Why Buy Shade-Grown Coffee?
When people argue about whether coffee is good for health, they're usually thinking of the health of the coffee drinker. Is it good for your heart? Does it increase blood pressure? Does it help you concentrate? However, coffee affects the health of the human population in other ways, too.
Traditionally, coffee bushes were planted under the canopy (樹冠) of taller indigenous ( 土生土長的) trees. However, more and more farmers in Latin America are deforesting the land to grow full-sun coffees. At first, this increases production because more coffee bushes can be planted if there aren't any trees. With increased production come increased profits.
Unfortunately, deforesting for coffee production immediately decreases local wildlife habitat.
Native birds nest and hide from predators (捕食者) in the tall trees and migrating birds rest there.
Furthermore, in the long term, the full-sun method also damages the ecosystem because more chemical fertilizers and pesticides are needed to grow the coffee. The fertilizers and pesticides kill insects that eat coffee plant, but then the birds eat the poisoned insects and also die. The chemicals kill or sicken other animals as well, and can even enter the water that people will eventually drink.
Fortunately, farmers in Central and South America are beginning to grow more coffee bushes in the shade. We can support these farmers by buying coffee with such labels as "shade grown" and "bird friendly". Sure, these varieties might cost a little more. But we're paying for the health of the birds, the land, ourselves, and the planet. I think it's worth it.
31. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Farmers are changing the way they grow coffee.
B. Coffee is becoming more expensive to produce.
C. Shade-grow coffee is more expensive than sun-grow coffee.
D. People should buy shade-grown coffee.
32. The function of the word "traditionally" in Paragraph 2 is to show__________.
A. the positive effects of coffee.
B. a change of coffee growth.
C. something that is the most important.
D. how coffee production used to be.
33. What does increased production of full-sun coffee bring about?
A. More insects.
B. Better quality coffee.
C. Larger farms.
D. Higher profits.
34. How do farmers find more land for growing full-sun coffee?
A. They buy more land from other farmers.
B. They cut down trees.
C. They move to another country.
D. They turn grassland into farmland.
35. The full-sun method may affect the following EXCEPT__________.
A. insects.
B. air.
C. birds.
D. humans.
答案與解析
31.A。題幹：這篇文章的大意為__________。主旨題。從各段的首尾句來看，第二段至第四段談論的是向陽種植咖啡的弊端，第五段談的是人們開始在向陰的地方種植咖啡，由此可以看出人們種植咖啡的方式發生了改變，所以該題答案為A(農民們正在改變他們種植咖啡的方式。)
32.B。題幹：第二段中?traditionally?壹詞的功能是為了說明__________。細節題。利用題目關鍵詞定位到第二段的首句，從中可知?傳統上，咖啡樹被種植在高大的樹的樹冠之下?，後壹句?但是，拉美地區越來越多的農民砍伐森林來種植完全向陽的咖啡樹?，由此可知前後句就咖啡樹的種植方式形成對比，因此traditionally是為了說明過去與現在種植方式的不同，因而答案為B。選項D具有較大的`迷惑性，但是第壹句和第二句談論的是咖啡的種植，而非咖啡的生產。因而，本題答案為B(咖啡種植的改變)。
33.D。題幹：向陽種植的咖啡產量增加導致了什麽?細節題。利用題幹關鍵詞increasedproduction可以定位到第二段最後壹句，可知產量的增加帶來了利潤的增加，故D(高的利潤)為正確答案。
34.B。題幹：農民如何找到更多的地來向陽種植咖啡?細節題。利用題幹關鍵詞find moreland可以定位到第二段的第二句，可知越來越多的拉美人正在砍伐森林來種植咖啡樹，故B(他們將樹砍到)為正確答案。
35.B。題幹：向陽種植咖啡的方法可能對下列之外都有影響。細節題。分別定位四個選項可以定位到第三和四段，如第三段提到因為要種植咖啡樹，本地的鳥類賴以築巢和躲避捕食者的樹木被砍掉了，第四段提到化肥和殺蟲劑殺死了以咖啡樹為食的昆蟲，而鳥類吃了這些中毒的昆蟲而死亡，化學物質殺死或使動物生病，然後將毒性帶入到人們飲水的水域中。所以可見昆蟲、鳥類和人類都受到了影響，故本題答案為B(空氣)。