单选题 Passage Three
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.
单选题
  • A. The differences between sheep and cattle breeding.
  • B. Living conditions in the colony of Massachusetts.
  • C. Food shortages in the early 1800's.
  • D. Livestock raising on early American farms.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 32-35 The animals you would have seen on a typical farm in Massachusetts in the early 1800's would not look quite the same as the ones you might see in the 1980's. In colonial times settlers brought cattle and sheep with them to America from various parts of Europe. Because the settlers were busy building houses, clearing land and planting crops. They had little time to care for their animals. The cattle and sheep had to fend for themselves and females were bred to whatever bulls or rams were in the neighborhood. These mating resulted in mixed breeds of cattle and sheep that were hardly enough to survive under adverse conditions. As the herds grew, they provided the settlers with meat as well as milk and wool. That was almost all the 19th century farm families needed, enough food for themselves and a little surplus that could be traded for things they couldn't produce at home. Now the survival of farm animals is not so precarious. Breeding is much more selective and specialized, purebred cattle and sheep predominate, some bred for their meat, others for their milk or wool. 32. What is the main topic of the passage?
单选题
  • A. They were imported from European countries.
  • B. They migrated from distant colonies.
  • C. They were domesticated from local wild breeds.
  • D. They were the result of a careful breeding program.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] What does the speaker say about where early Massachusetts farm animals came from?
单选题
  • A. Planting crops.
  • B. Clearing new land.
  • C. Building houses.
  • D. Caring for animals.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] According to the speaker, what activity did the settlers consider least important?
单选题
  • A. Traded them to neighboring families.
  • B. Sold them to people in cities and towns.
  • C. Fed and clothed themselves.
  • D. Nourished their crops and livestock.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] What did 19th-century farm families do with most of their farm products?