Question

    Beekeeper Pablo Alvarez sits near his hives (蜂箱) and points up into a cloudless, blue Chilean sky. This season, Alvarez says, there is much less bee traffic than usual. Spring rains once led to fields of flowers in Casablanca, a town on the Chilean Pacific coast. Now, there is just dry earth. He says he lost half of his hives by early spring. “At the end of winter, bees need flowers to grow and make honey,” he told Reuters reporters. No flowers means no food, he added.

His story is common among beekeepers across much of central Chile. A severe, years-long lack of rain is making life difficult for honey bees. Concern over how the changing environment has affected bees has reached the highest levels of government in Chile. The country has already provided large amounts of money for farmers suffering from the drought. In August, it said it would include the “costs” of climate change in future agency budgets.

"We all know the importance that bees have in agricultural production," Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker recently told reporters. Honey bees pollinate (授粉) many of Chile’s major export crops, including blueberries, apples and cherries.

Already, agriculture officials have ordered a state of emergency in more than 100 farm communities throughout central Chile. Though dry periods are normal from time to time, officials say climate change has made the current dry period longer and more severe. Rainfall in September in Santiago was down nearly 80 percent compared to the historical average.

Alvarez has begun taking care of an organic bee yard filled with native, drought-resistant plants. Yet even as he describes those efforts, the horn of a water truck sounds. His well has run dry. Now he must pay for water, too.

1.It can be inferred from the passage that          .

A.100 farm communities are now in an urgent situation in Chile

B.the government has provided beekeepers with agency budgets

C.beekeepers can use the water for free if their wells have run dry

D.the decreasing number of bees will affect the agricultural production

2.Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?

A.Disapproving. B.Enthusiastic.

C.Concerned. D.Doubtful.

3.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Years-long Drought Threatens Honey Bees in Chile

B.Climate Change Makes the Dry Period More Severe

C.The Decrease in Number of Beekeepers Has Drawn Attention

D.The Drought Calls for the Government to Take Immediate Action

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章提到智利长期的干旱影响到了蜜蜂的数量从而影响了农业的生产。最后作者也提及政府的一些举措。

1.

推理判断题。根据文章第三段We all know the importance that bees have in agricultural production," Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker recently told reporters. Honey bees pollinate many of Chile’s major export crops, including blueberries, apples and cherries（农业部长安东尼奥·沃克最近告诉记者：我们都知道蜜蜂在农业生产中的重要性，蜜蜂为智利许多主要出口作物授粉，包括蓝莓、苹果和樱桃）可知，蜜蜂对农业的生产极为重要。但是根据文章第一段提到This season, Alvarez says, there is much less bee traffic than usual（阿尔瓦雷斯说，这个季节蜜蜂的流量比平时少很多）以及第二段A severe, years-long lack of rain is making life difficult for honey bees（多年来严重的少雨使蜜蜂的生活变得困难）可知，蜜蜂的数量受到的气候的影响，数量在减少。综合分析可知，蜜蜂数量的减少会影响到农业的产量。故选D项。

2.

推理判断题。文章中作者用了如：No flowers means no food, he added（他补充说，没有花意味着没有食物）；A severe, years-long lack of rain is making life difficult for honey bees（多年来严重的少雨使蜜蜂的生活变得困难）；The country has already provided large amounts of money for farmers suffering from the drought（国家已经为遭受旱灾的农民提供了大量资金）；Already, agriculture officials have ordered a state of emergency in more than 100 farm communities throughout central Chile（农业官员已经下令智利中部100多个农业社区进入紧急状态）等用来表达“担心”的句子。A. Disapproving 不赞同；B. Enthusiastic 热情的；C. Concerned 担心的；D. Doubtful 可疑的。综合分析，故选C项。

3.

主旨大意题。根据文章第二段His story is common among beekeepers across much of central Chile. A severe, years-long lack of rain is making life difficult for honey bees. Concern over how the changing environment has affected bees has reached the highest levels of government in Chile（他的故事在智利中部大部分地区的养蜂人中很常见。多年来严重的少雨使蜜蜂的生活变得困难。智利政府最高层已经开始关注环境变化对蜜蜂的影响）可知，文章主要在讲常年干旱严重威胁了智利的蜜蜂。故选A项。