Built in 1990, the Moriyama City Firefly Forest Museum has been trying to recover the number of the Genji firefly (源氏萤火虫), whose population was near extinction in the first half of the 20th century.

In Japan, fireflies have long been the sign of summer. Moriyama’s Genji fireflies were especially prized for their vivid, yellow-green glow. However, from 1868 to 1912, a commercial firefly industry developed. In just one night, a single hunter could catch about as many as 3,000 fireflies, sweeping the earth with brushes to frighten just egg-laying fireflies from riverbanks. It was easiest to catch female fireflies when they laid their eggs. Thus, there were fewer and fewer left to produce the next generation. At the same time, a fast-urbanizing Japan was turning Moriyama’s once ideal habitats into places where few fireflies could survive. Concrete was laid on the banks where there was once grass. Wastewater ran into the waters where the larvae (幼虫) grew.

The founders set its museum in the kind of habitat that Genji fireflies would find attractive. They created an artificial river and planted its banks with grass. Inside the museum, they mate and reproduce Genji fireflies; it is still the only organization to do so in a large size. Fireflies lay thousands of eggs. When the larvae come out, they are moved to boxes with flowing water. They grow there until February when the larvae are moved to the man-made river. Then, the fireflies leave the water and take flight in June.

The museum also has educational purpose. Throughout the year, it lectures on the insect’s history and ecology in schools. They also lead museum activities and other training and awareness campaigns, including the museum’s magazine, From the Firefly Forest. Cleanup activities around waters are also organized.

The action is reasonable but, despite their efforts, the number of Genji fireflies hasn’t increased so much in Moriyama. Most other habitats continue to become worse due to urbanization. Unless people preserve them, fireflies will continue to suffer. “The only chance at recovering Genji firefly populations is to act now,” ecologist Kato warns. “We’re running out of time to provide the environmental education to save Japan’s beloved insect.”

【小题1】Why did the number of the Genji fireflies decrease?

A．Because the banks where they once lived disappeared.

B．Because the waters where the larvae grew were polluted.

C．Because over 3,000 female fireflies were caught every night.

D．Because a commercial firefly industry developed their habitats.

【小题2】What efforts has the Firefly Forest Museum made?

A．It has organized various educational activities.

B．It has helped Genji fireflies lay thousands of eggs.

C．It has helped Genji fireflies leave the water and take flight in June.

D．It has created the kind of habitat that the Genji fireflies would find attractive.

【小题3】What does Kato think of the task of recovering the Genji fireflies population?

A．It is reasonable.	B．It makes no sense.
C．It wastes lots of time.	D．It needs immediate action.

【小题4】What is the text mainly about?

A．The extinction of Genji fireflies in Japan.

B．The reappearance of Genji fireflies in Japan.

C．Efforts made to recover Genji fireflies by a Japanese museum.

D．The effect of urbanization on Japan’s favorite glowing insect.