Ⅲ .阅读理解

A

What is an animal? For many people, an animal has four legs, a head at the front and a tail at the back. There are, in fact, many different kinds of animals. Some are so small that you cannot see them with human eyes. Some have no head, no mouth and no legs. Some live in the ocean. Some can't fly. They come in thousands of different shapes, sizes and colors.

One of the largest groups of animals is the insect group. These animals have six parts to their bodies. Many insects cause human problems. Some carry diseases. Others are a problem because they eat the food that farmers grow. But there are insects, like bees and

butterflies, which we need because they help flowers and fruit to grow.

Like many of the insects, birds have wings and can fly. There are many different types of birds. Some eat fish and are happy living near rivers or the ocean. Others like

to live in the countryside or near towns in flocks of many hundreds and mostly eat insects, and there are birds, like the mountain eagles, which eat meat with their strong sharp beaks. They also have sharp claws on their feet, which are perfect for hunting and killing.

Like birds, mammals are warm－blooded, and just as all birds have feathers, all mammals have hair on their bodies. Sometimes you can hardly see the hair.

Sometimes the hair is very thick, and then it is called fur. There are several different groups of mammals. There are the cats, which include lions and tigers; there are animals with large front teeth, which include mice and rats;

there are the sea mammals, which include the whale, the largest animal in the world. Then there are animals which have two arms and can walk on two legs like monkeys and, of course, humans.

Fish and reptiles are cold－blooded animals. Fish live in the ocean, but reptiles usually live on the land. Reptiles are probably the least popular animals. They include the long thin snakes that many people are afraid of. However, some people keep snakes in their homes as pets.

1．According to the passage, an animal ______.

A．has four legs, a head at the front and a tail at the back

B．is a living thing which is quite strong to humans

C．is so small that people can't see it with human eyes

D．may come in a different shape, size and color

2．Why are insects commonly considered to be harmful?

A．They are among the largest groups of animals.

B．They all have six legs and three parts to their bodies.

C．Many of them bring trouble like disease to humans.

D．They help flowers and fruit to grow every year.

3．How are birds different from mammals?

A．They have wings which help them to fly.

B．They are warm－blooded animals.

C．They like to live in the countryside or near the ocean.

D．They have sharp teeth, which are perfect for hunting and killing.

4．Which of the animals below belong to reptiles?

A．Rabbits. B．Butterflies.

C．Swallows. D．Snakes.

答案及解析：

1．D.推理判断题。根据第一段可知动物大小各异，颜色各异。

2．C.事实细节题。从第二段Many insects cause human problems.可知，许多昆虫会给人类带来麻烦，或传染疾病或破坏粮食。

3．A.事实细节题。通过比较三、四段的内容可知鸟类和哺乳动物最大的不同是鸟类有翅膀。

4．D.词义猜测题。reptile意为爬行动物，故只有snakes符合。