The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem (生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big planteater, it largely shapes the forestandsavanna (稀树草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.
It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches of big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other planteaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests bee suitable for large hoofed planteaters to move around and for small planteaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has bee an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about? A．Disappearance of African elephants.B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.C．The effect of African elephants' search for food.D．The eating habit of African elephants.【小题2】What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean? A．Fixing the time. B．Worsening the state.C．Improving the quality.D．Deciding the conditions.【小题3】What do we know about the open spaces in the passage? A．They result from the destruction of rain forests.B．They provide food mainly for African elephants.C．They are home to many endangered animals.D．They are attractive to planteating animals of different kinds.【小题4】According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A．The African elephant is the largest animal on earth.B．African elephants have 300 pounds of plants every day, including small trees and under bushes.C．The African elephant is in a way the builder of the environment like other land animals.D．If the African elephant disappears, the whole ecosystem won't be affected.【小题5】The passage is developed mainly by .A．showing the effect and then explaining the causesB．pointing out similarities and differencesC．describing the changes in space orderD．giving examplesC
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(答案→)C
解析：本文主要讲述的就是在非洲草原的生物链中大象的重要作用，它不断的寻找食物拓宽了其它动物的生存空间等。
【小题1】C 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述的就是在非洲草原的生物链中大象的重要作用，它不断的寻找食物拓宽了其它动物的生存空间等。故C正确。
【小题2】D 推理题。根据文章3，4,5行As a big planteater, it largely shapes the forestandsavanna (稀树草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.说明非洲大象塑造了草原的环境，也决定了其它的动物的生存的条件。故D项正确。
【小题3】D 细节题。根据文章9,10,11行This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other planteaters.说明开放的空间对于其它的食草动物也很重要。故D项正确。
【小题4】B 细节题。根据文章7.8行In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches of big trees.说明B项正确。
【小题5】A 推理题。本文主要通过描述大象的行为带来的具体的影响以及对这些影响的原因的解释。故A正确。