第二篇
On the Trial of the Honey Badger
On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learn a lot more about honey badgers. The team employed a local wildlife expert Kitso Khama to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers’ movements and behavior as discreetly(谨慎地) as possible without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal’s reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.
“The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,” he says. “That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture. If they sense you have food, for example, they won’t be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They’re actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious(凶恶的). Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.”
The research confirmed many things that www.med126.comwere already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal’s fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Preciously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey(猎物). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups. They were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialized with each other.
Following some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species. 医学全在线www.med126.com
As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the to get up close to them without being the subject of the animal’s curiosity—or sudden aggression. The badgers’ eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers’ relaxed attitude when near humans.
36. Why did the wild life experts visit the Kalahari Desert?
A. To find where honey badgers live.
B. To catch some honey badgers for food.
C. To observe how honey badgers behave.
D. To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation.
37. What does Kitso Khama say about honey badgers?
A. They are always looking for food.
B. They do not enjoy human company.
C. They show interest in things they are not familiar with.
D. It is common for them to attack people.
38. What did the team find out about honey badgers?
A. There were some creatures they did not eat.
B. They were afraid of poisonous creatures.
C. Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.
D. They may get some of the water they needed from fruit.
39. Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?
A. They don’t run very quickly.
B. They defend their territory from other badgers.
C. They hunt over a very large area.
D. They are more aggressive than females.
40. What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around them?
A. They became less aggressive towards other creatures.
B. They lost interest in people.
C. They started eating more.
D. Other animals started working with them.
参考答案：36.C、37.C、38.D、39.C、40.B
第三篇
Why So Many Children
In many of the developing countries in Africa and Asia, the population is growing fast. The reason for this is simple: Women in these countries have a high birth rate – from 3.0 to 7.0 children per woman. The majority of these
women are poor, without the food or resources to care for their families. Why do they have so many children? Why don’t they limit the size of their families? The answer may be that they often have no choice. There are several reasons for this. 医.学全.在.线网站www.med126.com
One reason is economic. In a traditional agricultural economy, large families are helpful. Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age. In an industrial economy, the situation is different. Many children do not help a family; instead, they are expense. Thus, industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate. This was the case in Italy, which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly. In the early part of the twentieth century, Italy was a poor, largely agricultural country with a high birth rate. After World War II, Italy’s economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized. By the end of the century, the birth rate had dropped to 1.3 children per woman, the world’s lowest.
However, the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate. Saudi Arabia, for example, does not have an agriculture-based economy, and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Nevertheless, it also has a very high birth rate (7.0). Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand, are poor countries, with largely agricultural economies, but they have recently reduced their population growth.
Clearly, other factors are involved. The most important of these is the condition of women. A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack 医.学全.在.线网站www.med126.comof education and low status for women. This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia. There, the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home. On the other hand, the improved condition of women in Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries. Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.
Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control. Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive, birth rates have gone down. This is the case in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as in Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil. In these countries, women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.
These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet their needs. Only then, in fact, does it have any real chance of success.
41. In a traditional agricultural economy, a large family_____.
A. can be an advantage.
B. may limit income.
C. isn’t necessary.
D. is expensive.
42. When countries become industrialized, _____.
A. families often become larger.
B. the birth rate generally goes down.
C. women usually decide not have a family.
D. the population generally grows rapidly.
43. According to this www.med126.compassage, Italy today is an example of an_____.
A. agricultural country with a high birth rate.
B. agricultural country with a low birth rate.
C. industrialized country with a low birth rate.
D. industrialized country with a high birth rate.
44. Saudi Arabia is mentioned in the passage because it shows that_____.
A. the most important factor influencing birth rate is the economy.
B. factors other than the economy influence birth rate.
C. women who have a high income usually have few children.
D. the birth rate depends on per capita income.
45. In Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia, the government_____.
A. is not concerned about the status of women.
B. has tried to industrialize the country rapidly.
C. does not allow women to work outside the home.
D. has tried to improve the condition of women.
参考答案：41.A、42.B、43.C、44.B、45.D
