3． Humans need homes as sheltered bay to protect themselves from bad weather and threats from other animals and creatures.Birds also need habitats for survival.Yet，climate change has posed a great threat to their habitats.Like Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province，for example.As an important habitat for the Siberian crane （鶴），an endangered species in the world.Poyang Lake has experienced unnatural ups and downs in recent years. "In some years the lake experiences floods，while in others it experiences droughts.Both of these situation create food shortages in the cranes' habitat，" Qian Fawen，a research professor from the National Bird Banding Center of China，told China Daily.
To solve such habitat problems，China has recently recognized 1，140 sites as important breeding （繁殖），wintering grounds，and migratory （遷徙的） stops，with most of them located in wetlands.Wetlands include coastal areas with a water depth of no more than 6 meters at low tide，but exclude rice fields and areas of water used for fishery and artificial breeding，noted the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.Referred to as the "Kidneys of the Earth" and as "species gene pools"，wetlands conserve clean water，maintain biodiversity，help contain floods and prevent droughts.
To protect China's wetlands，a law was also introduced in 2022 to restrict construction at important national wetlands and ban harmful activities including over-farming，over-harvesting and the discharging of wastewater.Since these measures have gone into effect，more birds have been spotted wintering in the nation's wetlands.In February，government in Hunan province reported 72 species of waterbirds that spent this past winter in Dongting Lake.Mallards and Eurasian cranes are among the birds which stay at the lake.Black-faced spoonbills，a rare and endangered species，were also spotted at Dongting after an absence of five years.The number of spoonbills has increased from 300 in the 1980s to more than 5，000 presently，according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
（1）Why did the author mention Poyang Lake？
A．To stress the risks of serious water shortage in China.
B．To argue for the need of dealing with climate change.
C．To explain the importance of wetlands for bird habitats.
D．To describe the living environment of endangered birds.
（2）What problem did the Siberian crane meet in China？
A．The lack of food.
B．The loss of habitat.
C．The change of weather.
D．The failure of artificial breeding.
（3）What does the article tell us about wetlands？
A．They keep the balance and diversity of nature.
B．They are partly used for fishery and artificial breeding.
C．They feature a water depth of 6 meters at low tide.
D．They are places where rice are grown to feed birds.
（4）What is a result of the measures to protect China's wetlands？
A．The reappearance of some dangerous birds.
B．The significant increase of migratory birds.
C．The declining species of endangered birds.
D．New discoveries of bird migratory patterns.
（5）What is the article mainly about？
A．Challenges to the endangered birds in China.
B．The role of wetlands in fighting climate change.
C．The success of a new law on bird conservation.
D．China's protection of wetlands for bird habitats.
