A
(2020·昆明诊断测试)The world can be a scary place when you’re young. It can be even scarier when you’re a young little blue penguin(企鹅), the tiniest of the penguin species. Luckily, there are some humans willing to help. They stepped in to protect Billy, a blue penguin that appeared on a beach in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Spotted on November 29 at the slipway at Moncks Bay, near Sumner, in Christchurch, the little penguin immediately attracted a small crowd. Jeff Mein Smith saw the crowd while he was bicycling that afternoon, and he biked home to get his camera. When he returned to the scene, he found that the penguin had received a little sign, one that read “Hi, I’m waiting for my mum to come back. DOC(Department of Conservation) knows I’m here. Please leave me alone. Keep your dog away. Thanks, Billy the baby blue penguin.”
Billy didn’t move away from the sign. The DOC arrived later that afternoon to pick up Billy, though they were surprised to see it on the beach. “It’s unusual for a blue penguin to be out in the open on the beach during the day，” Anita Spencer, a DOC senior ranger, told Stuff.
Billy was taken to the Christchurch Penguin Rehabilitation Center after being retrieved from the beach. Volunteers believe the bird may actually be a female penguin, and is around 2 months old. The chick weighs a mere 550 grams, less than a standard basketball. A blue penguin should weigh around 900 grams at this age. Most little penguins grow up to weigh 1 kilogram.
The center will help the little penguin gain some weight by feeding it fish juice, before it’s set free into the ocean.
【解题导语】 本文主要讲述了一只小蓝企鹅在人们的帮助下最终得救的故事。
1．Why can the world be frightening to a young penguin?
A．It is a rare species.
B．It faces potential danger.
C．It is surrounded by the crowd.
D．It is threatened by dogs.
B 解析：推理判断题。根据第二段，尤其是倒数第二、三句“Please leave me alone. Keep your dog away.”可知，当时有人在那只小蓝企鹅旁边竖立了一个牌子警示人们不要打扰它，不要让狗靠近它。由此可推知，对于那只小蓝企鹅来讲，这个世界是可怕的，因为它面临着一些潜在的危险。故B项正确。
2．It can be inferred from the text that Billy________．
A．is a female penguin
B．has expressed its thanks
C．weighs less for its age
D．prefers living on the beach
C 解析：推理判断题。根据第四段中的“The chick weighs a mere 550 grams, less than a standard basketball. A blue penguin should weigh around 900 grams at this age.”可知，这只小蓝企鹅体重只有550克，而处于它这个年龄的小蓝企鹅的体重应达到900克左右。由此可推知，这只小蓝企鹅的体重低于它这个年龄的小蓝企鹅的体重。故C项正确。
3．Which of the following can replace the underlined word “retrieved” in Paragraph 4?
A．Ignored. B．Cured.
C．Given away. D．Brought back.
D 解析：词义猜测题。根据第四段第一句“Billy was taken to the Christchurch Penguin Rehabilitation Center after being retrieved from the beach.”可知，这只小蓝企鹅是从沙滩上被带到克赖斯特彻奇的一个企鹅康复中心的。由此可推知，画线词与brought back “带回”意思相近。故D项正确。
4．What will happen to Billy in the center?
A．It will be reported to Stuff.
B．It will be visited by the locals.
C．It will be taken good care of.
D．It will be fed with fruit juice.
C 解析：推理判断题。根据最后一段“The center will help the little penguin gain some weight by feeding it fish juice, before it’s set free into the ocean.”可知，在这只小蓝企鹅被放回海洋之前，康复中心会帮助它增加一些体重。由此可推知，在那个企鹅康复中心里，这只小蓝企鹅会得到很好的照顾。故C项正确。
