Biologists estimate that as many as 2 million lesser prairie chickens---a kind of bird living on stretching grasslands—once lent red to the often gray landscape of the Midwestern and southwestern United States. But just some 22,000 birds remain today, occupying about 16% of the species’ historic range.
The crash was a major reason the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decided to formally list the bird as threatened. “The lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation,” said USFWS Director Daniel Ashe. Some environmentalists, however, were disappointed. They had pushed the agency to designate the bird as “endangered,” a status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats. But Ashe and others argued that the “threatened” tag gave the federal government flexibility to try out new, potentially less confrontational conservations approaches. In particular, they called for forging closer collaborations with western state governments, which are often uneasy with federal action and with the private landowners who control an estimated 95% of the prairie chicken’s habitat.
Under the plan, for example, the agency said it would not prosecute landowner or businesses that unintentionally kill, harm, or disturb the bird, as long as they had signed a range—wide management plan to restore prairie chicken habitat. Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres of suitable habitat. The fund will also be used to compensate landowners who set aside habitat, USFWS also set an interim goal of restoring prairie chicken populations to an annual average of 67,000 birds over the next 10 years. And it gives the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), a coalition of state agencies, the job of monitoring progress. Overall, the idea is to let “states” remain in the driver’s seat for managing the species,” Ashe said.
Not everyone buys the win-win rhetoric Some Congress members are trying to block the plan, and at least a dozen industry groups, four states, and three environmental groups are challenging it in federal court Not surprisingly, doesn’t go far enough “The federal government is giving responsibility for managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to extinction,” says biologist Jay Lininger.
1.The major reason for listing the lesser prairie as threatened is( ).
2.The “threatened” tag disappointed some environmentalists in that it ( ).
3.It can be learned from Paragraph3 that unintentional harm-doers will not be prosecuted if they ( ).
4.According to Ashe, the leading role in managing the species is ( ).
5.Jay Lininger would most likely support( ).
问题1选项
A.its drastically decreased population
B.the underestimate of the grassland acreage
C.a desperate appeal from some biologists
D.the insistence of private landowners
问题2选项
A.was a give-in to governmental pressure
B.would involve fewer agencies in action
C.granted less federal regulatory power
D.went against conservation policies
问题3选项
A.agree to pay a sum for compensation
B.volunteer to set up an equally big habitat
C.offer to support the WAFWA monitoring job
D.promise to raise funds for USFWS operations
问题4选项
A.the federal government
B.the wildlife agencies
C.the landowners
D.the states
问题5选项
A.industry groups
B.the win-win rhetoric
C.environmental groups
D.the plan under challenge
第1题:A
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
The major reason for listing the lesser prairie chicken as threatened is _____. 将小草原鸡列为濒危物种的主要原因是_____。
A. its drastically decreased population A. 其数量大幅下降
B. the underestimate of the grassland acreage B. 草原面积被低估
C. a desperate appeal from some biologists C. 一些生物学家的迫切呼吁
D. the insistence of private landowners D. 私有土地所有者的坚持
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】本题找的是原因,关键词出现在文章第二段首句“美国鱼类和野生动物管理局(USFWS)决定正式将这种鸟类列为濒危物种(threatened),这一急剧下降(crash)是主要原因(major reason)”,The crash是指上一段中提到的小草原鸡数量锐减的情况。因此A选项符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The “threatened” tag disappointed some environmentalists in that it _____. “受威胁”标签令一些环保主义者感到失望是因为它_____。
A. was a give-in to governmental pressure A. 是对政府压力的一种屈服
B. would involve fewer agencies in action B. 将使参与行动的机构变少
C. granted less federal regulatory power C. 赋予了较小的联邦监管权
D. went against conservation policies D. 与保护政策相违背
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段三、四句,第四句给出了失望(disappointed)的原因“他们敦促该机构将这种鸟类列为‘濒危物种’(endangered),这一定位会给予联邦官员更大的监管权力(greater regulatory power),以打击对该物种的威胁”,也就是说,如今“受威胁”(threatened)的标签意味着所赋予联邦官员的监管权相比他们所期待的“濒危物种”(endangered)会有所减少,因此C选项符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
It can be learned from Paragraph 3 that unintentional harm-doers will not be prosecuted if they _____. 从第三段可知,非故意伤害者将不会被起诉,如果他们_____。
A. agree to pay a sum for compensation A. 同意支付一笔赔偿金
B. volunteer to set up an equally big habitat B. 自愿建立一个同样大小的栖息地
C. offer to support the WAFWA monitoring job C. 愿意支持WAFWA的监督工作
D. promise to raise funds for USFWS operations D. 承诺为USFWS的运动筹集资金
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】第三段第一句说到“在此项计划之下,例如,该机构表示它不会起诉(not prosecute)非故意杀死、伤害或骚扰该鸟类的土地所有者或企业,只要(as long as)他们已经签署一项为恢复草原鸡栖息地而制定的大范围管理计划”,句中的as long as对应题干中的if,因此as long as后面说到的就是关键。下面第二句列出了签署内容的详细要求“要求在经营中破坏栖息地的个人和企业向一项基金付款(pay into a fund)”。因此A选项符合文意。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
According to Ashe, the leading role in managing the species in _____. 根据阿什所说,在管理该物种中扮演主导角色的是_____。
A. the federal government A. 联邦政府
B. the wildlife agencies B. 野生动物机构
C. the landowners C. 土地所有者
D. the states D. 各州
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】由题干定位到文章第三段最后一句“基本理念为:让各州(states)处于管理该物种的主导地位(in the driver’s seat)”,因此D选项符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项不符合原文,属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
Jay Lininger would most likely support _____. 杰伊·林恩格最可能支持_____。
A. industry groups A. 行业团体
B. the win-win rhetoric B. 双赢说辞
C. environmental groups C. 环保团体
D. the plan under challenge D. 受到挑战的计划
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】由题干定位到最后一段第四句“联邦政府(The federal government)是在将管理该物种的责任推卸给那些正在将物种推向灭绝(extinction)的行业”,由此可见,他认为联邦政府应自己负起管理小草原鸡的主要责任,而不应推卸给各州、各行业。这与环保主义者观点一致,选项C正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项不符合原文,属于曲解原文。