Although many butterflies remain to be decreasing in the long run, last year three quarters of endangered species saw an increase in number, including some rare species.
Experts said the improvement in the butterflies’ fortunes was likely to be the result of effective action on protection, such as leaving open wetland in woods where flowers can grow, and better weather in 2010 after three damaging wet summers.
Dr Tom Brereton said butterflies are extremely sensitive to changes in the weather. Last year saw a warm summer for successful feeding, which helped a number of butterflies in some way.
He even said climate change could be benefiting some butterfly species but many other butterfly species suffer from it. For example, the mountain ringlet suffers as it needs cold climates. And at the same time, the change is too rapid for most to get used to.
In the long run butterfly numbers have continued to drop, with three quarters of the nearly 60 species found in Britain seeing numbers fall in recent decades and nearly half of them seriously threatened.
The Lulworth skipper, one of the UK’s rarest butterflies, had its worst year since 1976, and there are people worrying that changing the environment to benefit other species may be harming this kind of butterfly. Wild flowers have been grown in some places to help other butterflies but the Lulworth skipper needs long grass and wild areas. Meadow browns, the country’s most common species, also had the worst year on record. Some other kinds of butterflies also had a bad year.
However, in the short term many butterflies saw an increase in number in 2010 compared to 2009 levels.
…
【小题1】Which was a reason for the increase in the number of the butterflies last year?

A．The protection of humans.	B．A wet summer.
C．Changes in the butterflies’ habits.	D．The decrease in wetland in woods.

【小题2】We can learn from Dr Tom Brereton’s words that       .

A．the mountain ringlet can quickly adapt to climate change

B．butterflies can help slow down climate change

C．climate change can be both beneficial and harmful to butterflies

D．other kinds of animals also suffer from climate change

【小题3】What is most likely to be discussed in the following paragraph?

A．Why some butterflies decreased in number in 2010.

B．How to protect butterflies in the coming winter.

C．Effects of climate change on butterflies.

D．Examples of butterflies that have increased in number.

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Some butterflies in Britain have had a good year.

B．Butterflies in Britain have different habits.

C．Butterflies are well protected in Britain.

D．Butterflies are disappearing from Britain.

It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday—which burnt him like fire.
He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness.
Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight—munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. 
“Hello!” Ben said, “I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for Ben’s apple while he kept painting the fence.
Ben said, “That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”
Tom turned suddenly saying “Here you are! Ben! I didn’t notice you.”
“I’m going swimming,” Ben said. “Don’t you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?”
Tom said, “Work? What do you mean ‘work’?”
“Isn’t that work?”
Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Do you mean that you enjoy it?”
“I don’t see why I oughtn’t to enjoy it.”
“Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently” said Tom.
Ben stopped munching his apple.
Tom moved his brush back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed1. After a short time, he said, “Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, “No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right.”
“Oh, come on, let me try. I’ll be careful. Listen, Tom. I’ll give you part of my apple if you let me paint.”
“No, Ben, I’m afraid—”
“I’ll give you all the apple!”
Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but alacrity in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys.
Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village.
Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.
【小题1】By using “Tom continued painting and answered carelessly”, the author shows Tom ______ when he was talking to Ben.

A．made mistakes

B．damaged things

C．was natural

D．wasn’t concentrating

【小题2】The underlined word “alacrity” in the last but two paragraph most probable means “______”.

A．kindness

B．discouragement

C．sympathy

D．eagerness

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ________

A．Tom did not want to go swimming at all

B．Tom was asked to help Aunt Polly paint the fence

C．Tom did not get along well with his friends

D．Tom was very busy that Saturday afternoon.

【小题4】We can draw a conclusion from the last paragraph that _______.

A．forbidden fruit is sweet.	B．a friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．all good things must come to an end.	D．a bad excuse is better than none.

It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday—which burnt him like fire.

He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness.

Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight—munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. 

“Hello!” Ben said, “I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”

No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for Ben’s apple while he kept painting the fence.

Ben said, “That’s a lot of work, isn’t it?”

Tom turned suddenly saying “Here you are! Ben! I didn’t notice you.”

“I’m going swimming,” Ben said. “Don’t you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?”

Tom said, “Work? What do you mean ‘work’?”

“Isn’t that work?”

Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, “Maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer.”

“Do you mean that you enjoy it?”

“I don’t see why I oughtn’t to enjoy it.”

“Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently” said Tom.

Ben stopped munching his apple.

Tom moved his brush back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed1. After a short time, he said, “Tom, let me whitewash a little.”

Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, “No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right.”

“Oh, come on, let me try. I’ll be careful. Listen, Tom. I’ll give you part of my apple if you let me paint.”

“No, Ben, I’m afraid—”

“I’ll give you all the apple!”

Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but alacrity in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys.

Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village.

Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.

1.By using “Tom continued painting and answered carelessly”, the author shows Tom ______ when he was talking to Ben.

A．made mistakes

B．damaged things

C．was natural

D．wasn’t concentrating

2.The underlined word “alacrity” in the last but two paragraph most probable means “______”.

A．kindness

B．discouragement

C．sympathy

D．eagerness

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? ________

A．Tom did not want to go swimming at all

B．Tom was asked to help Aunt Polly paint the fence

C．Tom did not get along well with his friends

D．Tom was very busy that Saturday afternoon.

4.We can draw a conclusion from the last paragraph that _______.

A．forbidden fruit is sweet.	B．a friend in need is a friend indeed.
C．all good things must come to an end.	D．a bad excuse is better than none.