Ⅰ.阅读理解
Being about 63cm long, the toco toucan (鞭笞巨嘴鸟) is the largest of all toucans. Its black body and white throat look small because of its large colorful beak (鸟嘴). The bright orange beak is about 19cm long—almost one third of the bird's total length. But the beak weighs less than you may think.
Recent research shows that toucans control body temperature by changing the flow of blood to their beak. More blood flow means more heat is released. When toucans sleep, they put their beaks under their feathers (羽毛) to keep them warm. Toco toucans also use their beaks to peel fruit, their main source of food. Also, the beak houses a flat tongue of the same length, which helps the toucan catch insects, frogs and reptiles. Toco toucans also eat the eggs of other birds sometimes.
Although they spend a lot of time in trees, toucans mainly travel among trees by jumping. When they do take flight, they flap their wings hard, travelling only short distances.
Toucans live in the holes of trees. They often move into holes made and given up by woodpeckers. It is in these holes that they lay their eggs, usually two to four a year. Both parents sit on the eggs for 16—20 days. Once the chicks come out, both parents continue to care for the young.
Native to South America, toco toucans can live in a variety of habitats including tropical forests, savannas, and shrubland. Therefore, they are not heavily influenced by rainforest destruction (破坏). Their population has not been determined, but it is thought to be large due to the frequency of sightings within their range. As such, the toco toucan is listed by the IUCN as being of least concern, and there are no specific efforts to protect the species.
本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了巨嘴鸟的一些情况。
1．What makes the toco toucan look special?
A．Its long beak.
B．Its light weight.
C．Its colorful feathers.
D．Its extremely long body.
答案：A
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的The bright orange beak is about 19cm long—almost one third of the bird's total length.可知，鞭笞巨嘴鸟巨大的嘴使其看起来很特别。
2．Why do toucans put their beaks under their feathers when they sleep?
A．To keep their beaks safe.
B．To keep their body warm.
C．To increase the flow of blood.
D．To protect themselves from attack.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的When toucans sleep, they put their beaks under their feathers (羽毛) to keep them warm.可知，巨嘴鸟睡觉时把嘴放在羽毛下是为了保持体温。
3．What can we learn about toucans according to the text?
A．They can run fast.
B．They're bad at flying.
C．Father toucans build homes by themselves.
D．Mother toucans take care of the babies alone.
答案：B
解析：推理判断题。根据第三段中的When they do take flight, they flap their wings hard, travelling only short distances.可以推知，巨嘴鸟不擅长飞行。
4．What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A．Toco toucans often attack people.
B．Most of toco toucans have been killed.
C．People should do more to protect toco toucans.
D．Toco toucans are not endangered animals now.
答案：D
解析：推理判断题。通读最后一段可知，鞭笞巨嘴鸟的栖息地很多；人们经常看到鞭笞巨嘴鸟的身影；IUCN认为人类目前不需要过多地关注鞭笞巨嘴鸟。由此可以推知，鞭笞巨嘴鸟目前的数量还是比较多的，它们不是濒危动物。
