B
根据下面材料,从题中所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳选项。
The Amazon Rainforest is the world's biggest rainforest(雨林). It is in South America. The Amazon River runs through the rainforest. It's the world's second longest river. The Amazon Rainforest covers much of Brazil. The green colour on the national flag of Brazil stands for the rainforest.
However, climate change and human activities make it "sick". Usually, the rainforest can fix itself. But now, it feels too "tired" to get better. According to a new study, many trees there may die, and the Amazon Rainforest may turn into hot and dry grassland in a few years.
Why is the Amazon "sick"?
The Amazon Rainforest is one of the world's wettest places. But since 2005, three droughts have hit the rainforest. They were caused by climate change. The trees don't have enough water to grow. What's worse, as they become dry, they can easily catch fire.
Besides, people cut down rainforest trees for wood. They burn the forest to make farmland. All these kinds of activities have made about 17% of the rainforest disappear.
▲
The Amazon Rainforest is like the lungs(肺) of our planet. The rich plants there take $\ce{CO_{2}}$ out of the air and make oxygen(氧气). They make more than 20% of the planet's oxygen. If the Amazon Rainforest "dies", there will be more $\ce{CO_{2}}$, and our earth will become even hotter.
The Amazon Rainforest is also home to over 3 million animals and plants. Many of them can't live anywhere else. They would very likely just disappear.
()41. According to the passage, which is NOT a reason for the Amazon Rainforest being "sick"?
A. Burning forests for farmland.
B. Climate change.
C. Rich animal and plant diversity.
D. Cutting down trees.
()42. What will happen if the Amazon Rainforest "dies"?
A. Humans lose the "natural lungs".
B. Many species appear.
C. The earth gets colder.
D. Oxygen increases.
()43. What does "droughts" mean?
A. Too little rain.
B. Too little snow.
C. Too much rain.
D. Too much fire.
()44. Which statement is NOT true?
A. The Amazon Rainforest is in South America.
B. It is the world's biggest rainforest.
C. The Amazon River is the world's longest.
D. Over 3 million species live there.
()45. Choose the best sentence to fill in the ▲ in the passage.
A. Where is the Amazon Rainforest?
B. Who lives in the Amazon Rainforest?
C. How can we protect the Amazon Rainforest?
D. What will happen if we lose the Amazon Rainforest?

41.C 解析:A(烧林造田)、B(气候变化)、D(砍树)均是雨林“生病”的原因(原文明确提及);C(丰富的动植物多样性)是雨林的特点,而非原因。故选 C。
42.A 解析:原文提到“亚马逊雨林像地球的肺”,若其“消失”,人类会失去这一“天然肺”,A 符合原文。故选 A。
43.A 解析:画线词后文提到“树木缺水”,由此可推测 droughts 指“雨水太少”。故选 A。
44.C 解析:根据原文 It's the world's second longest river.可知,C 项(亚马逊河世界最长)的描述不符,故选 C。
45.D 解析:▲后两段讲雨林“消失”的后果(缺氧气、物种消失),故选 D“失去雨林会怎样?”最合适。

【分析】
做本题需先通读全文把握主旨，再针对各题目定位原文对应内容，逐一分析选项：
1. 第41题：题干要求选出雨林“生病”的非原因，需排除原文明确提及的原因，剩余选项即为答案；
2. 第42题：题干问雨林消失的后果，需定位原文关于雨林作用的段落，对比选项与原文表述；
3. 第43题：词义猜测题，需结合该词后文“树木缺水”的描述推测词义；
4. 第44题：细节判断题，需核对每个选项与原文表述是否一致；
5. 第45题：句子填空题，需结合空格后段落主旨，选择承上启下的句子。
【解析】
41. 细节理解题：原文明确提到雨林“生病”的原因是气候变化导致的干旱、砍树、烧林造田，对应选项A、B、D；选项C“丰富的动植物多样性”是雨林的特点，并非原因，故选C。
42. 细节理解题：原文指出亚马逊雨林是“地球的肺”，若雨林消失，人类会失去这一“天然肺”，对应选项A；B选项“物种出现”与原文“物种消失”不符，C选项“地球变冷”与原文“地球更热”不符，D选项“氧气增加”与原文“氧气减少”不符，故选A。
43. 词义猜测题：画线词后文提到“树木没有足够的水生长”，说明droughts指雨水太少（干旱），故选A。
44. 细节判断题：原文明确说明亚马逊河是“世界第二长河”，选项C“亚马逊河是世界最长河”与原文不符；A、B、D均与原文一致，故选C。
45. 句子填空题：空格后两段分别阐述雨林消失后氧气减少、物种消失的后果，选项D“失去亚马逊雨林会怎样？”能概括后文主旨，承上启下，故选D。
【答案】
41.C 42.A 43.A 44.C 45.D
【知识点】
阅读理解（细节理解、词义猜测、主旨大意）
【点评】
本题为英语阅读理解题，围绕亚马逊雨林展开，考查学生细节查找、词义猜测及主旨归纳能力，需学生准确定位原文信息、理清段落逻辑，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6