阅读试题

A recent study of ancient and modern elephant has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species.
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard University when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon modern elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant, and African savanna elephant.
Once they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石), mammoths and mastodons, the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephant and the African forest elephant have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species, but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species, despite the elephants' significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5 metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5 metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, said, "We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two difficult units for conservation purpose. Since 1950, all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority（优先）for conservation purposes."

66. One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of _____________.
A. the Asian elephant C. the savanna elephant
B. the forest elephant D. the mastodon elephant

67. The underlined word "divergence" in Paragraph 4 means "_____________".
A. evolution B. exhibition C. separation D. examination

68. The researchers' conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant's _____________.
A. DNA B. height　C. weight　D. population

69. What are Alfred Roca's words mainly about?
A. The conservation of African elephant
B. The purpose of studying African elephant
C. The way to divide African elephants into two units
D. The reason for the distinction of African elephants

70.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Naturalist' Beliefs about Elephants
B. Amazing Experiments about Elephants
C. An Unexpected Finding about Elephants
D. A Long Scientific Debate about Elephants

参考译文

最近一个关于古代和现代的大象的研究得出一个意想不到的结论，那就是非洲象分为两个不同的物种。
这一发现是由约克大学和哈佛大学的研究者们提出来的，这是他们在检测古代毛象与现代乳齿象，亚洲象，非洲森林象及非洲热带草原象之间的基因关系时发现的。
一旦他们从毛象和乳齿象的化石中获得DNA序列，那么他们团队就会与现代大象的DNA进行对比。他们有令他们自己都惊奇的发现，那就是现代森林象与热带草原象和亚洲象与毛象一样，彼此不同。
科学家们用详细的基因分析来证明非洲热带草原象与非洲森林象是存在了几百万年的不同的物种。两种物种的分离发生的时间大约是亚洲象和毛象分离的时间。这一结果让所有的科学家都震惊了。
在科学界有很长时间的争论关于这两个可能是被分开的物种，但是至今为止最为可信的证据是他们的确是不同的物种。
很明显，尽管大象最重要的体型不同，许多自然主义学家仍然相信非洲热带草原象与非洲森林象是同一物种里的两大族群。非洲热带草原象的平均肩高是3.5米，而非洲森林象的平均肩高是2.5米。非洲热带草原象的体重在6至7吨，大概是森林象体重的两倍。但是事实上他们看起来不同并不意味着它们是不同的物种。然而，DNA分析的证据却摆在那里。
伊利诺斯大学动物科学系助教奥尔雷德·罗卡说；“我们现在必须把草原象和森林象当作两项（物种）保护的难题。自1950年以来，所有的非洲象都被认为是一个物种。既然我们知道森林象和草原象是两种不同的动物，那么森林象应该在（物种）保护中拥有优先权。”

答案解析

66. D 细节理解题。根据第三段的第一句Once they obtained DNA sequences form two fossils, mammoths and mastodons...可知答案为D。
67. C 词义猜测题。前面一句讲到了这两种大象分离成不同的物种已有数百万年了，由此可判断divergence在此是“分离”之意。
68. A 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的最后一句可知研究人员的结论是在检测非洲大象DNA的基础上得来的。
69. A 推理判断题。根据最后一段的内容可知Alfred Roca的话主要讲的是对不同的非洲大象要分别采取不同的保护措施。
70. C 主旨大意题。根据本文的主题句（第一段）可知选C。