世界上歲數最大的老鼠

藍利霞

A tiny mouse at the San Diego Zoo has set a newworld record for the oldest known living mouse. Themouse， named Pat， turned nine years and 209 days oldwhen breaking the record. Pat is a Pacific pocket mouse，which is the smallest kind of mouse in North America.He weighs about as much as three pennies.

Pacific pocket mice are endangered. They live inSouthern California， usually within 3.2 kilometers of thesea. They used to be found all along the coast， from LosAngeles down to the US border with Mexico.

The mice are a vital part of the environment becausethey help spread the seeds of the plants that grow naturallyin this sandy area. Their digging underground also helpsthe plants grow.

But starting in the early 1930s， humans begantaking up more and more of the area where the micenormally lived. Pacific pocket mice began disappearing.By the 1970s， scientists believed that the Pacific pocketmouse had become extinct. But in 1994， scientists founda small group of Pacific pocket mice in Orange County，California. Later， they were able to find two other smallgroups of the mice. But these groups were a long wayaway from each other， and were often separated bythings like roads and buildings.

Starting in 2012， the San Diego Zoo WildlifeAlliance （SDZWA） began working to help the mice byraising them in captivity. Animals raised in captivityface fewer threats and often live longer. Pat， whosebirthday is July 14， 2013， was born in the first year ofthat program.

In 2016， the SDZWA and several other groupshelped get a group of Pacific pocket mice started in aprotected area called Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. In2017， the numbers of mice in the park began growingwithout any help from humans. In 2022， 31 litters （groupsof baby mice） were born at the zoo， and there were 117pups in all. SDZWA says that many of these mice willbe released into the wild. But Pat wont be joining them.Now hes extremely old for a mouse.

（材料出自News For Kids 網站，有刪改）

1. What makes Pacific pocket mouse special？

A. Its age.B. Its size.

C. Its weight. D. Its pocket.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3？

A. The living Pacific pocket mice.

B. The underground Pacific pocket mice.

C. The importance of Pacific pocket mice.

D. The endangerment of Pacific pocket mice.

3. Why did Pacific pocket mice disappear？

A. Humans occupied their living areas.

B. They had no enough food to survive.

C. They suffered from severe disease.

D. The disasters hit the areas where they live.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph？

A. Pat will be released into the wild.

B. Humans help mice survive greatly.

C. Many mice will live by themselves.

D. The park grew bigger because of mice.

參考答案

1. B。解析：細節理解題。根據材料第一段第三句“Pat is a Pacific pocket mouse， which is the smallestkind of mouse in North America.”，我們可知，太平洋袖珍鼠是北美洲最小的一種老鼠。故選B。

2. C。解析：主旨大意題。根據材料第三段的內容，我們可知，太平洋袖珍鼠有助于傳播種子，且它們挖地也促進了植物的生長。故選C。

3. A。解析：細節理解題。根據材料第四段第一句“But starting in the early 1930s， humans began takingup more and more of the area where the mice normallylived.”，我們可知，太平洋袖珍鼠一度消失是因為人類占據了它們居住的地方。故選A。

4. C。解析：推理判斷題。根據材料最后一段倒數第三句中的“many of these mice will be releasedinto the wild”，我們可知，許多老鼠將被放歸野外，這意味著它們以后要獨立生活。故選C。