文章大意：这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了退休老人Al Larson因一篇文章启发，四十年如一日建造鸟屋，帮助蓝鸟对抗栖息地丧失，记录超3万蓝鸟，展现个人行动对物种保护的巨大影响。
3 . Al Larson, also known as “The Bluebird Man”, first began his labor of love after he read an article that described how building birdhouses could help to control their falling populations. After seeing a bluebird going in and out of a dead tree in his yard, Larson became inspired to start setting up little boxes that could serve as nests (鸟窝) for bluebirds.
What started as a hobby in his retirement turned into a full-time effort — and after almost forty years of devotion, he has recorded over 30,000 bluebirds, thanks to the 350 birdhouses that he has built across southwest Idaho. He often travels over 5,000 miles to check on all of his boxes during the summer nesting season.
Since bluebirds live in dead or nearly-dead trees, their population began to drop after the invention of the electric chainsaw (链锯) in the early 1900s, which made it easier for homeowners to remove their dead trees. In addition to having their habitats destroyed, the use of pesticides (杀虫剂) caused an uncertain future for the bluebirds of Idaho. But the efforts of Larson have shown us that if we take a moment to understand the needs of a species, we’ll find a way to deal with the problem. Though he is nearing the age of 97, Larson shows no signs of slowing down. Also, his inspiring story has been turned into a documentary Bluebird Man.
“Al is a living example of how much one person can achieve when they set their mind on a task. But he’s also an example of the benefits that a project like this can have for people,” filmmaker Matthew Podolsky said. “Bluebirds have given meaning to Al’s life, and they are truly the secret to his long life.”
1. Why is Al famous as “The Bluebird Man”?
| A．He likes observing bluebirds. |
| B．He often feeds food to bluebirds. |
| C．He set up many boxes for bluebirds. |
| D．He made the documentary Bluebird Man. |
2. Where do bluebirds usually make their nests?
| A．In dead trees. | B．In Al’s house. |
| C．In gardens. | D．In boxes. |
3. Which is the one of the reasons that caused the population of bluebird to drop?
| A．The government controlled the populations of bluebirds. |
| B．The nests for bluebirds was destroyed by people. |
| C．Bluebirds lived in dead trees and were short of food. |
| D．Their habitats have been destroyed and people often used pesticides. |
4. Which saying can best describe Al’s story?
| A．Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. |
| B．The roses in her hand, the flavor in mine. |
| C．One is never too old to learn. |
| D．All roads lead to Rome. |
