In parts of Africa, the sky is filled with a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.
And in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. The radio station is in one of Senegal’s worst affected regions.
This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move, they breed, and increase their number and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.
Experts say the great damage to crops in areas already suffering from food shortages and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the region are not well equipped to fight the pest.
Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide, but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.
Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the crisis, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
1. The purpose of offering people rice for catching locusts in Senegal is ________.
A. to get more people to eat rice so as to leave less for locusts
B. to get more people involved in the war on the locusts
C. to prevent more people from starvation
D. to get more people to listen to the radio report on locusts
2. Which of the following is not the reason for West Africans going hungry?
A. Locust disaster causes the great damage to crops.
B. Food supply is far from the need of the people.
C. These regions are affected by the war.
D. Governments are unwilling to fight the pest.
3. It can be concluded that, in order to end the locust disaster, ________.
A. leaders of 12 countries in West Africa should call on their people to take action
B. insects experts should be sent to these regions
C. other countries outside Africa should keep close watch on their own lands
D. Help from all over the world is in urgent demand
4. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Food shortage in Africa. B. International aid to Africa.
C. The insects attack on Africa. D. Terrible storm in Africa.
