Question

【题目】Five eggs the size of Ping-Pong balls crack open as the tiny desert tortoises inside break through the shells. The two-inch-long babies immediately crawl off in search of flowers and grasses to eat. These animals may be newly hatched, but they already have survival skills that will allow them to thrive in their severe and hot habitats.

Desert tortoise live in the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. During the summer, ground temperatures in parts of their range can hit 140oF. To beat the heat, desert tortoises use their strong forearms and tough nails to dig underground holes where they can hide from the sun. some of these tortoise tunnels are up to 32 feet in length. And the holes can get pretty crowded. As many as 25 desert tortoises might stay together in one shelter.

The animals also dig grooves(沟)into the ground’s surface to catch rainwater. After a storm, they’ll return to these holes to drink the water that’s collected inside. Once it has had a good drink, a desert tortoise can go up to a year without requiring fresh water again. The tortoise stores the water it has consumed in its bladder and can later absorb the liquid when it needs to hydrate.

Despite sometimes hanging out in holes together, desert tortoises are pretty solitary. And sometimes when males come across each other, they’ll fight to establish governance. The fighting tortoises may use horns(角)on their chests to try and knock each other over. The contest ends when one animal turns over the other on its back. The losing tortoise can turn right side up by wiggling(摆动)its body back and forth until it flips(翻转)over. But after that, the tortoise knows who’s the boss.

【1】What do the desert tortoises’ babies mainly eat?

A. Insects

B. Small animals

C. Their mother’s milk

D. Flowers and grasses

【2】The underlined word “thrive” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A. play B. fight

C. grow up D. hang out

【3】How do the desert tortoises fight the summer heat?

A. By drinking much water

B. By staying under the tree

C. By digging enough grooves

D. By living in the underground holes

【4】What do we know about the desert tortoises?

A. They use their holes to save water

B. They fight mainly for the opposite sex

C. They can survive without drinking water for a year

D. They usually live in the northwestern United States

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】C

【3】D

【4】C

【解析】本文介绍了沙漠陆龟的生活习性及成长过程。

【1】细节理解题。由The two-inch-long babies immediately crawl off in search of flowers and grasses to eat.可知沙漠陆龟的幼龟吃花和草，选D。

【2】词义猜测题。These animals may be newly hatched, but they already have survival skills that will allow them to thrive in their severe and hot habitats. 这句话的意思是这些动物可能是新孵化的，但是它们已经具备了生存技能，这些生存技能使得它们能够在苛刻和炎热的栖息地中得以长大。所以“thrive”的意思是长大，选C。

【3】细节理解题。由To beat the heat, desert tortoises use their strong forearms and tough nails to dig underground holes where they can hide from the sun.可知沙漠陆龟通过居住在地下的洞穴里，来抵抗酷暑，选D。

【4】细节理解题。由Once it has had a good drink, a desert tortoise can go up to a year without requiring fresh water again.可知沙漠陆龟一年不喝水，也可以存活，选C。