Question 01-11

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Question 21-30

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Question 31-40 The relation of alder trees to their forest environments (全對！)

Growing tightly packed together and collectively weaving a dense canopy of

branches, a stand of red alder trees can totally dominate a site to the exclusion of

almost everything else. Certain species such as salmonberry and sword ferns have

adapted to the limited sunlight dappling through the canopy, but few evergreen trees

will survive there; still fewer can compete with the early prodigious growth of alders.

A Douglas fir tree reaches its maximum rate of growth ten years later than an alder,

and if the two of them begin life at the same time, the alder quickly outgrows and

dominates the Douglas fir. After an alder canopy has closed, the Douglas fir suffers a

marked decrease in growth, often dying within seven years. Even more shade-tolerant

species of trees such as hemlock may remain badly suppressed beneath aggressive

young alders.

Companies engaged in intensive timber cropping naturally take a dim view of alders

suppressing more valuable evergreen trees. But times are changing; a new generation

of foresters seems better prepared to include in their management plans consideration

of the vital ecological role alders, play.

Among the alder's valuable ecological contributions is its capacity to fix nitrogen in

nitrogen-deficient soils. Alder roots contain clusters of nitrogen-fixing nodules like

those found on legumes such as beans. in addition, newly developing soils exposed by

recent glacier retreat and planted with alders show that these trees are applying the

equivalent of ten bags of high-nitrogen fertilizer to each hectare per year. Other

chemical changes to soil in which they are growing include a lowering of the base

content and rise in soil acidity, as well as a substantial addition of carbon and calcium

to the soil.

Another important role many alders play in the wild, particularly in mountainous

areas, is to check the rush of water during spring melt. In Japan and elsewhere, the

trees are planted to stabilize soil on steep mountain slopes. Similarly, alders have been

planted to stabilize and rehabilitate waste material left over from old mines, flood

deposits, and landslide areas in both Europe and Asia.

31. What does the passage mainly discuss?

   (A) Differences between alder trees and Douglas fir trees

   (B) Alder trees as a source of timber

   (C) Management plans for using alder trees to improve soil

   (D) The relation of alder trees to their forest environments

32. The word "dense" in line I is closest in meaning to

   (A) dark

   (B) tall

   (C) thick

   (D) broad

33. Alder trees can suppress the growth of nearby trees by depriving them of

   (A) nitrogen

   (B) sunlight

   (C) soil nutrients

   (D) water

34. Thc passage suggests that Douglas fir trees are

   (A) a type of alder

   (B) a type of evergreen

   (C) similar to sword ferns

   (D) fast-growing trees

35. It can be inferred from paragraph I that hemlock trees

   (A) are similar in size to alder trees.

   (B) interfere with the growth of Douglas fir trees

   (C) reduce the number of alder trees In the forest

   (D) need less sunlight than do Douglas fir trees

36. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that previous generations of foresters

   (A) did not study the effects of alders on forests

   (B) did not want alders In forests

   (C) harvested alders for lumber

   (D) used alders to control the growth of evergreens

37. The word "they" in line 21 refers to

   (A) newly developing soils

   (B) alders

   (C) bags

   (D) chemical changes

38. ??????????????????????????????????????????

39. It can be Inferred from the passage that alders are used in mountainous areas to

   (A) prevent water from carrying away soil

   (B) hold the snow

   (C) protect mines

   (D) provide material for housing

40. What is the author's main purpose in the passage?

   (A) To argue that alder trees are useful in forest management

   (B) To explain the life cycle of alder trees

   (C) To criticize the way alders take over and eliminate forests

   (D) To illustrate how alder trees control soil erosion

註釋

• red alder trees can totally dominate a site to the exclusion of almost everything else
• but they can do good: vital ecological role
  • fix nitrogen in nitrogen-deficient soils
  • lowering of the base content, rise in soil acidity, substantial addition of carbon and calcium to the soil
  • check the rush of water during spring melt, stabilize soil on steep mountain slopes, stabilize and rehabilitate waste material

題解

DCBBD ABDAA

31. 本文全篇其實都在談 alder trees 和其所處之環境間的關係

32. dense ≒ thick

33. dense canopy遮住 sunlight，然後又拿 adapted to the limited sunlight, shade-tolerant 的樹木與之相較...

34. "but few evergreen trees will survive there; still fewer can compete with the early prodigious growth of alders"

      然後下一句緊接 "A Douglas fir tree ..."，顯然 Douglas fir tree 為那些 fewer 其中之一

35. 在講完 Douglas fir tree 的情況之後緊接 "Even more shade-tolerant species of trees such as hemlock ..."

      表示 hemlock 是比 Douglas fir tree 更 shade-tolerant(need less sunlight)

36. 第二段主要在說，林木業者本來不看好 alder tree，但後來才發現他有文中的那些 ecological contribution (先前沒研究)

37. "Other chemical changes to soil in which they are growing ..."，因為該段主角一直都是 alder trees，所以 they 是代稱他們

38. 抓到的題目有誤

39. Another important role many alders play ... particularly in mountainous areas, is to check the rush of water ...

40. 整篇文章就是在替 alder trees 說好話，說他對於林木業者、對森林很有助益

單字

• collectively 共同地;全體地 as a group
• canopy 頂篷;罩 the leaves and branches of trees, that make a kind of roof in a forest
• stand 站立 (N.)
• alder 赤楊
• dominate 支配;主宰 to control someone or something or to have more importance than other people or things
• exclusion 排除在外 (ex-: out) (反義: inculsion) when someone is not allowed to take part in something or enter a place
• dapple 一點一點透出來 to mark something with spots of colour, light, or shade
• marked 顯著的 (noticeable) very easy to notice
• suppress 阻止...生長(或發展) to prevent something from growing or developing, or from working effectively
• timber 木材,木料,林地 trees that produce wood used for building or making things
• crop 種植;收割
• dim 微暗的;暗淡的;朦朧的;悲觀的 if your chances of success in the future are dim, they are not good
• nitrogen 氮
• deficient 不足的,缺乏的 not containing or having enough of something
• nodule 小瘤
• glacier 冰河
• retreat 撤退 a movement away from someone or something
• fertilizer 肥料 (fertilize)
• hectare 公頃
• base 鹼;鹽基
• substantial 大量的 large in amount or number
• check 制止,控制;停止 to stop something bad from getting worse or continuing to happen
• rehabilitate (使)復興;(使)恢復原狀;(使)復權; to make people think that someone or something is good again after a period when people had a bad opinion of them
• waste 廢棄物
• landslide 山崩;滑坡;(選舉中的)壓倒性大勝利
• deprive 剝奪,從...奪走;使喪失(+of) to prevent someone from having something, especially something that they need or should have

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