝的。

1.

短语猜测题。第一段描述了海牛的外形和习性，根据划线短语后“was known as Steller’s sea cow(就是虎头海牛)”可推知，“The cow in question was known as Steller’s sea cow, which has now died out.”意思是“上面提到的海牛就是虎头海牛，现在已经灭绝了”，所以“in question”意思是“提到的”，故选B项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller’s sea cow didn’t happen until 1741.(令人惊讶的是，直到1741年才有了第一次虎头海牛的记录)”和最后一段第一句“However, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. (然而，在这个岛屿和物种被现代人发现后仅仅27年，最后一头虎头海牛被杀死)”可知，虎头海牛是在1768年灭绝的，故选C项。

3.

推理判断题。根据第一段第二句“This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones.(这头牛测量约10米长，重5到10吨。)”可知，虎头海牛体型巨大。故选B项。

4.

主旨大意题。通读全文并结合最后一段中“This makes the sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age.(这使海牛成为已知的在现代灭绝的真正的大型哺乳动物之一)”可知，文章主要讲述了虎头海牛是怎样灭绝的。故选C项。