Ⅰ. 阅读理解
A group of 75 female volunteers from India’s Odisha state has spent every day of the last 20 years patrolling(巡逻) a 75-hectare forest to protect it from illegal woodcutters.
In 1999, the eastern state of Odisha was hit by a super cyclone (超级飓风). “Our homes and standing crops were destroyed. There was no food or clothing for days, ” 52-year-old Charulata Biswal, a volunteer forest protector, told Mongabay-India. “But we realized it was because of the surviving forest that many people in Gundalba, a small village, were still alive. We promised we would protect the forest in return and restore the biodiversity. ”
Groups of women patrol the forest at least twice a day. As they walk among the trees, they blow their whistles and bang wooden sticks against tree trunks. “We beat our sticks and patrol in groups of 10, ” Biswal said. “We spread out inside the forest and blow whistles. Anyone with the intention to harm the local biodiversity will flee on hearing our whistle and the banging of our sticks on tree trunks. ”
In 2001, over 70 women from Gundalba came together to form the Women’s Forest Protection Committee. Apart from their daily patrols, they also approached neighboring villages that also depend on the forest for firewood about setting up a system for sustainability (可持续性). For example, every village is allowed to gather firewood from the forest on a set day of the month, usually a few days after another settlement has finished the gathering process.
Over the years, they have caught several people cutting trees illegally in the forest. Asked if they have ever been afraid of patrolling the large forest they said no. “The forest is an extension of our home, ” Biswal said. “Won’t it hurt to see your children suffer? This is how a mother feels and we are doing something that comes to us naturally. ”
Thanks to the women’s efforts, the forest gradually came back to life. Birds started nesting in trees again and the animals returned.
【语篇概述】这是一篇说明文。在过去的20年里, 来自印度奥里萨邦的75名女性志愿者每天都要在75公顷的森林里巡逻, 保护森林免受非法伐木工人的侵害。他们每天至少在森林里巡逻两次, 通过哨声和树枝砸树干的声音来吓跑破坏者。由于妇女们的努力, 森林逐渐恢复了生机。鸟儿又开始在树上筑巢, 动物们又回来了。
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?
A. To introduce the natural disaster in India.
B. To show what people in Gundalba did to survive.
C. To explain why the women decided to patrol the forest.
D. To describe the poor situation in eastern state of Odisha.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第二段But we realized it was because of the surviving forest that many people in Gundalba, a small village, were still alive. We promised we would protect the forest in return and restore the biodiversity. (但我们意识到, 正是因为有了幸存下来的森林, 冈达尔巴, 一个小村庄里的许多人还活着。我们承诺, 作为回报, 我们将保护森林, 恢复生物多样性。)可知作者文章的第二段是为了解释为什么妇女们决定在森林里巡逻。故选C。
2. Why do the women whistle and bang the sticks?
A. To attract more birds and animals.
B. To relax themselves during their work.
C. To make themselves brave to go among the forest.
D. To warn people meaning to damage the forest to leave.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据第三段Anyone with the intention to harm the local biodiversity will flee on hearing our whistle and the banging of our sticks on tree trunks. (任何想要破坏当地生物多样性的人, 一听到我们的哨声和树枝敲击树干的声音, 就会逃跑。)可知妇女们吹口哨和敲棍子是为了警告有意破坏森林的人离开。故选D。
3. What did the Committee do after its foundation?
A. They gathered firewood from other forests.
B. They reduced the time for patrolling the forest.
C. They adopted environment-friendly woodcutting methods.
D. They stopped neighboring villages from cutting their trees.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据倒数第三段第二句Apart from their daily patrols, they also approached neighboring villages that also depend on the forest for firewood about setting up a system for sustainability. (除了每天的巡逻, 他们还接近邻近的村庄, 这些村庄也依靠森林作为柴火, 建立一个可持续发展的系统。)可知这个委员会成立后采用了环保的伐木方法。故选C。
4. How does Charulata Biswal feel about the forest?
A. It is like her family.
B. It will take long to recover.
C. It has lost some natural functions.
D. It suffers a lot from illegal cutting.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中“The forest is an extension of our home, ” Biswal said. (“森林是我们家的延伸, ”比斯瓦尔说。)可知Charulata Biswal感觉森林就像是自己的家。故选A。
