Part A: Reading Comprehension

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Biologists estimate that as many as 2 million lesser prairie chickens—a kind of bird living on stretching grasslands—once lent red to the often grey landscape of the midwestern and southwestern United States. But just some 22,000 birds remain today, occupying about 16% of the species’ historic range.

The crash was a major reason the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decided to formally list the bird as threatened. “The lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation,” said USFWS Director Daniel Ashe. Some environmentalists, however, were disappointed. They had pushed the agency to designate the bird as “endangered,” a status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats. But Ashe and others argued that the “threatened” tag gave the federal government flexibility to try out new, potentially less confrontational conservation approaches. In particular, they called for forging closer collaborations with western state governments, which are often uneasy with federal action, and with the private landowners who control an estimated 95% of the prairie chicken’s habitat.

Under the plan, for example, the agency said it would not prosecute landowners or businesses that unintentionally kill, harm, or disturb the bird, as long as they had signed a range-wide management plan to restore prairie chicken habitat. Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres of suitable habitat. The fund will also be used to compensate landowners who set aside habitat. USFWS also set an interim goal of restoring prairie chicken populations to an annual average of 67,000 birds over the next 10 years. And it gives the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), a coalition of state agencies, the job of monitoring progress. Overall, the idea is to let “states remain in the driver’s seat for managing the species,” Ashe said.

Not everyone buys the win-win rhetoric. Some Congress members are trying to block the plan, and at least a dozen industry groups, four states, and three environmental groups are challenging it in federal court. Not surprisingly, industry groups and states generally argue it goes too far; environmentalists say it doesn’t go far enough. “The federal government is giving responsibility for managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to extinction,” says biologist Jay Lininger.

26. The major reason for listing the lesser prairie as threatened is

[A]

its drastically decreased population. 

[B]

the underestimate of the grassland acreage. 

[C]

a desperate appeal from some biologists. 

[D]

the insistence of private landowners. 

27. The “threatened” tag disappointed some environmentalists in that it

[A]

was a give-in to governmental pressure. 

[B]

would involve fewer agencies in action. 

[C]

granted less federal regulatory power. 

[D]

went against conservation policies. 

28. It can be learned from Paragraph 3 that unintentional harm-doers will not be prosecuted if they

[A]

agree to pay a sum for compensation. 

[B]

volunteer to set up an equally big habitat. 

[C]

offer to support the WAFWA monitoring job. 

[D]

promise to raise funds for USFWS operations. 

29. According to Ashe, the leading role in managing the species is

[A]

the federal government. 

[B]

the wildlife agencies. 

[C]

the landowners. 

[D]

the states. 

30. Jay Lininger would most likely support

[A]

industry groups. 

[B]

the win-win rhetoric. 

[C]

environmental groups. 

[D]

the plan under challenge. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

26. [A] its drastically decreased population.
解析：第二段首句指出：“数量暴跌（The crash）是美国鱼类和野生动物管理局（USFWS）决定正式将这种鸟列为受威胁物种的主要原因”。结合第一段的内容（从小草原松鸡数量从200万锐减到大约2.2万只），这里的“crash（暴跌）”指的就是种群数量的急剧下降。因此选A“其急剧减少的种群数量（its drastically decreased population）”。

27. [C] granted less federal regulatory power.
解析：第二段提到，一些环保主义者感到失望（were disappointed）。因为他们曾敦促该机构将这种鸟定为“濒危（endangered）”，因为“濒危”这一状态“赋予了联邦官员更大的监管权力来打击威胁（gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats）”。也就是说，“受威胁（threatened）”这个标签不能赋予他们如此大的权力，即“赋予了较少的联邦监管权（granted less federal regulatory power）”，选C。

28. [A] agree to pay a sum for compensation.
解析：第三段指出，USFWS 表示，只要土地所有者或企业签署了一项范围广泛的管理计划来恢复栖息地，就不会起诉（not prosecute）那些无意中伤害这种鸟的人。紧接着说，该计划“要求那些在运营过程中破坏栖息地的个人和企业向一个基金支付费用（pay into a fund），以每一英亩的破坏替换两英亩合适的新栖息地”。这意味着无意伤害者免受起诉的条件是向基金付款作为补偿，对应选项A“同意支付一笔补偿金（agree to pay a sum for compensation）”。

29. [D] the states.
解析：第三段最后一句引述 Ashe 的话：“总的来说，这个想法是让‘各州在管理物种方面留在驾驶座上（let “states remain in the driver’s seat for managing the species”）”。“in the driver's seat（坐在驾驶座上）”是英语中的常见成语，意为处于控制地位、起主导作用。因此，管理该物种的领导角色是各州（the states），选D。

30. [C] environmental groups.
解析：最后一段中，环保主义者认为该计划做得不够（doesn’t go far enough）。随后生物学家 Jay Lininger 批评道：“联邦政府正在把管理这种鸟的责任交给那些将其推向灭绝的同一批行业（the same industries that are pushing it to extinction）”。这说明 Jay Lininger 的态度是反对将权力下放给行业团体的，他认为这会对物种造成威胁。因此，他的立场与环保组织（environmental groups）一致，最有可能支持他们，选C。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 两个定语从句的嵌套与同位语：
"They had pushed the agency to designate the bird as “endangered,” a status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats."
【解析】`a status` 是前文 `"endangered"` 的同位语，用于解释“濒危”意味着什么。在同位语内部，`that` 引导了一个定语从句修饰 `status`。`to crack down on threats` 是动词不定式作定语，修饰 `power`。

2. 过去分词作状语与极其复杂的动词不定式结构：
"Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres of suitable habitat."
【解析】句首的 `Negotiated by...` 是过去分词短语作状语，修饰主语 `the plan`。主句的谓语是 `requires`，其宾语是 `individuals and businesses`（后面带了一个 `that` 引导的定语从句），而宾语补足语是 `to pay into a fund`。在这个不定式短语中，又嵌套了一个目的状语 `to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres...`，其中 `destroyed` 还是过去分词作后置定语修饰 `acre`。这句话非常考验对长句骨架的拆解能力。

3. 定语从句中的主谓一致：
"The federal government is giving responsibility for managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to extinction..."
【解析】`that` 引导定语从句修饰 `industries`。这句引语直接点破了计划备受争议的核心矛盾点——也就是所谓的“让羊群里的狼去当保安”，表达了极强的讽刺意味。