1 . California’s Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary(保护区) didn’t have a single monarch butterfly(帝王蝶) sighting last year, so no one knew what to expect for this year’s migration(迁徙). The pleasant surprise, according to SFGate :“The butterflies are back in town”, more than 13,700 of them , per the sanctuary’s count as of November 20,2021.What’s more , the high point of the overwintering season —which runs from October through February—is not even set to hit for several more weeks.
The butterflies typically head west from the Rocky Mountains each year to spend the winter along the Pacific coast; on the other side of the country , butterflies from the East Coast and Canada head to Mexico before the cold weather hits. The population decline(下降)over the years has been noticeable : For example , between 4 million and 10 million butterflies spent the winter in the Golden State in the 1980s, though by the late 1990s that number fell to just over 1 million. By 20I8, the butterflies numbered about 30,000, and last year , there were only about 2,000 seen across the California coast.
Researchers believe different factors have led to the butterflies’ population decline over the years, including climate change, use of pesticides, and loss of living space. And recent Wildfires in California have exacerbated the situation. Scientists say the public can help by planting milkweed ( the butterflies lay their eggs on the plant and their young feed on it; cutting down on pesticide use; and helping observe them.
Still , even though last year’s numbers were worrying, some experts say it may not be as terrible as it seems. David James, an entomologist at Washington State University, tells SFGate that the butterflies seem to be adaptable(能适应的), based on a recent study he led, and that he’s “ confident ” they’ll avoid extinction. Xerces Society conservation biologist Emma Pelton agrees, saying that “ We can make a difference. There is still time to act. ”
1. What did SFGate find surprising about the butterflies ?| A．Their growing number. | B．The time when they migrate. |
| C．The places they head to. | D．Their shorter overwintering period. |
| A．The butterflies prefer heading to Mexico. |
| B．The population of the butterflies has fallen for years. |
| C．The living space of the butterflies has been badly damaged. |
| D．The butterflies have difficulty adapting to new environments. |
| A．Worsened. | B．Covered. | C．Changed. | D．Saved. |
| A．They are too weak to migrate far. |
| B．They will be widely protected soon. |
| C．They can avoid the danger of extinction. |
| D．They make him worry about our Earth’s future. |
