单选题
Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world's largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows, mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction Toprotect the Poconos'natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy named the area one of America's "Last Great Places".
Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy's Bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like Francis Altemese, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14, 000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose's family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Franchl worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program As a result, his family's land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.
Cook attributes the Conservancy's success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.
"The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community," Cook said, "The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort. "
For more information on how you can help The Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world's other "Last Great Places," please call 1-888-5646864. Or visit us on the World Wid Web at
www. tnc. org.
单选题
The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America's "Last Great Places" is to______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。由文章第二段最后一句“to protect the Poconos’natural beauty from irresponsibledevelopment，the Natural Conservancy named the area one of America’s‘Last Great Places’”可直接定位选项B。故答案为B。
单选题
We learn from the passage that______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：信息推断题。第二段首句“The streams，lakes，meadows，mountain ridges and forests that makethe Poconos an ideal place for black bears，have also attracted more people to the region．”提及波克诺山(Poconos)同时也吸引了众多人到此。选项A中population is growing与此信息一致。故答案为A。
单选题
What is important in protecting the Poconos according to Cook?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析：信息推断题。信息定位在文章倒数第二段。段中首句“is to connected with the local community”与选项C中的“cooperation with local residents and business leaders”信息一致。故答案为C。
单选题
What does Bud Cook mean by "having a local presence"(Line 1, Para. 5)?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：信息归纳题。文中出现“having a local presence”的语境为Bud Cook将大自然保护协会的成功归功于此。由此可知，信息应在之前提到的有关Bud和协会所做的事情。第四段“Two years agoFrancis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program．”提及当地农民Francis与协会合作，将他的农场并入农田保护项目，由此可知，having a local presence应指一个机构。选项D中branch“分支机构”符合句意，故答案为D。