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  3. When you think of monkeys, you probably think of the tropics. Few species of

When you think of monkeys, you probably think of the tropics. Few species of

游客2025-03-27  52
问题     When you think of monkeys, you probably think of the tropics. Few species of monkeys venture into temperate lands. Nevertheless, there are one or two notable exceptions.
    In the high Atlas Mountains of North Africa, where snowfall is common during the winter, small groups of Barbary apes roam through forests of cedar and oak. One isolated group of these monkeys can be found 200 miles to the north, living on the Rock of Gibraltar, at the southern most tip of Europe.
    How do naturalists explain this mystery? Some believe that the monkeys colonized other areas of Europe in the distant past and that those of Gibraltar are the only surviving group. Others think that Arabic or British colonizers brought them to the Rock. Legend has it that the monkeys crossed the narrow straits dividing Europe from Africa by means of a long-lost underground tunnel. Whatever their origin, they are now the only free range monkeys found in Europe.
    The Barbary apes are not actually apes. They are tailless monkeys. The Barbary apes inhabit the pine woods that cover the upper part of the Rock. Although they number only a hundred or so, they have become "the peninsula’s most famous residents," according to the International Primate Protection League.
    Since seven million tourists visit Gibraltar every year, the mischievous monkeys have an ample food supply. Although they feed on wild plants, they have become skilled at begging and occasionally stealing food from visitors. Local authorities also provide the monkeys with fruit and vegetables.
    Apart from feeding, the monkeys spend 20 percent of their day grooming each other. Both male and female monkeys care for and play with the young ones. They live in close knit groups, where stress sometimes leads to confrontation. While the older monkeys use threats and screams to chase away the younger ones, they also have an unusual tooth-chattering behavior that seems to calm them down.
    Their arrival on Gibraltar may remain a mystery; still, these sociable monkeys add a special charm to the limestone headland that guards the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Gibraltar would not be the same without them. [br] Which of the following is NOT the possible origin of the Gibraltar monkeys?
选项 A、They may be the surviving group of European monkeys.
B、They may have been brought to Gibraltar by colonizers.
C、They may have come from Africa through the long-lost tunnel.
D、They may have swum across the narrow straits from Africa.
答案 D
解析 第三段解释了直布罗陀岩山的猴子为什么会生活在这里。有些人认为它们的祖先在遥远的过去也生活在欧洲的其他地区，它们只是唯一幸存的种群(答案A)。还有人认为它们是阿拉伯或英国的殖民者带到那里去的(答案B)。还有传言它们是通过一条早已失传的地下隧道穿过了分隔欧洲和非洲的海峡(答案C)。只有答案D说的它们游过海峡没有提到。
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