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题型:阅读理解-阅读单选 难度:0.65 引用次数:67 题号:12508704

A fisherman I know named Joar Hesten called me late in April 2019. A white whale was swimming around his boat near the northern tip of Norway. It appeared to be wrapped in a tight strap (背带), and Hesten didn’t know what to do. White whales are usually found in pods in areas with ice and glaciers — rarely alone along the Norwegian coast. As a marine (海洋的) biologist, I knew that the strap needed to be removed as soon as possible.

We contacted the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries Sea Surveillance Service. When inspector Jorgen Ree Wiig and his crew met with the fishing boat, the nearly 12-foot-long male eagerly engaged with them. He’d clearly been trained. The mystery deepened when Hesten got into the water to remove the strap. Attached to the strap was a camera mount (支架) with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg”.

A week after his discovery, Hvaldimir — the whale, followed a sailboat to Hammerfest harbor, about 25 miles from where he was first spotted. That’s where I photographed him in early May. I had traveled to Hammerfest to determine his physical condition. He was thin: He wasn’t eating on his own and seemed unlikely to survive in the wild. Later the authorities decided to feed him; his meals became daily tourist attractions in Hammerfest.

Training such a whale is expensive and time-consuming, yet no one claimed him. The Norwegian Police Security Service got on the case, and a German journalist used crowdsourcing to track the strap logo to an outdoor-equipment supplier in St Petersburg.

In June Hvaldimir left Hammerfest, in much better shape than when he arrived. Since then he has traveled along the coast of northern Norway, apparently feeding himself. Many people have opinions about what to do with Hvaldimir. Should the lone whale be placed in a dolphinarium (海豚馆), moved to a habitat, or just left to himself ? So far, he seems to be doing fine on his own.

1. Why did Hesten give the author a call?
A.To respond to greetings as an old friend.
B.To complain about the behavior of inspectors.
C.To ask him how to help a trapped whale.
D.To tell him increasing whale numbers along the coast.
2. How did Hesten feel when diving into the water?
A.Frightened.B.Confused.
C.Embarrassed.D.Disappointed.
3. What happened to Hvaldimir after being found?
A.He was spied on by a sailboat.B.He was attached to a new camera.
C.He was ordered to perform each day.D.He was supplied with food regularly.
4. Which of the following might the author agree with?
A.Keep Hvaldimir in the wild.B.Return Hvaldimir to his owner.
C.Establish a reserve for Hvaldimir.D.Invest more money in training Hvaldimir.

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文章大意:本文是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了鲨鱼受到全球气候变化的影响,在出生时可能会变得更小,导致它们不够强壮,无法在野外长时间生存。

【推荐1】Scientists say baby sharks are at risk of being born smaller and without the energy they need to survive because of warming oceans from climate change.

Scientists studied epaulette sharks, which live off Australia and New Guinea. They found that warmer conditions sped up the sharks growing process. That meant the sharks were born earlier and very tired. The findings could be used in the study of other sharks, including those that give birth to live young.

The scientists studied 27 sharks. Some were raised in average summer water temperatures, about 27 degrees Celsius. Others were raised in higher temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius. They found that the sharks raised in the warmest temperatures weighed much less than those raised in average temperatures. They also showed reduced energy levels.

Epaulette sharks can grow to a length of about one meter. Their name comes from large spots on their bodies that look like decorations on some military clothing.

One study this year found that worldwide numbers of oceanic sharks and rays dropped more than 70 percent between1970 and 2018. Overfishing is a main concern,while climate change and pollution also threaten sharks.

Carolyn Wheeler is a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston and with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia. She is the lead author of the epaulette shark study. She said that while all the sharks survived, those raised in warmer temperatures were not strong enough survive for long in the wild.

She added that if the sharks are born smaller than usual, they are probably going to have to start looking for food sooner — and they’re going to have less time to adjust to their surroundings.

The study should serve as a warning to ocean governing agencies that careful management is needed to prevent the loss of more sharks.

1. Why are they called epaulette sharks?
A.Because of their shape.
B.Because of their living place.
C.Because they can grow to a length of about one meter.
D.Because the large spots on their bodies that look like decorations on some military clothing.
2. In what aspect do the warmer conditions affect the baby sharks?
A.Their food.B.Their body weight.
C.Their living habits.D.Their moving route.
3. How did the scientists carry out their study?
A.By studying former data.
B.By tracking sharks in the wild.
C.By collecting information about climate change.
D.By comparing sharks in waters of different temperatures.
4. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?
A.The origin of sharks names.B.The sharks’ appearance.
C.The threats to sharks’ survival.D.The sharks’ living environment.
2022-11-23更新 | 67次组卷
阅读理解-阅读单选(约350词) | 适中 (0.65)

【推荐2】The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified 23 species it says are now extinct. Most of the species had been found in states in the southeastern U.S. Eleven species lived in Hawaii or Guam.

