全国2010年10月高等教育自学考试英语阅读（二）试题

课程代码:00596

全部题目用英文作答(翻译题除外),并将答案写在答题纸相应位置上

I. Reading Comprehension. (50 points, 2 points for each)

Directions: In this part of the test, there are five passages. Following each passage, there are five questions with four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best answer and then write the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.

Passage One

Animal life first appeared on the earth about 400 million years ago. Through the passing millennia, thousands of animal species have come and gone. Until recently, this process was gradual, the result of changes in climate, in habitat, or in the genes of the animals themselves. But the tremendous expansion of modern civilization now threatens to upset this natural balance, putting unprecedented pressure on the survival of our wildlife.

Of all the continents, the most drastic reduction in wildlife has occurred in North America, where the transition from a rural to a highly industrialized society has been most rapid. Among the victims are birds, mammals, and fish. We will never again see the passenger pigeon or the eastern elk. They have been wiped out. Of many other species, only a few representatives still survive in the wild. The U.S. Department of the Interior has put no fewer than 109 species on the endangered species list. This list includes everything from the timber wolf to the whooping crane. Even the bald eagle, our national symbol, is threatened.

Animals that kill other game for food are called predators. The predators include the wolf, mountain lion, fox, bobcat, and bear. Attack against these animals began with the arrival of the first European settlers, who wished to protect their livestock. Eventually, a reward was offered to hunters for every predator that was killed. This reward is called a bounty. Ironically, the Federal government was the chief funder of predator-control programs.

The settlers also brought with them their Old World fears and superstitions concerning predators.Whether preying on livestock or not,predators were shot on sight.This attitude continues to this day for coyotes,eagles,foxes,mountain lions,and bobcats,and is largely responsible for placing the eastern timber wolf, grizzly bear, and bald eagle on the endangered species list.

Yet every animal,including the predator, has its place in nature’s grand design.Predators help maintain the health of their prey species by eliminating the diseased,young,old,and injured.Predators like the mountain lion and the wolf help to keep the deer herds healthy.Their kill also provides food for scavengers that feed on carrion.Occasional loss of livestock must be weighed against the good these animals do in maintaining the balance of nature.

Questions 1-5 are based on Passage One.

1.The fastest disappearance of wildlife has occurred in ______.

A.Europe

B.Australia

C.North America

D.South America

2.The major threats to wildlife in the modern world come from ______.

A.industrialization and urbanization.

B.changes in climate,habitat,or the genes

C.rapid increase in man’s population

D.the use of pesticides

3.An endangered species is the one that ______.

A.kills other animals for food

B.faces extinction thus needs protection

C.is dangerous to human beings

D.1ives in places of danger

4."Animals that kill other game for food are called predators."(Para.3)The word "game" means ______.

A.animals that kill predators for food

B.animals that feed on carrion

C.animals that are hunted for food

D.animals that appear on the endangered species list

5.Bounty hunters are those who ______·

A.take care of the wild areas

B.kill predators for money

C.preserve wild animals

D.protect the habitat of the wildlife

Passage Two

The establishment of Earth Day began with an idea proposed in October 1969 by John McConnell,a San Francisco resident.

McConnell approached the San Francisco Board of Supervisors with a resolution to devote one day a year to public awareness dedicated to nature and the fragile ecosystem that comprises it.The day’s events would emphasize the urgency of all inhabitants of the planet to take responsibility for building a healthy and ecologically sustainable planet.The board was impressed with McConnell’s idea and declared Earth Day an annual celebration to be held on March 21,the date of the vernal equinox.McConnell stated,"This is the moment when night and day are equal throughout the earth—reminding us of Earth’s beautiful systems of balance which humanity has partially upset and must restore.’’

Earth Day was established as a national day of celebration in the United States in 1 970 and was embraced by the United Nations in 1 97 1 when it declared an Earth Day ceremony to be held each y

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