ThedeserttortoiseisfoundintheMojaveandSonoranDesertsinN...

问题详情：

The desert tortoise is found in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in North America．It is listed as an endangered species under the United States federal Endangered Species Act and is considered“vulnerable”by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN)． Despite the laws that protect them，their numbers are still on the decline．

The desert tortoise in the areas has lived for thousands of years．This animal is able to survive ground temperature over 140℉ and is known to live as long as 60 to 80 years．However，ninety-five percent of the life of a desert tortoise is spent in the ground escaping the heat in a hole or passage in the ground．Holes can be easily destroyed by off-highway vehicles that do not stay on built roads．Disasters also occur when they seek shade under parked cars．

Desert tortoises are also harmed by several diseases such as the upper respiratory tract disease often found in adopted tortoises．Pet owners’ releasing sick tortoises into the wild has resulted in diseases being spread to wild tortoises．

The desert tortoise feeds on a dune (沙丘) primrose during spring．Non-native Sahara mustard (芥菜) seen in the background is a weed that competes with the native plants for water and nutrients．In some areas，mustard grows so densely that it is nearly impossible for desert tortoises to pass through．Vehicles，which do not stay on built roads and do not get washed frequently，contribute to spreading weeds．

Rubbish，such as burst balloon，is a danger to desert tortoises．The balloon can be mistaken for food by desert tortoises and，once consumed，may remain in the stomachs and intestines giving them a false sense of fullness that may cause them to starve．

28．What does the underlined word“vulnerable”in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Easily harmed.                                            B．Very useful.

C．       Well protected.                                            D．Hardly noticed.

29．Why does the desert tortoise spend most of its time underground?

A．To save energy for a long life．

B．To escape cross-country vehicles.

C．To shelter themselves from other animals.

D．To protect themselves from the heat．

30．What can we learn about the tortoise?

A．It digests split balloon easily．              B．It lives on native plants．

C．It can fill itself up with burst balloon．    D．It promotes the growth of mustard．

31．What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Protection of the Desert Tortoise

B．A Sharp Decline in Tortoise Number

C．Dangers the Desert Tortoise is Facing

D．A Bad Effect Vehicles Have on Tortoise

【回答】

ADBC

知识点：科普环保类阅读

题型：阅读理解