Are African wild dogs really dogs? What's the difference between African wild dogs and the dogs we know as pets? For one thing, African wild dogs, which live in Africa, only have four toes, while domestic (驯养的) dogs and wolves have five. But you won't want to count for yourself, because they are truly wild animals.
“Wild dogs are not somebody's domestic dogs that ran away and didn't come back, although some people used to think that,” explains Dr McNutt, who studies these animals at Wild Dog Research Camp in the African country of Botswana. “They are actually Africa's wolves, and just like wolves, they do not make good pets. They need to be out in the wild doing what they are supposed to do—find the food they need to survive and feed their babies.” In fact, they travel so far that researchers have to use radio collars (颈圈) to keep track of them. The collars send out radio signals that tell people where the dogs are. No two wild dogs have the same pattern of coats, so it is easy to tell them apart.
African wild dogs are smart and sociable, like pet dogs. Adult dogs, male and female, are willing to take good care of young ones.
Millions of domestic dogs live on the planet, but there are probably fewer than 6,000 African wild dogs left. Humans hunt them and farmers who don't want them to go after cows and sheep poison them. Humans are also destroying the wild, natural habitat (栖息地) they need to survive in. Fortunately, today more farmers are finding other ways to protect their cows and sheep from African wild dogs instead of killing the animals.
本文是一篇说明文。主要对非洲野狗的现状作了介绍。
1.Which of the following can explain why African wild dogs are different from domestic dogs?
A.African dogs can live longer than domestic dogs.
B.African dogs have fewer toes than domestic dogs.
C.African dogs are much bigger in size than domestic dogs.
D.African dogs are much more dangerous than domestic dogs.
答案:B
解析:细节理解题。根据第一段中间的African wild dogs, which live in Africa, only have four toes, while domestic (驯养的) dogs and wolves have five.生活在非洲的非洲野狗只有四个脚趾,而家养的狗和狼有五个脚趾,由此可推断出B正确。
2.In Dr McNutt's view, African wild dogs ________.
A.are a kind of wolves
B.can be trained as pet dogs
C.actually are missing domestic dogs
D.generally are not used to living in groups
答案:A
解析:细节理解题。第二段中“Wild dogs are not somebody's domestic dogs that ran away and didn't come back, although some people used to think that,” explains Dr McNutt, who studies these animals at Wild Dog Research Camp in the African country of Botswana. “They are actually Africa's wolves”在非洲博茨瓦纳野生狗研究营研究这些动物的Dr McNutt,解释说:“野狗不是那些逃跑而没有回来的家养狗,尽管有些人过去常常这么想。”“他们实际上是非洲的狼群,……。”,由此可知在Dr McNutt看来,非洲野狗就是一种非洲狼,故选A项。
3.What's the researchers' purpose of using radio collars?
A.To know where African wild dogs go.
B.To play games with African wild dogs.
C.To tell African wild dogs apart from other dogs.
D.To prevent African wild dogs from traveling too far.
答案:A
解析:细节理解题。根据第二段中的In fact, they travel so far that researchers have to use radio collars (颈圈) to keep track of them. 研究人员必须使用无线电项圈来跟踪它们。由此可推知跟踪它们,就是想知道它们去哪儿。故选A项。
4.What suggestion does the author give in the last paragraph?
A.Farmers should use domestic dogs to fight against wild dogs.
B.African wild dogs should be protected instead of being killed.
C.Farmers should take responsibility for feeding African wild dogs.
D.African wild dogs should be used to protect farmers' cows and sheep.
答案:B
解析:推理判断题。根据最后一段Humans hunt them and farmers who don't want them to go after cows and sheep poison them. Humans are also destroying the wild, natural habitat (栖息地) they need to survive in. Fortunately, today more farmers are finding other ways to protect their cows and sheep from African wild dogs instead of killing the animals.可知,大概只有不到6 000只非洲野狗了。人类捕猎他们,不想让他们去追赶牛和羊的农民毒死他们。人类(这样做)也在破坏他们赖以生存的野生、自然栖息地。幸运的是,今天更多的农民正在寻找其他方法来保护他们的牛羊免受非洲野狗的伤害,而不是杀死这些动物。由此可推断出杀死这些野狗也破坏了人类赖以生存的野生、自然栖息地。所以我们不能杀死它们。分析选项可知B项符合题意,故选B项。
5.Which of the following can be used as the title of the passage?
A.How to keep wild dogs
B.How to train domestic dogs
C.An introduction to African wild dogs
D.Differences between domestic dogs and wild dogs
答案:C
解析:标题判断题。通读全文可知,本文主要对非洲野狗的现状作了介绍。分析选项A.How to keep wild dogs如何饲养野狗;B.How to train domestic dogs如何驯养家养犬;C.An introduction to African wild dogs非洲野狗简介;D.Differences between domestic dogs and wild dogs家养犬与野狗的区别。可知,最好的题目应当是非洲野狗简介,故选C项。