《2026年薪火金卷高考仿真模拟卷英语》

C
Wildlife photographer Ingo Arndt discovered his first enormous ant mound (蚁丘) as a child
exploring the forest with his father near their home almost 50 years ago. They were bird-
watching and came around a bend in a thickly wooded area when there it was： a five-foot-tall
mound, standing upward like a large stalagmite (石笋). Arndt wanted to investigate more
closely, but a very particular smell suggested he rethink that. The air felt thick and sharp,
discomforting his nose. “All my life,” he says, “I could remember the smell.”
Several years later, Arndt moved to the countryside. He continued his fascination with the
mounds and their armies of tiny engineers. Outfitted with a high-resolution camera, he began
photographing the mounds and sharing his imagery with researchers for a scientific perspective.
It turned out the mound makers were indeed special. They were red wood ants—one of the
smallest of all so-called keystone species. Keystone species such as elephants and sharks are
watched closely because their behaviors affect so many aspects of the ecosystem that if they
disappeared, it would struggle to adapt. Researchers also explained the smell from the mound.
As the insects build a nest, they generate formic acid (蚁酸), the origin of the smell, which
helps to fight against enemies.
But in recent decades, the population of ants has been declining as the forests have fallen
victim to logging, urbanization, and wildfires, as well as drought and higher temperatures that
have become more frequent with climate change. This has led several countries across the ants’
range, including Germany, to enlist them as a protected species by law.
Today, Arndt’s photos put on display that as social insects, these small ants not only form
complex societies, but they also cohabitate with a wide variety of species, creating a mass of
coexisting relationships across a variety of plant and animal species. They are also a reminder that
by protecting these unnoticed creatures, we are actually protecting ourselves.
28. How was Arndt’s first encounter with the ant mound?
A. It reminded him of a bad experience.
B. It left him an unforgettable memory.
C. It aroused his enthusiasm for nature.
D. It inspired him to protect the forests.
29. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The wooded area.
B. The mound maker.
C. The keystone species.
D. The entire ecosystem.
30. What contributed to the decrease in the number of ants?
A. Their worsened habitats.
B. Their changing behavior.
C. Their severe competition.
D. Their limited population.
31. What is the text mainly intended to tell us?
A. Massive lives exist on the earth.
B. Tiny species count in nature.
C. Social creatures live in groups.
D. Little ants are master architects.

答案： 28. B [细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Arndt wanted to investigate more closely, but a very particular smell suggested he rethink that. The air felt thick and sharp, discomforting his nose. ‘All my life,’ he says, ‘I could remember the smell.’（Arndt想更仔细地调查，但一种非常特殊的气味让他打消了那个念头。空气中味道浓厚且刺鼻，使他的鼻子感到不舒服。‘在我的一生中，’他说，‘我都记得那种味道。’）”可知，Arndt对蚁丘的气味留下了深刻的印象，这段经历给他留下了难忘的记忆。故选B项。]
29. D [词义猜测题。根据第二段中的“Keystone species such as elephants and sharks are watched closely because their behaviors affect so many aspects of the ecosystem that if they disappeared, it would struggle to adapt.（大象和鲨鱼等关键物种受到密切关注，因为它们的行为会影响生态系统的许多方面，如果它们消失，生态系统将难以适应。）”可知，大象和鲨鱼等关键物种的行为影响生态系统的许多方面，如果它们消失，整个生态系统将会很难适应，由此可知，画线代词it指的是上文提到的生态系统。故选D项。]
30. A [细节理解题。根据第三段中的“But in recent decades, the population of ants has been declining as the forests have fallen victim to logging, urbanization, and wildfires, as well as drought and higher temperatures that have become more frequent with climate change.（但近几十年来，由于森林受害于伐木作业、城市化、野火以及干旱和高温，蚂蚁的数量一直在下降，而干旱和高温随着气候变化而变得更加频繁。）”可知，蚂蚁数量的减少是由于森林砍伐、城市化、野火、干旱和气温升高等因素导致的栖息地恶化。故选A项。]
31. B [推理判断题。通读全文可知，文章通过Arndt的经历和对红木蚁的研究，强调了这些微小物种在自然界中的重要性，尤其是它们对生态系统的影响。最后一段提到“They are also a reminder that by protecting these unnoticed creatures, we are actually protecting ourselves.（它们也提醒我们，通过保护这些不被注意的生物，我们实际上是在保护自己。）”进一步点明了保护微小物种的意义。故选B项。]