Capybaras(水豚) are the largest rodents(啮齿动物) on the earth. Seeing them in the wild, you might be surprised at first because they look like giant guinea pigs, which are in fact one of their closest relatives. Capybaras' bodies are covered in reddish-brown fur. A capybara weighs around 50 kilograms and female capybaras are usually a little heavier than the males.
Most of them live in South America and like to stay in comfortable places with lots of water. Pantanal, the world's largest freshwater wetland, is a perfect place for them to live. Capybaras usually eat grass. But they sometimes eat their own poop(排泄物) because it is helpful for them to get all the things they need.
With good personalities, capybaras have become increasingly popular on social media. They get along with almost all the other animals and share their homes with birds and turtles, just like a big animal family living together peacefully. They are calm and don't really care about what goes on around them. Other animals can do whatever they feel like if they don't hurt the capybaras. But if capybaras are aware of a risk, they may attack others to protect themselves.
Capybaras are good swimmers. They usually live in groups of 10 to 20 (and up to 100 during the dry season). They also like communicating with each other very much. They express themselves by making different kinds of sounds, including purring, barking, whistling and grunting. Each sound has an important meaning, from
warning the group of danger to sending signals of leaving. It's like a capybara language.
语篇类型:说明文
难度:★★
任务一 选择正确答案
1. What does the word "warning" mean?
A. Telling ... about danger.
B. Saying hello to.
C. Showing the way.
D. Making friends.
2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A. Capybaras are good at swimming and chatting.
B. Capybaras live in large groups only in the dry season.
C. Capybaras can make only one kind of sound.
D. Capybaras talk with each other by body language.
3. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Capybaras hate staying with other animals.
B. Capybaras like living near water.
C. Capybaras never hurt other animals.
D. Capybaras are not popular online.
4. Where may we read this passage?
A. In a storybook.
B. In a math textbook.
C. In a travel guide.
D. In a science magazine.
任务二 回答问题
1. What kind of animal are capybaras?
They are the largest rodents on the earth.
2. Where do most capybaras live?
Most of them live in South America.
3. Why do capybaras sometimes eat their own poop?
Because it is helpful for them to get all the things they need.
4. How do capybaras communicate with each other?
By making different kinds of sounds.
5. What do you think of capybaras according to the passage?（请自拟一句话作答）
I think capybaras are calm, friendly and smart animals.(言之有理即可)
