Rainforests provide much of the world's oxygen.People have been trying to protect them for years.But another type of forest,the cloud forest,is just as important to humans.
These forests are at the tops of mountains,generally near the equator (赤道).These wet,wooded mountaintops are mainly in African and Central and South American countries.They are called "cloud forests" because their height allows for the formation of clouds among the trees.The trees in these forests pull water out of the clouds.The water gathers on the leaves and falls into small rivers below,which flow into towns at the bottom of the mountain.The yearly rainfall in these areas is about 180 centimetres.Cloud forests can pull in up to 60 percent of that.The water is important to the plants and the people in the area.It helps them survive.
Cloud forests are also home to countless species of plants that can't be found anywhere else.One small cloud forest has as many types of plants as there are in all of Europe.In fact,there are so many that scientists haven't made a complete list of them yet.
These forests are being destroyed at an increasing speed.Trees are being cut down,and roads are being built in their place.Some people have a goal to get government money to protect the forests.But they have had little success so far.Another way is to take the place of the destroyed plants with new ones.That,too,has been difficult because the plants are so special.There's plenty of work to be done,but saving the cloud forests is still possible with creative solutions.
(1)Where can you probably find cloud forests?
C
C
A.In North America.
B.Far from the equator.
C.In an African country.
D.At the foot of mountains.
(2)What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
D
D
A.Europe is short of plant types.
B.Scientists are working on a list.
C.Cloud forests are getting smaller.
D.Cloud forests house many plants.
(3)What will be discussed in the following part of the text?
A
A
A.Ways to protect cloud forests.
B.Goals of cloud forest protectors.
C.Difficulties in planting new trees.
D.Successes of getting wide support.
(4)Where can we probably find the text?
D
D
A.In a storybook.
B.In a travel guide.
C.In a chemistry textbook.
D.In a geography magazine.