After a year of severe drought, California has seen an abundance of rain since late autumn. Abby Wines, a ranger (护林员) at Death Valley National Park in southern California, predicted that the heavy rainfall would bring us the opportunity to witness one of nature’s most spectacular displays of color and life — a superbloom — in 2023.

A superbloom refers to a large amount of wildflower growth that exceeds the average level for a typical spring. It is actually a rare phenomenon that usually takes place in exceptionally wet winters. Seeds that may have slept in desert soil for years finally receive enough water to blossom in more abundant numbers than you would see in a typical year.

The sight of the superbloom is truly breathtaking. Fields of gold, orange, and purple flowers stretch as far as the eye can see, creating a blanket of colors that can be seen from space.

However, climate change makes the phenomenon increasingly rare. In the distant past, these blooms were often excellent and enormous. As development pushes farther out, more landscapes have been changed to agriculture, and as invasive plants outcompetes the native seedlings, many of California’s spring flower fields are disappearing. In addition, thousands of tourists sometimes step on the flowers and soil, which harms the plant’s ability to adapt and thrive.

Naomi Fraga, director of conservation at the California Botanic Garden, points out that in promoting these locations where massive blooms take place, there isn’t a lot of additional information about how these are actually very fragile (脆弱的) ecosystems. Instead of promoting and sharing specific locations, it’s important to educate the public about the fragility of the ecosystems and the importance of staying on trails which people are allowed to enter.

【小题1】What is the key to a superbloom according to Abby Wines?

A．Desert soil.	B．Warm climate.
C．Sufficient rainfall.	D．High-quality seeds.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “exceeds” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Equals to.	B．Goes beyond.
C．Cuts down.	D．Sets up.

【小题3】What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．Reasons for the superbloom being rare.

B．Factors in plants’ adapting to the environment.

C．The relationship between climate and plants growing.

D．The effect of agricultural development on plants flowering.

【小题4】What does Naomi Fraga advocate?

A．Promoting local tourism by advertising superblooms.

B．Recommending tourists perfect trails to enjoy a superbloom.

C．Strengthening the management of California Botanic Garden.

D．Leading the public to focus more on the ecological environment.