Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
-- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
Ecopassages may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts, said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.
Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!
【小题1】The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that .A．wild animals have bee more dangerousB．the driving conditions have improved greatlyC．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to workD．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents【小题2】From the news story, we know an ecopassage is .A．an underground path for cars B．a fence built for the safety of the areaC．a bridge for animals to get over a riverD．a pass for animals to cross the road【小题3】When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means .A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the roadB．animals begin to learn to use ecopassagesC．animals are crossing the road in groupsD．animals are increasing in number【小题4】The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because .A．wild animals may attack carsB．wild animals may jam the roadC．they may see wild animals in the parkD．they may see wild animals on ecopassagesD
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(答案→)D
解析：
【小题1】第三段告知ocelot这种动物只剩下约80只了，原因是roadkill，说明在公路交通事故中大量的动物被撞死。
【小题2】第四段中The ecopassages can be extremely useful ,so that wildlife can avoid road accidents 。以及下段提到的But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes .说明是为动物穿越公路而用的。
【小题3】倒数第二段告知，连salamander与 grizzly bear 这两种差异巨大的动物都使用这种ecopassage,说明动物正学着用这种通道。
【小题4】文章最后一段明确告知，人们在行车时需要留神，公路是可能会有ecopassage, 此时应注意保护动物。