12.The Beagle Brigade
Return to the United States from a trip abroad,and your luggage will get inspected by the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Beagle Brigade.Working with human canine officer partners,the beagles sniff out potential threats to American agriculture.
An orange or apple,for example,might harbor a Mediterranean fruit fly.Hams could carry a disease such as hog cholera.These and other pests could destroy farmer's crops and livestock."Once we introduce something that is not part of the environment,there may riot be any controls for it in the environment,"notes USDA's Lisa Davis at the National Dog Detector Training Center in Orlando,Florida."The best thing for us to do is to prevent it from coming across the border and becoming established.''
When a beagle sniffs specific food odors,it signals its partners by sitting.The human officer then investigates.When the dog is right-which happens 90percent of the time--it gets an edible treat.
"The dog is not out there working,"explains Davis."It's out there playing.It's a game to the dog."The handlers give the beagles plenty of food and loving.They make sure they get first-class medical attention,too.When the dogs finally retire after 9to 11years,the USDA finds caring homes for them.It's a dog's life indeed!
How well does the Beagle Brigade do its job?"On average,"notes Davis,"each year our 54teams prevent around 75,000 prohibited,restricted items."Since even one infested (为患的) item could cause widespread destruction,that's a great result for America's agricultural environment.
24.According to the article,what is a problem with agricultural products brought into the United States by passengers traveling from abroad?D
A.They generate similar types of food odors.
B.They are difficult to identify,even with trained dogs.
C.They must be inspected before being allowed to enter the country.
D.They may carry something that could harm the agricultural environment.
25.According to the article,how does the beagle signal that it has found a suspicious food product?C
A.By barking at its partner.
B.By begging for a treat.
C.By sitting next to the item.
D.By playing a game.
26.How is the beagle congratulated for finding a specific food product?D
A.The handler praises it with a hug.
B.The beagle gets to play for a few hours.
C.The beagle gets to retire to a caring home.
D.The handler gives it an edible reward.
27.In the article,the author supports the use of the Beagle Brigade byA.
A.providing statistics about the number of items detected by the dogs
B.showing that the dogs enjoy discovering prohibited items
C.pointing out that good homes are found for the dogs when they retire
D.praising the fact that the dogs work for a government agency.
分析 本文主要讲述了美国通过小猎犬嗅物品的方式来排除可能出现的外来物品对农业的威胁.
解答 24.D 细节题.根据文章内容,Working with human canine officer partners,the beagles sniff out potential threats to American agriculture.以及Once we introduce something that is not part of the environment,there may riot be any controls for it in the environment外出旅行回国,可能会携带某些对农业有威胁的东西,小猎犬可以嗅到其味道.一旦我们引入的物种与之前的环境冲突的,那么会对农业环境造成影响.结合选项,故选D
25.C 细节题.根据文章内容,When a beagle sniffs specific food odors,it signals its partners by sitting.一旦小猎犬嗅到特备的气味,它就会通过坐下来发出信号.结合选项,故选C
26.D 细节题.根据文章内容,When the dog is right-which happens 90percent of the time--it gets an edible treat.当小猎犬的发现是正确的,那么它将受到喂食的奖励.结合选项,故选D
27.A细节题.根据文章内容,"each year our 54teams prevent around 75,000 prohibited,restricted items."Since even one infested (为患的) item could cause widespread destruction,that's a great result for America's agricultural environment.由此可知,作者觉得可以通过分析小猎犬发现的可能的有害物质的数据来使用 the Beagle Brigade,结合选项,故选A
点评 本文是一个人生感悟类阅读,题目涉及多道细节理解题,做题时结合原文和题目有针对性的找出相关语句进行仔细分析,结合选项选出正确答案.推理判断题也是要在抓住关键句子的基础上合理的分析才能得出正确答案,切忌胡乱猜测,一定要做到有理有据.