I went with my husband to Roatan for our vacation, a tropical island off the north coast of Honduras, where tourists can swim with dolphins at Anthony’s Key Resort.
The Roatan dolphins are kept in a roped-off pen(围栏). The cheapest “swim” with the dolphins costs $ 89. Kissing costs extra. The tourists line up and, one after another, get photographed while being “kissed” by a dolphin. The tourist bends down a bit, the trainer lifts an arm, the dolphin comes up and for a few seconds holds its bottlenose to the tourist’s face. The picture is ready for purchase when the tourists exit through the gift shop.
These tourists must love dolphins, but what kind of love is that? At sea these highly intelligent creatures are always on the move, traveling thousands of miles. They are complex social creatures that need a lot of space to live in.
Yet Teri Bolton, the head trainer at Anthony’s Key Resort, defends the pen as a suitable habitat. “We feel this is the closest to keeping things as natural as possible”, she said. “You’re getting a window into how these animals really are.”
The discussion about this tourist behavior can be found on the Internet. Some people try to justify their desire, saying the fence of the pen is low; the dolphins could jump over it if they wanted to, and therefore they’re staying in captivity(圈养)by free will. One contributor to the discussion said, “Dolphins are social creatures. Jumping over the fence would mean leaving the females and their babies. Besides, by now they are used to captivity with three meals a day. Jumping over the fence would be like asking you to jump out of a spaceship alone onto Mars.”
But visiting any institution that keeps dolphins in captivity means supporting the concept of captivity. It’s like wearing a fur coat and then justifying it by saying it’s OK because the animals are already dead.
Remember that you cannot buy love, and if you try to buy dolphin love, you hurt the ones you love. In fact, a dolphin’s kiss has nothing to do with love, just as a dolphin’s smile has nothing to do with happiness. While many claim that dolphin encounters provide healing(治疗))qualities and help you to feel better, the opposite is true for the supposed healers.
12. How much does a tourist pay for a dolphin’s kiss?
A.More than $ 89. | B.Less than $ 89. |
C.As much as $ 89. | D.It’s free of charge. |
13. What do some people on the Internet think of the pen for dolphins?
A.It’s like a prison. | B.It’s like a spaceship. |
C.It’s no fun for the dolphins. | D.It’s suitable for the dolphins. |
14. What do the underlined “the supposed healers” in the last paragraph refer to?
A.Dolphin lovers. | B.Unhealthy people. |
C.Dolphins in the wild. | D.Dolphins in captivity. |
15. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A.Are Dolphins As Smart As Humans? |
B.Swimming with Dolphins: Is It Love or Not? |
C.Dolphins—Creatures with Feelings |
D.Kissing—A New Way to Communicate with Dolphins |