Question

    When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠).

Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have(showcased)nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.

Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.

Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.

The fur trade kept nutria check for decades，but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s，the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.

Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur.

Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says，”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-1 think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She trying to come up with a lable to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.

1.What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn?

A.To promote guilt-free fur.

B.To expand the fashion market.

C.To introduce a new brand.

D.To celebrate a winter holiday.

2.Why are scientists concerned about nutria?

A.Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously.

B.Nutria are an endangered species.

C.Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals.

D.Nutria are illegally hunted.

3.What does the underlined word “collapsed” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A.Boomed. B.Became mature. C.Remained stable. D.Crashed.

4.What can we infer abouf wearing fur in New York according to Morgan?

A.It’s formal. B.It’s risky. C.It’s harmful. D.It’s traditional.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】

本文是说明文。介绍了美国新奥良和布鲁克林举办了不同寻常的时装秀。展出海狸鼠制成的皮衣。海狸鼠们每年都在破坏大片的湿地，因此设计师称这是一种环保的举措，科学家们也对海狸鼠损坏生态平衡表示了担忧。

1.

推理判断题。根据第二段Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year,”says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.得知，美国新奥尔良和布鲁克林举办了不同寻常的时装秀，时装秀上展出海狸鼠皮制成的不同风格的衣服，项目总监Cree McCree说：“除非了解海狸鼠正每年破坏大片湿地，否则谈论无罪感皮衣是很疯狂的事情”，可以判断出由于海狸鼠对生态造成了巨大的破坏，这场海狸鼠皮衣时装秀销售的是无罪恶感皮衣。故选A。

2.

推理判断题。根据第三段Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail.得知，科学家们如此担心以至于他们决定按照一条海狸鼠尾巴付给猎人们5美元，可以推断出科学家们担忧海狸鼠们严重破坏生态平衡，。故选A。

3.

词义猜测题。根据第五段The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades, but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s,the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy. 得知，毛皮贸易使海狸鼠受到了几十年的控制，但是当海狸鼠市场在20世纪80年代末崩溃时，这种猫大小的动物数量疯长，根据but判断，这是转折关系，以前由于皮毛交易，海狸鼠处于控制，现在这种海狸鼠之所以能够数量激增，是由于市场不再销售海狸鼠皮毛导致的，可以推断出划线词collapsed 是和D.crashed倒闭的意思最相近。故选D。

4.

推理判断题。根据第二段Model Paige Morgan says, “To give people a guilt –free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least in New York. ” 得知，为了给人们一种无罪的选择，人们可以穿皮衣而不被人们泼油漆，我认为在纽约将是一件巨大的事情，根据模特摩根所说得知，在纽约穿皮质衣服是有风险的。故选B。