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Directions:
Inthefollowingarticle,somesentenceshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions41-45,choosethemostsuitableonefromthelishA-Gtofitintoeachofthenumberedblank.Therearetwoextrachoicesthatdonotfitinanyofthegaps.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.(10points)
Rainforeststructureisdistinctfrommostotherforesttypesbecauseofitsmanylayersofvegetation,referredtoasstrata.Theloweststratumistheunderstory,composedofpalms,herbaceousplants(suchaswildginger),andtreeseedlingsandsaplings.(1)_____________.Manyhavedeepredcoloringontheundersideoftheirleavestocapturesomeofthescarcelightthatdoesmanagetoreachtheforestunderstory.Thisredcoloringenablesunderstoryplantstoabsorblightofdifferentwavelengthsthandotheplantswithrich,green-foliagedcanopy,theumbrella-shapedupperstructureoftrees.Abovetheforestfloorbutbelowthecanopyareoneormoremidstorystrata,madeupofwoodyplants,suchaslargeshrubsandmidsizedtrees.
Theoverstoryisthecanopy,inwhichthetreecrownsformacontinuouslayerthatcapturesthemajorpartoftherainwaterandsunlighthittingtheforest.Theheightofthecanopyvariesfromregiontoregionandforesttoforest,rangingfrom20to50m(65to165ft).(2)____________.Researchersusehotairballoons,cables,catwalks,towers,sophisticatedtree-climbinggear,andevenrobotstostudythemillionsofplantsandanimalsthatmaketheirhomehighupintheforestcanopy.Canopyresearchersalsousehugecranesthataredroppedintotheheartoftheforestbyhelicopters.Suspendedfromthecrane’slong,movablearmisalargecabinthatfunctionsasamobiletreetoplaboratory.Movingfromtreetotree,forestresearcherscollectspecimens,conductexperiments,andobservelifeinthecanopyfrontier.
Thehigheststratumoftherainforestismadeupoftheemergenttrees,thoseindividualsthatstickupabovetheforestcanopy.Emergents,whichdonotformacontinuouslayer,areusuallythegiantsoftheforest,reachingheightsof35to70m(115to230ft)ormore,andtrunksizesofover2m(6.6ft)indiameter.(3)_____________.However,thesetreestendtobesolargethattheycollectivelyaccountforthevastmajorityofthewoodymass,orbiomass,oftheforest.
Thenicelyorderedstrataoftherainforest,includingthecontinuouslayerofthecanopy,areregularlydisturbedbynaturallyoccurringevents,suchasfallingtrees.Treesinarainforestcanopyareofteninterconnectedbyvines,andafallingtreemaypullaswellaspushothertreesdownwithit,producingadominoeffectoffallingtrees.Theresultingopeningintheforestcanopyenableslighttopourontotheforestfloor.(4)_________________.
Othernaturaldisturbancescreateevenlargeropeningsintheforestcanopies.Forexample,alongthehurricanebeltintheCaribbeanandthetyphoonbeltalongthewesternPacific,someforestsaresubstantiallyalteredwhenhighwindsandstormsblowdownhundredsoftreeseveryfewdecades.(5)_________________.Scientistshavefoundthatthesenaturaldisturbancesandthesubsequentforestregenerationareavitalprocessthatleadstohealthyanddiverseforests.
[A]Newplantsandanimalsthenmoveintotheareaandbegintogrow.
[B]Just2percentofthesunlightgoesthroughthemanylayersofleavesandbranchesabove,sounderstoryplantspecieshavedevelopedspecialtraitstocopewithlowlightlevels.
[C]Onasmallerscale,largemammals,suchaselephants,regularlydestroyrainforestvegetationintheCongoRiverBasininAfrica.
[D]Anunderstoryofshortertreesandalaceworkofwoodyvines,orlianas,produceaforestofsuchcomplexinternalarchitecturethatmanyanimals,includingsomesizableones,rarelyorneverdescendtotheground.
[E]Lessthanonepercentofthetreesintheforestresideinthecanopyandemergentlayers.
[F]Becausemorelightpenetratesthecanopy,however,thevegetationoftheunderstoryandforestfloorisbetterdevelopedthaninthetropics.
[G]Therich,greencanopyisteemingwithlife,andforestresearchershavedevelopedingeniousmethodsforaccessingthismysteriousecosystem.
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