Question

The Smallest Life Around Us

Tiny plants and animals live all around us．We cannot see them because they are so small，but they are everywhere. They live in the soil，in the air，and in rivers and oceans．They grow on mountains and in caves．Some live in the ice at the north and south poles; some live where it is very hot．They are found throughout cities and in the country. They grow on other plants and animals．Some are even living on you，on your skin，hair，and inside your body，in your mouth，nose，and all through your body．

These tiny plants and animals are called microbes．The word microbe is made from two other words：micro，meaning small，and bios，meaning life．So，microbe means small life．

Microbes have been on earth for a very long time．They may have been the first forms of life to be alive．Today there are more microbes in the world than all other living things．

People did not know microbes had existed（存在） long．They were too small for them to see．But people did see many changes in their world﹣important changes．And they did not know what caused them．They saw food that they kept too long change color and begin to smell bad．They saw cuts and wounds grow red and painful and become worse. They saw old plants and leaves and trees crumble apart on the forest floor and disappear into the soil．Such changes were a natural part of the world，but people did not understand them．They did not know these changes were evidence(证据) of tiny plants and animals growing all around them.

1.Why couldn't people see microbes？

A. Because they are too small．

B. Because they live inside our body．

C. Because they live far from humans．

D. Because they may have been the first forms of life to be alive．

2.The underlined phrase" crumble apart" in the last paragraph means"　    　"．

A. grow taller    B. change into soil

C. break into tiny pieces    D. become colorful and energetic

3.Choose the answer that completes the web below．

A. Microbes are very small    B. Microbes are all around us

C. People can't see microbes    D. Food begins to smell bad

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

【解析】本文叙述了我们的周围到处都有细菌，因为它们太小了我们看不见。短文给出了细菌存在的证据。

1.细节理解题。根据We cannot see them because they are so small可知，它们太小了，我们看不见。故选A。

2.词义猜测题。根据on the forest floor and disappear into the soil．可知，我们可以看出是应该是老的植物和树叶crumple apart在森林地面上并消失在土壤中，根据我们的生活经验，落叶和树木的枝条脱落后，会支离破碎，最终会完全消失在土壤中，因此这里crumple apart的含义应该是break into tiny pieces．故选C。

3.段落大意题。根据They did not know these changes were evidence of tiny plants and animals growing all around them．可知，这些变化证明了微生物生活在我们的周围，这些变化就是上面一段的内容，即They saw food that they kept too long change color and begin to smell bad（食物储存久了之后颜色变化并且会问到难闻的味道）．They saw cuts and wounds grow red and painful and become worse（伤口会出现发红、疼痛、感染）．They saw old plants and leaves and trees crumble apart on the forest floor and disappear into the soil（落叶和植物尸体会消失在土壤中）．所有的这些变化都可以说明微生物生活在我们的周围，因此答案为Food begins to smell bad．故选D。