阅读理解 Do you want to know something about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of the weather even further back. It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight or rainfall would limit the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be determined by reading the pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find out the weather of ten years ago，count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are close together, then the climate was bad for the tree. Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand--no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why? A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move. In this instance studying tree rings uncovered an exciting fact about the history of man. 1．It is understood that in a favorable climate _____. [ ] A．tree rings grow close together B．tree rings grow far apart C．trees in New Mexico will grow big and tall D．people can cut down most of the trees in New Mexico 2．Why did ancient people usually live where there were plenty of trees? [ ] A．Trees provided them with shades. B．Trees indicated plenty of sunlight and rainfall. C．Trees were materials for cooking and building houses. D．Trees provided them with fruit and food. 3．Scientists are interested in studying tree rings because they can tell _____. [ ] A．a lot about what happened in history B．whether a particular tree was healthy or not C．whether people took good care of the trees or not D．how old the trees were 4．By studying the dead tree rings in Mexico the scientist found out _____. [ ] A．where the people had to go B．what the people had to eat C．how the people left D．why the people had to leave 5．The people had to leave the region of New Mexico because _____. [ ] A．they had cut down all the trees B．there were many trees there C．they had no water D．bad weather stopped the growth of trees
阅读理解
Do you want to know something about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of the weather even further back.
It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight or rainfall would limit the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be determined by reading the pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find out the weather of ten years ago，count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are close together, then the climate was bad for the tree.
Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand--no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why?
A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move.
In this instance studying tree rings uncovered an exciting fact about the history of man.
1．It is understood that in a favorable climate _____.
[ ]
A．tree rings grow close together
B．tree rings grow far apart
C．trees in New Mexico will grow big and tall
D．people can cut down most of the trees in New Mexico
2．Why did ancient people usually live where there were plenty of trees?
[ ]
A．Trees provided them with shades.
B．Trees indicated plenty of sunlight and rainfall.
C．Trees were materials for cooking and building houses.
D．Trees provided them with fruit and food.
3．Scientists are interested in studying tree rings because they can tell _____.
[ ]
A．a lot about what happened in history
B．whether a particular tree was healthy or not
C．whether people took good care of the trees or not
D．how old the trees were
4．By studying the dead tree rings in Mexico the scientist found out _____.
[ ]
A．where the people had to go
B．what the people had to eat
C．how the people left
D．why the people had to leave
5．The people had to leave the region of New Mexico because _____.
[ ]
A．they had cut down all the trees
B．there were many trees there
C．they had no water
D．bad weather stopped the growth of trees
题目解答
答案
【文章大意】本文主要讲述了研究树木的年轮不仅对天气的历史很重要，对人类的历史也很重要。正确的天气报告只能追溯到一个世纪以前，但有些树能提供更早以前的精确天气记录。从有利气候到不利气候的转变可以通过观察树干的年轮模式来确定，而且年轮也可以显示出很多关于历史上发生的事。
1.【答案】B
【解析】题干意思是“据了解，在有利的气候条件下_________。”，A 树的年轮紧密地生长在一起；B 树木的年轮相距甚远；C 新墨西哥州的树会长得又高又大；D 人们可以砍掉新墨西哥州的大部分树木。
根据第二段的“ If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are close together, then the climate was bad for the tree.(如果第十环离其他环很远，那么可以肯定的是，大量的晴天和雨天出现了。如果年轮靠得很近，那么气候对这棵树不利。)”，结合选项，故选B。
2.【答案】C
【解析】题干意思是“为什么古人通常生活在有很多树的地方？”，A 树木为他们提供了树荫；B 树木显示有充足的阳光和雨水；C 树木是烹饪和建造房屋的材料；D 树木为他们提供了水果和食物。
根据第四段的“Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move.(树木是生火和建筑的必要条件，所以，在人们摧毁了树木之后，他们不得不搬家。)”，结合选项，故选C。
3.【答案】A
【解析】题干意思是“科学家们对研究年轮很感兴趣，因为它们可以显示出________。”，A 很多关于历史上发生的事；B 一棵特定的树是否健康；C 人们是否照顾好了树木；D 这些树有多大年龄。
根据第三段的“Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. (研究树木的年轮不仅对天气的历史很重要，对人类的历史也很重要。)”和第五段的“In this instance studying tree rings uncovered an exciting fact about the history of man.(在这种情况下，研究树木年轮，揭示了一个关于人类历史的令人兴奋的事实。)”，结合选项，故选A。
4.【答案】D
【解析】题干意思是“通过研究墨西哥的死树年轮，这位科学家发现_______。”，A 人们不得不去的地方；B 人们必须吃的东西；C 人们是怎么离开的；D 为什么人们不得不离开。
根据第三段的“ In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand--no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why?(在新墨西哥州的一个地区，你只能找到沙子——没有树，也没有人。 然而，许多世纪以前，有大量的人口居住在那里。 他们突然离开了。 为什么？)”和第四段的“A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. (一位科学家研究了生长在那里的枯死树木的年轮形态。他确定人们不得不离开，是因为他们砍掉了所有的树。)”，结合选项，故选D。
5.【答案】A
【解析】题干意思是“人们不得不离开新墨西哥州，因为________。”，A 他们把所有的树都砍了；B 那里有很多树；C 他们没有水；D 坏天气阻碍了树木的生长。
根据第四段的“A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. (一位科学家研究了生长在那里的枯死树木的年轮形态。他确定人们不得不离开，是因为他们砍掉了所有的树。)”，结合选项，故选A。
解析
在有利的气候条件下，树木会生长得更好，因此年轮会相距较远。如果年轮靠得很近，说明气候对树木不利。
步骤 2：分析古代人选择居住地的原因
古代人通常选择在有很多树木的地方居住，因为树木不仅提供了充足的阳光和雨水，还提供了烹饪和建造房屋的材料。
步骤 3：研究树木年轮的意义
研究树木年轮不仅对天气的历史很重要，对人类的历史也很重要。通过研究树木年轮，科学家可以揭示很多关于历史上发生的事。
步骤 4：分析墨西哥地区的人们离开的原因
通过研究墨西哥地区死树的年轮，科学家发现人们离开的原因是他们砍掉了所有的树木，导致无法继续生存。
步骤 5：总结人们离开新墨西哥州的原因
人们离开新墨西哥州是因为他们砍掉了所有的树木，导致无法继续生存。