It's this time of year when the weather starts warming up and frogs start breeding - but they haven't been breeding, says John Wilkinson, research and monitoring officer at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC).
Amphibians (两栖动物) are just one of the groups of animals that nature observers fear may have problems reproducing this year, as groundwater levels are even lower now than in the infamously dry summer of 1976, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). According to the UK's Centre for Hydrology and Ecology the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.
If ponds dry up totally, says Mr. Wilkinson, you could have lots of dead tadpoles. Drier and windier conditions could also make it more difficult for juvenile amphibians to survive their journeys between wet habitats.
But Peter Brotherton, the biodiversity manager for Natural England, says that drought is part of nature's cycle, and, at present, a lot of animals, plants and insects are still in hibernation. This means that the population picture is unclear. However, when we get extreme events, we get animals dying, he says. And what is worrying is that normally at this time of year we expect soil to be near saturation（湿润）after winter.
Charlie Kitchin, the RSPB's site manager of the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, says the 2,000-acre wetland and grassland area is now struggling following two winters with relatively little winter rain and no flooding. One species that could suffer, he says, is the black-tailed godwit（黑尾豫）. There are only 50 breeding pairs in the country, and we have 40 of them, and everything is bone-dry, Mr Kitchin says.
But one bad nesting season, he says, is not the end of the world. One of the features of flood plains is that they're volatile anyway, he adds. But if they fail to breed another year, the population is likely to dip again.
【小题1】According to the passage animals may have problems reproducing this year mainly due to .A．droughtB．hibernationC．windier conditionsD．extreme events【小题2】What really worries Peter Brotherton is that .A．drought is part of nature’s cycleB．animals are still in hibernationC．soil at this time is far from saturationD．the population of animals is still unclear【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true of Charlie Kitchin’s words?A．Drought has so far continued for two winters.B．Animals could survive one bad nesting season. C．The black-tailed godwit is in danger of extinction.D．40 black-tailed godwits live in the Nene Washes.【小题4】The underlined word volatile in the last paragraph can be replaced by .A．losing waterB．undergoing changesC．breeding animalsD．suffering flood【小题5】It can be learnt from the text that .A．groundwater levels this summer are lower than those of 1976B．the average rainfall this year has been the lowest since 1972C．windier conditions could also cause some amphibians’ deathD．flooding plays no useful role in wetlands and grasslandsA
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(答案→)A
解析：
【小题1】A 推理题。根据第二段2,3行groundwater levels are even lower now than in the infamously dry summer of 1976说明今年的水位比1976年的干旱季节还要低，说明今年遇见了干旱，那么A正确。
【小题2】C 细节题。根据第四段最后一句And what is worrying is that normally at this time of year we expect soil to be near saturation（湿润）after winter.说明最让人担心的是冬天以后希望土壤能够更湿润一点，适合耕作。故C正确。
【小题3】D 细节题。根据倒数第二段There are only 50 breeding pairs in the country, and we have 40 of them说明在英国黑尾豫只有50对，而在这个地方黑尾豫就有40对，那么应该是80只。故D正确。
【小题4】A 推理题。根据本句One of the features of flood plains is that they're volatile anyway说明在干旱季节这些河滩的一个特点就是没有了水。故A正确。
【小题5】C 细节题，根据第三段2,3行Drier and windier conditions could also make it more difficult for juvenile amphibians to survive their journeys between wet habitats. 说明C正确。