A
Nasr Majid started hunting this fall at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (保护区)on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the USA. He’s one of the relatively few new hunters who officials hope will help stop a nearly four-decade decline nationally in what has become a hobby for fewer than 5 percent of Americans.
Natural resources and wildlife officials in Maryland are encouraging hunting of deer, turkeys and some other wild animals, which is believed to be good for the environment. Without hunting, they say, sika deer will overpopulate the wildlife refuge and they’ll overeat the bushes and other plants that provide important habitat for birds. On the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, hunting is also important to prevent the spread of diseases such as Lyme.
In many families, the hunting tradition has been handed down for generations. But as longtime sportsmen age and children lose interest, the number of hunters in the United States fell by 2 million, from 2011 to 2018, to about 11 million.
“Everything is changing. Kids are growing up in front of video games and computers instead of going hunting. ” said Chris Markin, a hunting specialist for the state natural resources department. “Adults usually focus on working and providing for their families. Those pressures are preventing many other potential hunters from going out, and from raising the next generation of hunters. ”
To avoid such a decline, a new approach is needed. Government agencies and nonprofit groups are now launching mentoring (指导)programs to train more hunters, which not only helps preserve an industry and a culture but also means more protection for wildlife and their habitats through deer population control and investment.
Luckily, there are those still eager to learn, like Majid. He was just looking for an outdoor hobby he could share with his children when he came across the mentorship program. Now, he feels capable of hunting on his own, but also has someone he can text with questions that pop up. His new pastime has already paid off for him — on his second hunt with his mentor, in the last minutes of daylight, he bagged his first deer.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文, 介绍了Nasr Majid在美国马里兰州东海岸的黑水国家野生动物保护区狩猎。他是为数不多的几个新猎人之一, 官员们希望他们能帮助阻止近四十年来全国范围内的狩猎活动下降。
1. What can be inferred from Chris Markin’s words?
A. The hunting tradition is facing challenges.
B. No one is interested in hunting any more.
C. Parents fail to spend enough time with kids.
D. Hunting adds to many adults’ life pressures.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Everything is changing. Kids are growing up in front of video games and computers instead of going hunting”及“Adults usually focus on working and providing for their families. Those pressures are preventing many other potential hunters from going out, and from raising the next generation of hunters. ”可知, 孩子们玩电脑游戏长大而不是去狩猎, 成人忙于工作和养家糊口, 这些压力阻碍了潜在的猎人外出, 也阻碍了下一代猎人的成长, 由此可知, Chris Markin的话表明狩猎传统正在面临挑战, 故A项正确。
2. In this passage, Nasr Majid is considered as a symbol of _________.
A. hope B. bravery
C. enthusiasm D. devotion
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据第一段内容可知, 今年秋天, Nasr Majid 开始在美国马里兰州东海岸的黑水国家野生动物保护区狩猎。他是为数不多的几个新猎人之一, 官员们希望他们能帮助阻止近四十年来全国范围内的狩猎活动下降。由此可知, Nasr Majid 被认为是希望的象征, 故A项正确。
3. What do the underlined words “new pastime” refer to?
A. Raising questions.
B. Learning to hunt.
C. Looking for hunters.
D. Sharing a new hobby.
【解析】选B。词义猜测题。根据画线词前的“Luckily, there are those still eager to learn, like Majid. He was just looking for an outdoor hobby he could share with his children. . . ”可知, 幸运的是, 也有一些人渴望学习狩猎, 比如Majid, 他把狩猎当成一种可以与孩子们分享的户外爱好。由文章最后一句可知, 他的这个新消遣已经有了回报——在第二次狩猎的最后几分钟, 他捕获了第一只鹿, 由此可知, 画线词指的是“学习狩猎”, 故B项正确。
4. What is the best title for the text?
A. Teach Hunters New Skills
B. Preserve a Great Tradition
C. Reduce the Pressure of Life
D. Make Hunting More Popular
【解析】选D。主旨大意题。通读全文, 特别是根据第一段内容可知, 本文主要介绍了 Nasr Majid在美国马里兰州东海岸的黑水国家野生动物保护区狩猎。他是为数不多的几个新猎人之一, 官员们希望他们能帮助阻止近四十年来全国范围内的狩猎活动下降, 由此可知, D项(让狩猎更加流行)最适合做文章标题。
【知识拓展】难句解读
He’s one of the relatively few new hunters who officials hope will help stop a nearly four-decade decline nationally in what has become a hobby for fewer than 5 percent of Americans.
分析: who引导定语从句, 修饰先行词 hunters; what 引导宾语从句。
翻译: 他是为数不多的几个新猎人之一。官员们希望, (像他这样的)新猎手能帮忙阻止近四十年来全国范围内狩猎活动的下降, (打猎)已经成为不到百分之五的美国人的业余爱好。
