题目内容：

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, a Sitka Spruce, growing on New Zealand’s southernmost island, is the loneliest and most distant tree on Earth. Not only is it the only tree on Campbell Island, but the nearest other tree can be found over 200 kilometers away.

Located (位于) about 700 km south of Bluff, Campbell Island is one of the harshest places in the world. With strong winds blowing almost all year round, less than 600 hours of sunshine and only 40 days per year without rain, it ‘ s not exactly a perfect place to live.

It is believed that this Sitka Spruce was planted by Lord Ranfurly, a former governor of New Zealand, sometime between 1901 and 1907. According to some sources, he realized that the environment was too bad, so he took the first step to cover it in forest. His idea was never going to work because of the terrible climate of the area.

Apart from being the loneliest tree on Earth, the Sitka Spruce of Campbell Island has a series of other particularities. First of all, its shape makes it look more like a huge cauliflower (花椰菜) than a tree. This is believed to have been caused by the repeated cutting every year, for decades. Luckily, no one has been cutting the tree down over the last six decades and it has grown to a height of over 10 meters.

Another interesting thing about the world’s loneliest tree is that, though it is over 100 years old, it has never produced cones (球果), which suggests the tree has remained in a permanently young state.

The Sitka Spruce of Campbell Island was recently in the news for helping researchers make sure that the Earth has entered an entirely new age, the Anthropocene (人类世).

Who knew a lonely tree growing 200 km away from its nearest cousins could be so interesting?

1.What makes the Sitka Spruce set a world record?

A. Its height.    B. Its old age.

C. Its special shape.    D. Its location.

2.What does the underlined word “harshest” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. Farthest.    B. Hardest.    C. Loneliest.    D. Hottest.

3.Why did Lord Ranfurly plant Sitka Spruces on the Campbell Island?

A. To improve this place.    B. To experiment with the tree.

C. In memory of his achievement.    D. To help with researchers’ study.

4.What affected the shape of the Sitka Spruce according to the text?

A. Strong winds.    B. Animals’ eating.

C. People’s cutting.    D. Poor soil.