Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and, fortunately, the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of overgrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.
First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut out diseased or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus causing wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing the branches that are locking up the center and so preventing the free movement of air.
One result of pruning is that an open would is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for diseases, but it is a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the disease as to whether the tree will live or die, or that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce the risk as far as possible. It is essential to make the area which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually done in winter, for then you can see the shape of the tree clearly without the interference from the leaves and it is, too, very unlikely that the cuts you make will bleed. If this does happen, it is, of course, impossible to paint them properly.
1. Pruning is probably usually done to ______.
2. Trees become unhealthy if the gardener ______.
3. Why is a special material painted on the tree?
4. A good gardener prunes a tree ______.
5. What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage?
问题1选项
A.make the small branches thicker
B.get rid of the small branches
C.improve the shape of the tree
D.make the tree grow taller
问题2选项
A.damages some of the small side branches
B.forces them to grow too quickly
C.does not protect them from the wind
D.allows too many branches to grow in the middle
问题3选项
A.To help a wound to dry.
B.To cover a rough surface.
C.To prevent disease entering a wound.
D.To make a wound smooth.
问题4选项
A.regularly every winter
B.occasionally when necessary
C.as quickly as possible
D.at intervals throughout the year
问题5选项
A.To discuss different methods of pruning.
B.To explain how trees develop disease.
C.To give a general description of pruning.
D.To give practical instruction for pruning a tree.
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:C
第4题:B
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
Pruning is probably usually done to ______. 修剪通常是为了______。
A. make the small branches thicker A. 使小树枝更粗
B. get rid of the small branches B. 去掉小树枝
C. improve the shape of the tree C. 改善树的形状
D. make the tree grow taller D. 使树长得更高
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】第二段第一句指出：First, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size.（首先，修剪可以确保树有一个理想的形状或大小）。由此可知，修剪通常是为了改善树的形状，故选C。
【干扰项排除】
A、B选项是使树有理想的形状的具体操作，而不是修剪的目的，属于张冠李戴；
D选项是树的理想形状的一种，属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Trees become unhealthy if the gardener ______. 如果园丁______树木会变得不健康。
A. damages some of the small side branches A. 破坏一些小的侧枝
B. forces them to grow too quickly B. 迫使它们生长过快
C. does not protect them from the wind C. 不能保护它们免受风的侵袭
D. allows too many branches to grow in the middle D. 让太多的树枝在中间生长
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】第二段最后一句指出：The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing the branches that are locking up the center and so preventing the free movement of air.（修剪掉挡在中间而阻止了空气自由流通的树枝，可以让树更健康）。由此可知，如果园丁让太多的树枝在中间生长，树就会不健康，故选D。
【干扰项排除】A、B、C选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Why is a special material painted on the tree? 为什么要在树上涂一种特殊的材料？
A. To help a wound to dry. A. 帮助伤口干燥。
B. To cover a rough surface. B. 覆盖粗糙的表面。
C. To prevent disease entering a wound. C. 防止疾病进入伤口。
D. To make a wound smooth. D. 使伤口光滑。
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】最后一段第一句指出：One result of pruning is that an open would is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for diseases, but it is a wound that will heal.（修剪的一个后果是树上留下一个缺口，这为疾病提供了一个容易的入口，但这是一个可以愈合的伤口）。因此树被涂上一种特殊材料终究是为了防止疾病通过修剪口侵入，因此选C。
【干扰项排除】
A选项，文中提到：You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hours and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose.（你应该让切割表面干燥几个小时，然后用一种可以从专门为此目的生产的园艺商店获得的物质来粉刷它。）可知让切割表面干燥几个小时和涂一种特殊的材料都是防止疾病进入伤口的一个手段，属于曲解原文；
B、D选项，文中提到：It is essential to make the area which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness.（修剪过的区域必须光滑干净，因为粗糙会减缓愈合速度）表明，使伤口光滑和覆盖粗糙的表面与题干树上涂一种特殊的材料的原因无关，属于出处错位。
第4题:
【选项释义】
A good gardener prunes a tree ______. 好的园丁会______修剪树木。
A. regularly every winter A. 每年冬天定期
B. occasionally when necessary B. 偶尔在必要时
C. as quickly as possible C. 尽可能快地
D. at intervals throughout the year D. 每隔一段时间
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】第一段指出：Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and…（只有在有充分和明确的理由时才应该修剪树木……）。由此推断，B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】A、C、D选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
What was the author’s purpose when writing this passage? 作者写这篇文章的目的是什么？
A. To discuss different methods of pruning. A. 讨论不同的修剪方法。
B. To explain how trees develop disease. B. 解释树木如何得病的。
C. To give a general description of pruning. C. 概述修剪。
D. To give practical instruction for pruning a tree. D. 为修剪树木提供实际指导。
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】纵观全文，本文开头讲了修剪的原因，方法，接着讲了修剪的后果及其处理方法，因此C选项能概括本文主旨。
【干扰项排除】A、B、D选项概括不够，不能用于总结全文。
