Question

As they migrate(迁移), butterflies and moths(飞蛾) 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 such little creatures at such great heights.

To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive but active 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(导航) 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(抵消). 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. 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. their flight is long and high above ground

C. the wind’s direction is hard to foresee

D. they have no regular migrating courses

4.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.B

4.B

【解析】本文是一篇说明文。主要讲述了昆虫在迁移的过程中也有自己明确的方向，它们借助风的力量进行飞行，如果风没有按照它们想去的确切方向吹，它们就会像候鸟一样通过改变它们的身体位置，来抵消风的作用。

1.主旨大意题。根据“This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances”以及“To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive but active travelers on the winds”“arried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate(导航) directly to their wintering homes”可知，昆虫不是被动的接受风的影响，它们有确切的方向。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据“ Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind”以及“To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive but active travelers on the winds”可知，在过去，科学家一直认为，昆虫是被动的接受风的影响，受风的摆布。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据“migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground”可知，研究昆虫的迁移行为是困难的，因为它们的许多长途旅行发生在地面数英尺以上。故选B。

4.细节理解题。根据“Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops”可知，这项研究发现，可以帮助指导农民何时对作物喷洒农药。故选B。