英语四级试题阅读蜜蜂

英语四级试题阅读蜜蜂

PartIReadingComprehension(40points)

SectionA(10points)

Directions:Inthissection,thereisapassagewithtenblanks.Youarerequiredtoselectonewordforeachblankfromalistofchoicesgiveninawordbankfollowingthepassage.Readthepassagethroughcarefullybeforemakingyourchoices.Eachchoiceinthebankisidentifiedbyaletter.Youmaynotuseanyofthewordsinthebankmorethanonce.

Beesarefascinatinginsectsthatplayacrucialroleinourecosystem.Aspollinators,theyare___1___forthereproductionofmanyfloweringplants,includingnumerouscropsthathumansrelyonforfood.Abeecolonyisahighlyorganizedsocietywithacleardivisionoflabor.Thequeenbee'sprimary___2___istolayeggs,ensuringthecolony'ssurvival.Workerbees,whichareallfemale,performamultitudeoftasks.Theycleanthehive,carefortheyoung,___3___nectarandpollenfromflowers,andproducehoney.Honeyisnotjustasweettreat;it'sa___4___foodsourcethatbeesstoretosustainthecolonyduringwinterwhenflowersarescarce.

Communicationamongbeesisremarkablysophisticated.Forinstance,scoutbeesperforma"waggledance"to___5___thelocationofrichfoodsourcestotheirhivemates.Thisdanceconveysinformationaboutthedirectionand___6___oftheflowersrelativetothesunandthehive.However,beepopulationsworldwidearefacing___7___threats.Habitatloss,pesticideuse,climatechange,anddiseaseshaveallcontributedtoasignificant___8___intheirnumbers.Thisdeclineposesaseriousrisktoglobalbiodiversityandagricultural___9___.Scientistsandconservationistsareworkingto___10___thesetrendsbypromotingbee-friendlypractices,suchasplantingwildflowersandreducingchemicaluse.

A)vital

B)function

C)collect

D)productivity

E)serious

F)convey

G)decline

H)distance

I)reverse

J)efficient

K)responsible

L)primary

M)manufactured

N)surplus

O)yield

SectionB(30points)

Directions:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagefollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Youshoulddecideonthebestchoice.

PassageOne

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Thephenomenonofcolonycollapsedisorder(CCD),whichfirstgainedwidespreadattentioninthemid-2000s,describesthesuddendisappearanceofthemajorityofworkerbeesfromahive,leavingbehindthequeen,plentyoffood,andafewnursebeestocarefortheremainingimmaturebees.Unlikecaseswherebeesarekilledbypestsorpesticidesinsidethehive,inCCDthebodiesofthebeesaresimplynotfound.

Researchershaveinvestigatedmultiplepotentialcauses,anditisnowwidelybelievedthatCCDisnottheresultofasinglefactorbutacombinationofstressorsthatcompromisethebees'immunesystemsandnavigationalabilities.Thesestressorsinclude:exposuretosystemicpesticides,particularlyneonicotinoids,whichcanaffectbees'nervoussystems;infestationsbyparasiticmitesliketheVarroadestructor,whichweakenbeesandtransmitviruses;nutritionaldeficienciesduetolossofdiverseforaginghabitats(oftenreplacedbymonoculturecrops);andvariouspathogens.

Theimplicationsofbeedeclineextendfarbeyondthelossofhoney.Approximatelyone-thirdofthefoodconsumedbyhumansispollinatedbybees,includingfruits,vegetables,nuts,andseeds.Theeconomicvalueofthispollinationserviceisenormous,estimatedtobeinthehundredsofbillionsofdollarsglobally.Therefore,thehealthofbeepopulationsisdirectlylinkedtofoodsecurityandagriculturaleconomies.

EffortstomitigateCCDinvolveintegratedpestmanagementtocontrolmites,stricterregulationofcertainpesticides,restorationofpollinator-friendlyhabitatswithdiversefloweringplants,andresearchintobreedingmoreresilientbeestrains.Publicawarenesshasalsoledtoinitiativeslikeurbanbeekeepingandplanting"beegardens."

11.WhatisthedistinctivefeatureofColonyCollapseDisorder(CCD)?

