Question

    The outbreak of locusts, an insect that mainly lives in Africa and Asia, is the worst experienced by Kenya in 70 years. The crowds are some three times the size of New York City, eating their way through thousands of acres of crops and animal grassland and destroying livelihoods in the process.

“These hungry things are alarming,” says Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's senior locust forecasting officer. "A crowd the size of Manhattan can, in a single day, eat the same amount of food as everyone in New York and California combined."

Desert locusts are infamous for their ability to breed(繁育)rapidly in large numbers every three months. And with some help from the wind, they can travel as much as 80 miles a day. Most years, the insects stay in African deserts. However, under the right environmental conditions, they can multiply quickly, spread as much as 400 times every six months and cause extensive destruction if left unchecked.

“The insect has the ability to take advantage of good conditions.” Cressman says.

The "good conditions" the scientist is referring to began in mid-2018 when a rainstorm from the Indian Ocean struck a remote area of the Arabian Peninsula known as the "Empty Quarter". Normally, it would dry out within a short period, killing most of the locust population, which depends on green plants for food. However, in late 2018, a second rainstorm struck the same region. The huge sandy area got wet, which is exactly what desert locusts need to lay their eggs and breed. The extra food supply caused the population to explode for the second time in six months.

Luckily, the locusts, experts say, are easy to control with chemicals. Kenya badly needs equipment and a steady supply of chemicals to effectively wipe out the massive insects. Hopefully, leaders worldwide will recognize the tough situation and contribute generously to control the locust outbreak.

1.What can we infer from what Cressman says in paragraph 2?

A.Little can dull locusts' appetite.

B.Urgent action must be taken against locusts.

C.Overpopulation in big cities leads to food shortages.

D.New York and California should meet challenges together.

2.What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A.Locusts' living conditions. B.Locusts' destructive effect.

C.Locusts' daily travel distance. D.Locusts' super reproductive power.

3.For what purpose does the author mention "good conditions"?

A.To explain immediate causes of the locust outbreak.

B.To remind locals to preserve the environment.

C.To analyze how to prevent locust outbreak.

D.To highlight the strength of two rainstorms.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。蝗虫是一种主要生活在非洲和亚洲的昆虫，它的爆发是肯尼亚70年来经历的最严重的一次。蝗虫群的规模大约是纽约市的三倍，吃掉了数千英亩的庄稼和动物草地，在这个过程中破坏了人们的生计。文章还介绍了蝗虫超强繁殖能力，解释了蝗虫爆发的直接原因，以及控制蝗虫的办法。

1.

推理判断题。根据第二段“These hungry things are alarming,” says Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's senior locust forecasting officer. “A crowd the size of Manhattan can, in a single day, eat the same amount of food as everyone in New York and California combined.”可知“这些饥饿的东西令人担忧，”联合国粮农组织蝗虫预测高级官员Keith Cressman说。“一个曼哈顿那么大的蝗虫群，在一天之内，可以吃下相当于纽约和加利福尼亚所有人加起来的食物量。”由此可从Cressman的话中推知，必须采取紧急行动对付蝗虫。故选B。

2.

主旨大意题。根据第三段内容Desert locusts are infamous for their ability to breed(繁育)rapidly in large numbers every three months. And with some help from the wind, they can travel as much as 80 miles a day. Most years, the insects stay in African deserts. However, under the right environmental conditions, they can multiply quickly, spread as much as 400 times every six months and cause extensive destruction if left unchecked.可知沙漠蝗虫因其每三个月就能大量繁殖的能力而臭名昭著。在风的帮助下，它们一天可以行进80英里。大多数年份，这些昆虫都生活在非洲的沙漠里。然而，在适当的环境条件下，它们可以迅速繁殖，每六个月传播400次，如果任其发展，就会造成大面积的破坏。由此可知，第三段的主要内容是蝗虫的超强繁殖能力。故选D。

3.

推理判断题。根据倒数第二段The "good conditions" the scientist is referring to began in mid-2018 when a rainstorm from the Indian Ocean struck a remote area of the Arabian Peninsula known as the "Empty Quarter". Normally, it would dry out within a short period, killing most of the locust population, which depends on green plants for food. However, in late 2018, a second rainstorm struck the same region. The huge sandy area got wet, which is exactly what desert locusts need to lay their eggs and breed. The extra food supply caused the population to explode for the second time in six months.可知这位科学家所说的“良好条件”始于2018年年中，当时一场来自印度洋的暴雨袭击了阿拉伯半岛的一个被称为“空区”的偏远地区。通常情况下，它会在短时间内干涸，杀死大部分依靠绿色植物为食的蝗虫。然而，在2018年底，同一地区遭遇了第二次暴雨。大片的沙地变得湿润了，而这正是沙漠蝗虫产卵和繁殖所需要的。额外的食物供应导致蝗虫数量在六个月内第二次激增。由此可推知，作者提到“良好条件”的目的是解释蝗虫爆发的直接原因。故选A。