Perhaps the best-known species on the list is the ivory-billed woodpecker. There had been unconfirmed sightings of the bird over the past 20 years. That led to search operations in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. But none of the woodpeckers were found.

Other species on the list had only been identified in the wild a few times and never seen again. One example is the flat pigtoe found in Alabama and Mississippi. In such cases, the species likely started disappearing shortly after being discovered.

In declaring a species extinct, the Fish and Wildlife Service removes it from its Endangered Species Act (ESA). The purpose of the ESA is to call attention to species with the greatest need for protection.

All 23 species were thought to have at least a small chance of survival when added to the ESA list. Only 11 species have been previously removed because of extinction in the nearly half-century since the ESA was signed into law.

The Fish and Wildlife Service warned that climate change, combined with other environmental pressures, could make such disappearances more common. As an example, it said nearly 3 billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970.

Cornell University bird biologist John Fitzpatrick is a leading figure in the hunt for the ivory-billed woodpecker. He told The Associated Press he thinks it was too early to declare the birds extinct. “Little is gained and much is lost,” he said of the declaration process.

Fitzpatrick led a 2005 study that claimed the woodpecker had been rediscovered in eastern Arkansas. He said removing a species from the ESA reduces public attention that is needed to help continue environmental protection efforts.

1. What do we know about the search operations in the four states?
A.They had been working in the past 20 years.
B.They were conducted in the southeastern U.S.
C.They had found 23 species in Hawaii or Guam.
D.They had never found any ivory-billed woodpeckers.
2. Why is the flat pigtoe removed from the list of ESA?
A.It is a mistake to add it to the list.B.The species has been out of danger.
C.The species has been declared extinct.D.It has been lost for nearly half a century.
3. What is the reason of the extinction of the 23 species?
A.Climate change.B.Serious air pollution.
C.Humans’ hunting for meat.D.Breakdown of food chains.
4. What’s Fitzpatrick’s attitude towards the removal of the species from the list?
A.Indifferent.B.Opposing.C.Supportive.D.Ambiguous.
2021-10-28更新 | 49次组卷
阅读理解-阅读单选(约310词) | 适中 (0.65)
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【推荐3】Legend has it that centuries ago, manatees (海牛) used to be mistaken for mermaids, so a sight last week at one Florida state park would have put ancient sailors in shock.

Blue Spring State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida, and recently, the park reached a new record when the number of manatees spotted in one group was nearly 1,000.

Manatees typically flock to the park during the winter months. According to a Facebook post from the non-profit Save the Manatee Club, January 21 was one of the coldest mornings of the Florida winter season so far. The temperature of the St. Johns River, which Blue Spring sits on, was recorded at 14.9 ℃.

To survive the cold winter weather, manatees will seek out water that is typically warmer than 20 ℃. This is because despite their thick-looking bodies, the blubbery animal affectionately known as the sea cow only has “about an inch of fat and a very slow metabolism (新陈代谢), meaning they cannot easily stay warm,” says the state park.

Since their spring water remains at a constant 22.2 ℃, and is protected from human recreational activity, Blue Spring makes the perfect manatee shelter during the colder months. “What’s more, many manatees rely on artificial warm water sources from power plants, and these might be going off line in the near future. So having some of these manatees come to these natural warm water sites and finding them is really encouraging,” says Cora Berchem, a research associate and the director of multimedia at Save the Manatee Club.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are anywhere between about 7,000 to 11,000 manatees in Florida, which represents a large increase over the past 25 years.

1. What does the underlined phrase “flock to” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A.Escape from.B.Drop into.C.Depart from.D.Flood into.
2. What do we know about Blue Spring?
A.It serves as a recreation center.B.The temperature remains at 22.2 ℃.
C.It is a well-preserved state park.D.Power plants heat the shelter there.
3. What might be discussed following the last paragraph?
A.Importance of protecting manatees.B.Why manatees’ population grows.
C.Unique living habits of manatees.D.How manatees fight against cold.
4. Which might be the best title for the text?
A.A Club Taking Measures to Rescue Manatees
B.A Record Number of Manatees Spotted in Florida
C.Florida: the Largest Winter Shelter for Manatees
D.Manatees: an Animal Resistant to Cold Weather
2024-04-05更新 | 69次组卷
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