A)Thequeenbeeabandonsthehive.

B)Workerbeesdieinsidethehiveinlargenumbers.

C)Workerbeesvanish,leavingthehivewiththequeenandsomeresources.

D)Theentirebeecolonyisfounddeadnearthehive.

12.Accordingtothepassage,whatisthecurrentconsensusamongresearchersonthecauseofCCD?

A)Itisprimarilycausedbyasingle,highlycontagiousvirus.

B)Itresultsfromacomplexinteractionofmultiplestressors.

C)Itisdefinitelyduetoanewtypeofpesticide.

D)Itiscausedsolelybyparasiticmiteinfestations.

13.WhichofthefollowingisNOTmentionedasapotentialstressorcontributingtoCCD?

A)Nutritionalproblemsfromhabitatloss.

B)Exposuretospecificpesticides.

C)Attacksfromlargerpredatorinsects.

D)Infectionsspreadbyparasiticmites.

14.Whatisthemainreasonthedeclineofbeesisaseriousconcernforhumans?

A)Itwillleadtoashortageofnaturalhoney.

B)Asignificantportionofourfoodsupplydependsontheirpollination.

C)Itwillcausetheextinctionofallfloweringplants.

D)Itindicatesafailureofmodernagriculturaltechnology.

15.Whatdoestheword"mitigate"(Para.4)mostprobablymean?

A)Tocompletelyeliminate.

B)Toscientificallystudy.

C)Tomakelesssevere.

D)Topubliclyannounce.

PassageTwo

Questions16to20arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Beyondtheirfamoushoneyproductionandpollinationservices,beesofferhumansarangeofothervaluableproductsandinsights.Beeswax,secretedbyworkerbeestobuildthehoneycomb,isusedincosmetics,candles,pharmaceuticals,andasapolish.Propolis,aresin-likematerialbeescollectfromtreebudstosealtheirhive,hasantimicrobialpropertiesandisusedinsomehealthsupplementsandointments.

Eventhevenomofbeeshasfoundaplaceinapitherapy,analternativemedicinepractice,thoughitsefficacyisdebated.Furthermore,thesocialstructureandefficiencyofabeehivehavelongservedasamodelforhumanorganizationandengineering.Thehexagonaldesignofthehoneycombiscelebratedforitsstrengthandoptimaluseofspace,inspiringarchitectsanddesigners.

Perhapsoneofthemostcriticallessonsfrombeesistheconceptofinterdependence.Abeecolonythrivesoncooperationandcollectiveeffortforthesurvivalofthewhole.Similarly,theirroleintheenvironmenthighlightstheinterconnectednessofspecies.Thethreattobeesunderscoresabroaderprinciple:thewell-beingofseeminglysmallorinsignificantcreaturescanbevitaltothehealthofentireecosystems,includinghumansocieties.Protectingbees,therefore,isnotjustaboutsavinganinsect;it'saboutpreservingthecomplexweboflifethatsustainsus.

16.Accordingtothepassage,whatistheprimaryuseofbeeswaxbybeesthemselves?

A)Asafoodsource.

B)Tobuildthestructureoftheirhive.

C)Todefendagainstpredators.

D)Tosealthehivefromdiseases.

17.Whichbeeproductisspecificallymentionedforitsantimicrobialqualities?

A)Honey.

B)Beeswax.

C)Propolis.

D)Venom.

18.Whataspectofbeebehaviorhasinspiredhumanfieldslikearchitecture?

A)Theircommunicationdance.

B)Theirdivisionoflabor.

C)Thegeometricdesignoftheirhoneycomb.

D)Theircollectivedecision-makingprocess.

19.Whatisthe"broaderprinciple"thatthethreattobeesillustrates?

A)Allinsectswilleventuallybecomeextinct.

B)Humanmedicinecanlearnalotfromnature.

C)Thehealthofecosystemsdependsonthewell-beingofitsconstituentspecies.

D)Agriculturalpracticesmustbecomefullyorganic.

20.Whatisthemainpurposeofthispassage?

A)Toexplaintheprocessofhoneyproduction.

B)Todiscussthe