单选题 Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade, and they help to prevent droughts (干旱) and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire (帝国). It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the home country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see this. The villager wants wood to cook his food with; and he can earn money by making charcoal (木炭) or selling wood to the townsman. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after new trees. So, unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that the villagers' sons and grandsons have fewer trees. The results are even more serious: for where there are trees, their roots break the soil up—allowing the rain to sink in—and also bind the soil, thus preventing its being washed away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away from the surface, causing floods and carrying away with it the rich topsoil, in which crops grow so well. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but a worthless desert.

单选题 What is the most important function of trees?

A. Providing fuel.
B. Providing nice scenery.
C. Offering shade.
D. Preventing droughts and floods.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】细节题。文章第一段讲到了树木的三大作用：1. they provide him with wood and other products; 2. they give him shade; 3. they help to prevent droughts(干旱) and floods. 第二段开头又谈到man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important人们往往没有意识到第三个作用是最重要的作用，所以D为正确答案。

单选题 What happened eventually to the rich, powerful country 2000 years ago?

A. It broke down.
B. It became a giant empire.
C. Its people died of hunger.
D. It built many ships with wood.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】细节题。从题目中2000 years ago定位到第二段第四行。Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire.两千年前一个富裕而强大的国家砍伐了所有的树木制造战舰，帝国得以建立。本段最后一句话提到without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the home country found itself faced by floods and starvation这个帝国最终分崩离析，因为没有了树木，全国面临饥荒和洪水。所以A为正确答案。

单选题 It is implied in the passage that the villager ______.

A. wants fire wood
B. wants to cut down trees
C. wants to make money
D. wants to take care of trees

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】细节题。第三段提到，The villager wants wood to cook his food with; and he can earn money by making charcoal(木炭) or selling wood to the townsman. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after new trees.乡村居民砍伐树木烧饭、出售、制成木炭赚钱。唯独不愿种植和照看新树林。所以B为正确答案。