《2025年实验班全程提优训练高中英语必修第一册外研版》

Ⅵ. (2025·湖南长沙明德中学期中)阅读理解
新情境 Tall, long - necked giraffes are famous for their spots which are believed to help the animals hide from their enemies. Just like no two humans have the same fingerprints, each giraffe has its own special pattern of spots. However, a Tennessee zoo made headlines recently after it welcomed one of the world's most uncommon giraffes.
On July 31, 2023, a baby giraffe was born at Brights Zoo with light brown fur which is a reticulated giraffe(网纹长颈鹿), one of the four different kinds of giraffes. Unlike most giraffes, she was born without spots, a unique feature of the reticulated giraffe. At six feet tall, this baby giraffe is growing well under her mother's care. She shows typical baby giraffe behaviour, such as eating rocks.
Experts said the young giraffe was the only single - coloured reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet. The last time this happened was 1972 in Japan. A giraffe's pattern of spots is created when the animal is still growing inside its mother. That means that this giraffe will never have spots.
"The new giraffe might not have survived if she had been born in the wild. Being single - coloured, she may not be able to hide quite well," said Mr David Bright, who runs the zoo. "It will easily be a key target for poachers(偷猎者) because she's so unusual."
Brights Zoo stressed that reticulated giraffes had already become imperiled. In 2018, they were officially listed as "threatened". Thirty - five years ago, there were 36,000 reticulated giraffes. Now, the number has been cut by more than 50%. Only about 16,000 reticulated giraffes remain.
This brown giraffe's birth is not only a rare and fascinating event, but also an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by giraffes in the wild. By supporting efforts like this, we can contribute to the conservation of these large creatures and ensure their survival for generations to come.
1. What do we learn from the spots of giraffes?
A. They look like giraffe's footprints.
B. The patterns of the spots are the same.
C. They appear on giraffes from time to time.
D. They are helpful in guarding against their enemies.
2. What's unique about the young giraffe born at Brights Zoo?
A. She has a large size.
B. She has light brown fur.
C. She has no spots.
D. She likes eating rocks.
3. What does the underlined word "imperiled" mean in Paragraph 5?
A. Endangered.
B. Recognised.
C. Rare.
D. Abundant.
4. Which word can best describe the birth of the young giraffe?
A. Embarrassing.
B. Promising.
C. Significant.
D. Foreseeable.

答案： 1. D 2. C 3. A 4. C