Question

As they migrate (迁移), butterflies and moths choose the winds they want to fly with, and they change their body positions if they start floating in the wrong direction. This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances. Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind.

    Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in   insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground. Only recently have scientists developed technologies that can detect (测出) such little creatures at such great heights.

To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive travelers on the winds. In autumn, for example, most light winds blew from the east, but the insects somehow sought out ones that carried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate directly to their wintering homes.

Even in the spring, when most winds flowed northward, the insects didn’t always go with the flow. If breezes weren’t blowing in the exact direction they wanted to go, the insects changed their body positions to compensate (补偿). Many migrating birds do the same thing.

The study also found, butterflies and moths actively flew within the air streams that pushed them along. By adding flight speeds to wind speeds, the scientists calculated that butterflies and moths can travel as fast as 100 kilometers an hour. The findings may have real-world applications. With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops.

1.What’s the main idea of the text?  

A. Insects migrate with the seasons．

B. Wind helps insects greatly in migrating．

C. Windsurfing insects have real direction．

D. Scientists have trouble in observing insects．

2.Scientists originally thought that ________．

A. insects always waited for their favorable winds

B. insects chose the winds they wanted to ride

C. insects were just blown about by the wind

D. insects positioned themselves in the winds

3.It is not easy to study the migrating behavior of the insects because ________．         

A. the little creatures can fly very fast

B. they have no regular migrating courses

C. the wind’s direction is hard to foresee  

D. their flight is long and high above ground

4.We can learn from the text that _________．          

A. insects fly in the way birds do

B. insects travel more easily in autumn

C. insects never position themselves when flying low   

D. insects rest a lot when the wind pushes them along

5.According to the passage, the findings can__________．             

A. increase insects in number    B．instruct farmers when to spray

C. prevent climate warming    D．help protect insects

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.D

4.A

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文是说明文，在讲述通过科学研究发现昆虫也有方向感，根据这一发现，农民可以根据风向来判断何时用药来消灭昆虫。

1.This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances新的研究证明，昆虫也能利用同样的方法用于长途旅行，说明昆虫也有方向感。所以选C 项。

2.Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind.科学家们长久以来认为昆虫受风的控制，故选C项。

3.Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground.可知是因为长距离的飞行还有离地面很高，所以选D项。

4.This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances.这个研究表明昆虫也能利用同样的与鸟一样的方法长距离的飞行，所以选A项。

5.The findings may have real-world applications. With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops这个发现很有世界性的应用。当天气暖和时，昆虫的数量在增加，了解何时他们会移动，就可以决定何时用药来消灭他们，所以选B项。

考点：科普类阅读。