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1、-8-高考专题阅读理解（文化教育类）07十八、Passengerpigeons(旅鸽)onceflewovermuchoftheUnitedStatesinunbelievablenumbers.Writtenaccountsfromthe18thand19thcenturiesdescribedflocks(群)solargethattheytheskyforhours.Itwascalculatedthatwhenitpopulationreacheditshighestpoint,theyweremorethan3billlionpasseng
2、erpigeons—anumberequalto24to40percentofthetotalbirdpopulationintheUnitedStates,makingitperhapsthemostabundantbirdintheworld.Evenaslateas1870whentheirnumbershadalreadybecomesmaller,aflockbelievedtobe1milewideand320miles(about515kilometers)longwasseennearCincinnati.Sadlytheabunda
3、nceofpassengerpigeonsmayhavebeentheirundoing.Wherethebirdsweremostabundant,peoplebelievedtherewasanever-lastingsupplyandkilledthembythethousands,Commercialhuntersattractedthemtosmallclearingswithgrain,waiteduntilpigeonshadsettledtofeed,thenthrewlargenetsoverthem,takinghundredsa
4、tatime.Thebirdswereshippedtolargecitiesandsoldinrestaurants.Bytheclosingdecadesofthe19thcentury,thehardwoodforestswherepassengerpigeonsnestedhadbeendamagedbyAmerican’sneedforwood,whichscattered(驱散)theflocksandforcedthebirdstogofarthernorth,wherecoldtemperaturesandstormscontribu
5、tedtotheirdecline.Soonthegreatflocksweregone,nevertobeseenagain.In1897,thestateofMichiganpassedalawprohibitingthekillingofpassengerpigeonsbutbythen,nosizableflockshadbeenseeninthestatefor10years.ThelastconfirmedwipigeonintheUnitedStateswasshotbyaboyinPikeCounty,Ohio,in1900.Fora
6、time,afewbirdssurvivedunderhumancare.Thelastofthem,knownaffectionatelyasMartha,diedattheCincinnatiZoologicalGardenonSeptember1,1914.24.Inthe18thandearly19tehcenturies,passengerpigeons____.A.werethebiggestbirdintheworldB.livedmainlyinthesouthofAmericaC.didgreatharmtothenaturalen
7、vironmentD.werethelargestbirdpopulationintheUs-8--8-25.Theunderlinedword“undoing”probablyreferstothepigeons’____.A.escapeB.ruinC.liberationD.evolution26.Whatwasthemainreasonforpeopletokillpassengerpigeons?A.Toseekpleasure.B.Tosaveotherbirds.C.Tomakemoney.D.Toprotectcrops.27.Wha
8、tcanweinferaboutthelawpassedinMichigan?A.Itwasignoredb
