A
Catching nearly 4,000 wild butterflies with handheld nets and taking the temperature of each tiny insect must rank among the harder of scientific efforts.
However, researchers have discovered significant differences in the ability of British butterflies to maintain a suitable temperature, raising fears that global heating will threaten the populations of some species.
Butterflies are ectotherms-unable to generate their own body heat and require warm temperatures to fly.However, extreme temperatures can pose problems, particularly for those butterflies that must find shady habitats to regulate (调节) their body temperature.
The study shows that larger, paler butterflies are best able to protect themselves from extreme temperatures, changing the angles of their reflective wings in relation to the sun to direct heat away from or on to their bodies.The surrounding temperature of the butterfly's perch (栖息处), or air temperature, was also taken, which indicated the degree to which butterflies were seeking specific locations to regulate their body temperature.Darker, large species have greater difficulty controlling their body temperature, but even they are better than “thermal specialists”， which rely on finding a spot at a specific temperature in a landscape — a “microclimate” — to control their body temperature.
“After being caught in butterfly nets on British nature reserves, the 29 different species of butterflies' temperatures were taken with a fine probe.As we plan conservation measures to address the effects of climate change, it will be important to understand not only the habitat requirements of different butterfly species, but also their temperature requirements，” said Dr Ed Turner, of the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, who led the work.“With this new understanding of butterflies, we should be able to better manage habitats and landscapes to protect them, and in doing so we're probably also protecting other insects too.”
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了科学家在测量蝴蝶体温时发现它们调节体温的能力差异很大，由此担心全球变暖会影响蝴蝶某些物种的数量。这些科学家还深入研究了蝴蝶调节体温的方法，以便保护蝴蝶和其他昆虫。
1．Why did scientists take the temperatures of butterflies?
A．To seek solutions to global heating.
B．To uncover climate threats to them.
C．To classify them into different species.
D．To stress the toughness of scientific research.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“然而，研究人员发现，英国蝴蝶在维持合适温度的能力上存在显著差异，这引发了人们对全球变暖将威胁某些物种数量的担忧”可知，这项实验揭露了气候变化对蝴蝶的威胁。
2．How do larger, paler butterflies regulate their temperature?
A．By angling their wings.
B．By generating the body heat.
C．By choosing a microclimate.
D．By making use of their colour.
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第四段第一句可知，体型更大、颜色更浅的蝴蝶是通过改变翅膀的角度来调节体温的。
3．On what basis do butterflies seek specific locations?
A．Finding a nature reserve.
B．Attracting other butterflies.
C．Adapting to climate change.
D．Perceiving the surroundings.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段第二句可知，科学家对蝴蝶栖息地周围环境的温度进行测量，得到了蝴蝶寻找特定位置来调节体温的程度的结论，从侧面表明蝴蝶寻找栖息地的时候对环境是有要求的。
4．What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A．Understanding of/about butterflies should be strengthened.
B．Better management of butterfly habitats is popular.
C．Protecting butterflies can lead to additional benefits.
D．Goals of protecting butterflies have been achieved.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句可知，保护蝴蝶的同时还可以保护其他昆虫，即保护蝴蝶还有额外的好处。
