阅读理解。
The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African
ecosystem (生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its
environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna (大草原) surroundings in
which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat
(栖息地).
It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important
builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills
small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both
deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces
are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out
sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants,
elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests
become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as
well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the
elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and
savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.
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1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Disappearance of African elephants.
B. Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.
C. The effect of African elephants' search for food.
D. The eating habit of African elephants.
2. What does the underlined phrase "setting the terms" most probably mean?
A. Fixing the time.
B. Worsening the state.
C. Improving the quality.
D. Deciding the conditions.
3. What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?
A. They result from the destruction of rain forests.
B. They provide food mainly for African elephants.
C. They are home to many endangered animals.
D. They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds.
4. The passage is developed mainly by ______.
A. showing the effect and then explaining the causes
B. pointing out similarities and differences
C. describing the changes in space order
D. giving examples
