II. Reading Comprehension

Passage 1

Have you ever wondered why different animals or pests have their particular colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.

Birds, especially seagulls, are very fond of locusts, but birds cannot easily catch locusts because locusts change their colors together with the change of the color of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But when crops are ripe, locusts take on exactly the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from plants are usually easily found and eaten by their enemies. So they have to hide themselves in terror for lives and appear only at night.

If you study the animal life in any part of the world, you will find the main use of coloring is to protect themselves. Bears, wolves and other beasts move quietly through forests. They are usually invisible to the eyes of hunters, because they have the color much like the barks of trees.

An even more strange act remains to be noticed. A kind of fish living in seas can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over, its enemies cannot find it, and it immediately swims away. Thus, it has existed up to now though it is not powerful at all.

1. This passage mainly talks about ___ B ___.

A. the change of color in locusts

B. the protective coloration of animals and pests

C. how a certain sea fish protects itself

D. animals or pests can dye themselves different colors

2. Locusts are not easily wiped out by their enemies because ___ C ___.

A. they are powerful enough

B. they are dangerous to their enemies

C. they take on the same colors as crops

D. they fly extraordinarily fast

3. The pests that have different colors from plants usually appear at night because ___ B ___.

A. birds take their rest when night comes

B. their enemies can easily find them and eat them

C. they have the habit of coming out in darkness

D. it’s easy for them to destroy plants in darkness

4. Bears and wolves have the same colors as barks of trees because ____ D __.

A. they fear other beasts

B. they prefer brown or grey colors

C. they enjoy walking through forests quietly

D. the colors help prevent themselves from being noticed

5. A certain fish living in seas has lived through millions of years because ___ C ___.

A. it is the most powerful in the sea

B. it can swim much faster than any other fish

C. it can send out a kind of liquid which makes its enemies unable to find it

D. it can send out a kind of liquid which can kill its enemies