Question

Spanish explorers called them Las Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles, and Charles Darwin used his studies of the islands as the foundation for his theory of natural selection. The Galapagos are among the world's most important scientific treasures, a group of volcanic islands surrounded by deserted beaches and inhabited by unique varieties of giant tortoise, lizards, and birds.

Yet life on this United Nations world heritage site has turned sour. Battles have broken out between fishermen and conservationists. Ecuador, which owns the islands, has sent a naval patrol (海軍巡邏隊) to put down disturbances.

The controversial director of the Galapagos National Park—which controls 97 percent of Galapagos land and the reserve extending to 40 miles offshore—has been fired, while an air of uneasy tension hangs over the islands, as the islanders prepare for election when they pick their representatives in Ecuador’s national assembly.

“It’s a very tense situation,” said Leonor Stjepic, director of the London-based Galapagos Conservation Trust, which raises money to help projects on the islands. “We are watching it with concern.”

The violence has been triggered by an alarming growth in the islands’ population. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz island, housed just 45 inhabitants in the 50s. Today there are more than 10,000, while the islands' total population is more than 19,000 and growing by 6 percent a year, despite recently introduced a law to limit waves of immigrants fleeing the poor areas of Ecuador for a life “in paradise (天堂)”. On top of this, more than 100,000 tourists visit the islands every year.

Such numbers have put the islands, special ecology under intense pressure. Conservationists backed by the Ecuador government, have replied by exercising strict controls to protect the islands* iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises.

These moves have angered many local people, however. They want to exploit (開發(fā)利用) the islands’ waters and catch its protected species of sharks, lobsters and sea cucumbers, which can fetch high prices in Japan and South Korea.

Angry fishermen surrounded the Charles Darwin research station on Santa Cruz last February, threatened to kill Lonesome George—the last surviving member of the Pinta Island species of the Galapagos giant tortoise.

The situation got improved after the Ecuador government made concessions (讓步) by increasing fishing quotas (配額), which angered conservationists. “It is tragic, the short-term gain of a few fishermen versus the long-term survival of the Galapagos,” said John McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences. “They are killing the golden goose.”

Then, the Ecuador government appointed Fausto Cepeda as the national park's new director, a post that has become a political football for the mainland government. There have been nine directors in the past 18 months.

This appointment was particularly controversial, however. Cepeda was known to have close ties with the fishing industry, and the rangers (管理員),who run the national park and reserve, rebelled.

More than 300 staged a sit-in at the park’s headquarters and prevented Cepeda from taking up his post. A battle broke out, and at least two people suffered serious injuries. Eventually, Cepeda—with the fishermen’s help- entered the park. “I am in office, i am in control. And I am trying to lower the tension,” he announced.

The Ecuador government took no chances, and sent a patrol boat to maintain the peace. A few days later, Ecuador Environment Minister Fabian Valdivicso met representatives of rangers. After discussions, he told newspapers that he had decided to remove Cepeda from the post.

However, as the population continues to rise, the long-term pressures on the islands are serious and will not disappear that easily.

“We have to balance its special environment with the needs of local people. In that sense, it is a microcosm (縮影) for all the other threatened parts of the world. So getting it right here is going to be a very, very important trick to pull off,” said Stjepic.

1.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A. The island’s swelling population.

B. The law to limit waves of immigrants.

C. A life in paradise.

D. The tourists’ visiting the islands every year.

2.How significant were the islands for Charles Darwin?

A. He based his theory on his studies there.

B. He built the Charles Darwin research center there.

C. He advocated the balance between ecology and people there.

D. He found the last surviving giant tortoise there.

3.What is the primary contributing factor to the conflict between conservationists and fishermen?

A. The dismissal of the previous director of the Galapagos National Park.

B. The exploitation of the islands.

C. The government's support of Galapagos Conservation Trust.

D. Cepeda’s close tie with the fishing industry.

4.We can learn from the passage that _______.

A. the projects of Galapagos Conservation Trust on the islands are profitable

B. conservationists get angry when fishermen are killing a goose

C. politicians from the mainland government play football on the islands

D. the government is trying to ease the tension

5.In Paragraph 13, what does the author mean by “The Ecuador government took no chances”?

A. The government did not seize opportunities.

B. The government made no compromises.

C. The government did not run risks.

D. The government shrank from responsibilities.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.A

2.A

3.B

4.D

5.C

【解析】

試題分析：文章報道了在加拉帕戈斯群島發(fā)生的保護主義者和漁民的沖突，為了開發(fā)島嶼的問題，雙方發(fā)生了激烈的沖突，政府正試圖緩解島上的壓力。

1.猜詞題：從第五段的句子：The violence has been triggered by an alarming growth in the islands’ population.可知this指的是島嶼的日益增長的人口，選A

2.細節(jié)題：從第一段的句子：Spanish explorers called them Las Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles, and Charles Darwin used his studies of the islands as the foundation for his theory of natural selection.可知這些島嶼對達爾文很重要，因為他的理論是建立在這里的研究基礎上的。選A

3.細節(jié)題：從文章第七段的句子：These moves have angered many local people, however. They want to exploit (開發(fā)利用) the islands’ waters and catch its protected species of sharks, lobsters and sea cucumbers, which can fetch high prices in Japan and South Korea.可知在保護主義者和漁民的沖突中主要的因素是這些島嶼的開發(fā)。選B

4.細節(jié)題：從文章第10段的句子：Then, the Ecuador government appointed Fausto Cepeda as the national park's new director, a post that has become a political football for the mainland government.可知政府正努力緩解緊張。選D

5.句意理解題：從第13段的句子：sent a patrol boat to maintain the peace.可知“The Ecuador government took no chances”的意思是“政府沒有冒風險”，選C

考點：考查新聞報道類短文