Question

Who would have thought that there was any connection between a cup of coffee and a bird, butterfly, or even a bat? Such seems to be the case, however, as methods for growing coffee plants have gradually changed over time.

Coffee plants were first discovered growing in Africa hundreds of years ago. The plants grew under a wide cover of forests, which protected the coffee plants' leaves from the burning sun. As coffee was introduced to other countries, farmers would naturally try to grow the plants in the shade of tall trees. These trees provided more than shade for coffee plants; they were also home for many species of birds, insects, and other plants.

Over the past 30 to 40 years, people developed a new kind of coffee plant, one which grows well in open sunlight. Sun-grown coffee produced two times more coffee than shade-grown coffee in the same amount of time and space. As a result, the growing need for coffee makes the sun-grown method appear to be the best way to grow coffee.

However, this newer method has some unexpected results. First, the lack of tree cover leaves the land open to heavy rainfall, which can wash away the soil's nutrients (营养物质). This necessitates an increased use of fertilizers (化肥) and additives, which is likely to create health risks. Second, as forests are taken down to make way for sun-grown coffee plants, native and migratory birds no longer have a home. This is threatening many species, and the effect is now being examined and recorded by ornithologists, who are discovering sharp falls in some species that travel to the northern United States each year. Finally, more pesticides (农药) are used in the sun-grown method, all of which have a bad influence on both the environment and the long-term health of the coffee plants themselves.

Today, as more people recognize the problems of coffee grown in the sun, perhaps they will be willing to pay the higher prices, encouraging coffee growers to return to the more natural method of producing this worldwide product.

1.Coffee plants can grow naturally when _____.

A. there is much hot sunshine

B. there is enough heavy rainfall

C. there are tall trees around them

D. there are lots of nutrients in the soil

2.What do ornithologists most probably do?

A. Study birds.    B. Grow coffee.

C. Protect forests.    D. Make pesticides.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Compared with shade-grown coffee, sun-grown coffee is more expensive.

B. The passage mainly explains the connection between coffee and sunlight.

C. More and more coffee farmers are growing coffee plants in the shade.

D. The author wants coffee farmers to grow shade-grown coffee.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

【解析】

本文是一篇科普说明文，咖啡在森林的覆盖下生长的更好，是因为森林给咖啡提供了阴凉，保护了咖啡不受炙热的阳光的照射。为了提高咖啡的产量，人们改变了咖啡种植方法，这种方法对物种产生了不利的影响，为了保护物种，作者建议种植者回归之前的种植方法。

1.判断推理题。根据第二段第二句The plants grew under a wide cover of forests, which protected the coffee plants' leaves from the burning sun.可知咖啡在森林的覆盖下生长的更好，是因为森林给咖啡提供了阴凉，保护了咖啡不受炙热的阳光的照射。可知当周围有高树覆盖的时候，咖啡生长得更好。故C项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段划线词后句“who are discovering sharp falls in some species that travel to the northern United States each year.”可知这些人是研究物种变化的研究人员。故A项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据文章最后一句“encouraging coffee growers to return to the more natural method of producing this worldwide product.可知作者认为现在的咖啡种植方法对物种有很大的影响，建议咖啡种植者回归到以前的咖啡种植方法。也就是第二段中提及的shade-grown。故D项正确。