2024年中考英语专练（深圳专用）--专题02 阅读理解（含解析）.doc.docxVIP

专题02阅读理解

（2022·广东·深圳市南山外国语学校（集团）二模）

Apairoftusks(长牙)isusuallyanadvantageforelephants,allowingthemtodigforwater,peelbark(剥树皮)forfoodandprotectthemselves.Butbecauseofillegallyhunting,thosebigtusksmayinvitedanger.NowresearchersareworkingouthowyearsofcivilwarandhuntinginMozambiquehaveledtoagreaternumberofelephantsthatwillneverdeveloptusks.

Duringthewarfrom1977to1992,fightersonbothsideskilledelephantsforivorytoprovidefundforthewar.IntheGorongosaNationalPark,around90%oftheelephantswerekilled.Thesurvivorssharedakeyfeature:halfthefemaleswerenaturallytuskless—theysimplyneverdevelopedtusks—whilebeforethewar,lessthanafifthlackedtusks.Moreconfusing,two-thirdsofthenew-bornelephantswerefemale.

Likeeyecolorinhumans,genes(基因)areresponsibleforthis.Theyfoundthatthemothershaveproducedthesmoking-gungenesforgeneticchanges.Theypassthechangedgenetobothsonsanddaughters,butthesonsarelikelytodieearlyindevelopment.Daughtersstaybytheirmother,manygrowingtuskless.

Mostpeoplethinkofdevelopmentassomethingthatgoesonslowly,buthumanscanspeeditup.“Whenwethinkaboutnaturalselection,wethinkaboutithappeningoverhundreds,orthousandsofyears,”saidSamuelWasser,ascientistattheUniversityofWashington.“Thefactthattusklessnesshappenedover15yearsisoneofthemostsurprisingfindings.”

Nowthescientistsarestudyingwhatmoretusklesselephantsmeanforthespecies(物种)anditsenvironment.“Thechangeswilllastforatleastquiteafewelephantgenerations.Ifanelephantdoesn’thavethetooltopeelbarkfromtrees,thenwhatchainreactionswillhappen?”

1．WhathashappenedtotheelephantsinMozambique?

A．Tuskshavehelpedelephantsalot. B．Quietafewelephantsbecametuskless.

C．Tusksprotectedelephantsagainstwars. D．Tusksbecameadangertoelephants.

2．Whatcausedthe