阅读理解
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, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. 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 flood and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade villagers to see this. The villagers want wood to cook their food with; and they can earn money by selling wood. They are usually too lazy to plant and look after the 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'' children and grandchildren will 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 flood.
单选题
What is the most important function of trees?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】本题考查的也是考生对具体细节的理解。答案对应于文章的第二段首句。这几段文字论述了树木的三种作用，并在第二段指出第三种作用最重要即Man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important．所以C正确。
单选题
What eventually happened to the empire in the second paragraph?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】本题考查的也是考生对具体细节的理解。答案对应于文章的第二段“When the empire fell to pieces，the home country found itself faced by flood and starvation．”有些同学可能会选A，但由这句看，帝国解体之时，人民面临洪水和饥饿，而非人民全部死于饥饿。所以B正确。
单选题
It is implied in the passage that the villagers_________.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题考查的也是考生的推断能力及对文章的理解。此题要求推断言外之意。答案对应第三段第一句话：(Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees，it is difficult for it to persuade villagers to see this．从这句对比来看，应选D。
单选题
The role of trees is to_________.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题考查的也是考生的总结能力及对具体细节的理解。答案对应文章最后一段的第二句话：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，从这句概括树木的作用为松弛、固定土壤。也可走捷径：从连词also看应为两个作用，故选D。