阅读理解精选4TheAfricanelephant,thelargestlandanimalremainingonearth,isofgreatimportancetoAfricanecosystem(生态系统).Unlikeotheranimals,theAfricanelephantistoagreatextentthebuilderofitsenvironment.Asabigplant-eater,itlargelyshapestheforest-and-savanna(大草原)surroundingsinwhichitlives,thereforesettingthetermsofexistenceformillionsofotheranimalsthatliveinitshabitat.Itistheelephant'sgreatdesireforfoodthatmakesitadisturberoftheenvironmentandanimportantbuilderofitshabitat.Initscontinuoussearchforthe300poundsofplantsitmusthaveeveryday,itkillssmalltreesandunder-bushes,andpullsbranchesoffbigtrees.ThisresultsinnumerousopenspacesinbothdeeptropicalforestsandinthewoodlandsthatcoverpartoftheAfricansavannas.Intheseopenspacesarenumerousplantsinvariousstagesofgrowththatattractavarietyofotherplant-eaters.Taketherainforestsforexample.Intheirnaturalstate,thespreadingbranchesoverheadshutoutsunlightandpreventthegrowthofplantsontheforestfloor.Bypullingdowntreesandeatingplants,elephantsmakeopenspaces,allowingnewplantstogrowontheforestfloor.Insuchsituations,theforestsbecomesuitableforlargehoofedplant-eaterstomovearoundandforsmallplant-eaterstogettheirfoodaswell.WhatworriesscientistsnowisthattheAfricanelephanthasbecomeanendangeredspecies.Iftheelephantdisappears,scientistssay,manyotheranimalswillalsodisappearfromvastareasofforestandsavanna,greatlychangingandworseningthewholeecosystem.41.Whatisthepassagemainlyabout?A.DisappearanceofAfricanelephants.B.ForestsandsavannasashabitatsforAfricanelephants.C.TheeffectofAfricanelephants'searchforfood.D.TheeatinghabitofAfricanelephants.-3-\n42.Whatdoestheunderlinedphrase“settingtheterms”mostprobablymean?A.Fixingthetime.B.Worseningthestate.C.Improvingthequality.D.Decidingtheconditions.43.Whatdoweknowabouttheopenspacesinthepassage?A.Theyresultfromthedestructionofrainforests.B.TheyprovidefoodmainlyforAfricanelephants.C.Theyarehometomanyendangeredanimals.D.Theyareattractivetoplant-eatinganimalsofdifferentkinds.44.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUE?A.TheAfricanelephantisthelargestanimalonearth.B.Africanelephantshave300poundsofplantseveryday,includingsmalltreesandunder-bushes.C.TheAfricanelephantisinawaythebuilderoftheenvironmentlikeotherlandanimalsD.IftheAfricanelephantdisappears,thewholeecosystemwon’tbeaffected.45.Thepassageisdevelopedmainlyby.A.showingtheeffectandthenexplainingthecausesB.pointingoutsimilaritiesanddifferencesC.describingthechangesinspaceorderD.givingexamples【答案与解析】41—45CDDBA本文主要讲述了非洲大象的食物链对周围环境的影响。41.C主旨大意题。往往文章的第一段和最后一段都是透漏文章主旨的地方。而本文正是这样。我们从这两段可以读出，这篇文章是关于非洲象寻找食物所带来的影响的，所以应该选择C。42.D词义猜测题。根据上半句和下文existenceformillionsofotheranimals可知。-3-\n43.D细节理解题。Openspace出现在文中的第二段的第三句和第四句。从第四句中我们可以得知这样的空地很容易吸引各种各样的食草动物，所以选择D。44.B细节理解题。根据文章第二段的第二句话可判断B为正确答案。45.A推理判断题。通读后发现，这篇文章是先讲述大象寻找食物所带来的影响，然后解释原因的，所以要选择A。-3-
