Easter（复活节）isstillagreatdayforworship，candyinbasketsandrunningaroundtheyardfindingeggs，buteveryyearitgetsquiteabitworseforbunnies．Andno，notbecausethekidsliketopulltheirears．Theculpritisclimat

Question

Easter （复活节） is still a great day for worship，candy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs，but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies．And no，not because the kids like to pull their ears．The culprit is climate change，and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbits in the US．
Take the Lower Keys Marsh rabbit for example．An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys，this species of cottontail is a great swimmer--it lives on the islands!--but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising sea levels．According to the Center for Biological Diversity，an ocean level rise of only 0.6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat （栖息地） completely．
The snowshoe hare，on the other hand，has a color issue．Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer，each designed to give them better cover from predators 捕食者）．As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country，however，more and more bunnies are being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring，making them an easier mark for predators．Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight，but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question．The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down．
American pikas or rock rabbits，a relative of rabbits and hares，might be the first of these species to go extinct due to climate change．About 7-8 inches long，pikas live high in the cool，damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains．As global temperatures rise，they would naturally migrate to higher ground--but they already occupy the mountaintops．They can't go any higher．The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat heats up．
The volcano rabbit has the same problem．These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico，and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters，but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher，so they are stuck in the middle．Scientists are concerned about their populations．
Native to the US，pygnty rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West．They are belie ved to be the smallest rabbits in the world．Their habitats have been destroyed by development．Several populations，such as the Columbia Basin pygmy，almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs．Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators，but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed．
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter．
32．The writer mentions Easter at the beginning of the passage in order to___
A．show the importance of Easter Day
B．introduce the issue about bunnies
C．remind people of Easter traditions
D．discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies
33．The word"culprit"（paragraph 2）is closest in meaning to___
A．criminal          B．judge             C．victim         D．producer
34．The problem faced by volcano rabbits and rock rabbits is that___
A．both are affected by less snow     
B．both are affected by rising sea levels
C．neither can find enough food      
D．neither can migrate to higher places
35．Which best describes the writer's tone in the passage？___
A．Approving．B．Concerned．C．Enthusiastic．D．Doubtful．

Answer 1

32．B 写作意图题．根据常识可知，一提到复活节，人们自然会想到复活节兔子，再看后文大篇幅介绍几种兔子的处境，不难看出开篇提及复活节是为了引出有关兔子的话题．故选B．33．A 词义猜测题．根据画线后的句子and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbits in the US．可知一些研究人员发现，气温升高至少对美国的五种兔子有不良影响．所以罪魁祸首是气候变化，culprit相当于criminal，意为"灾难制造者，犯罪者"．故选A．34．D 细节理解题．根据文章倒数第三段的they would naturally migrate （迁徙） to higher ground-but they already occupy the mountaintops．They can"t go any higher．他们会很自然地迁移到更高的地面，但他们已经占据了山顶．他们不能再高了．和倒数第二段第二句的后半部分but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher，so they are stuck in the middle．但是没有合适的植物让它们迁移到更高的地方，所以它们被夹在中间．可知，两种兔子面临的问题是不能往更高处去，故选D．35．B 作者态度题．文章首尾呼应，作者对兔子的生存环境充满了担忧与关注．A项意为"赞许的"；B项意为"关心的，担忧的"；C项意为"热情的"；D项意为"怀疑的"． 故选B．