1 . A sad mother whale continued to carry her dead baby for a fifth day on Saturday, which is a rare occurrence in nature and is believed to be grieving (痛心的).
The whale, known as J35, is a member of the endangered (濒临灭绝的）family of killer whales, gave birth to her baby on Tuesday only to watch that it die within half an hour. "The baby was so newborn that it didn't have blubber(鲸脂）. It kept sinking, and the mother would raise it to the surface," said Ken Balcomb, a scientist with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island, Washington State. Since then, she's been carrying the baby's body around on her nose, diving to pick it up again when it falls off. She was last sighted in the early evening on Saturday in Canadian waters.
Scientists have documented grieving behavior in other animals with close social bonds in small groups observed carrying newborns that did not survive. The baby whale was the first baby born in three years to the endangered species (物种), the Center for Whale Research said.
"More than 24 hours of grieving is a rare occurrence," says Ken Balcomb. "It is horrible. This is an animal that is a sentient being. It understands the social bonds that it has with the rest of its family members. She carried the baby in her womb (子宫）from 17 to 18 months, she is bonded to it and she doesn't want to let it go. It is that simple. She is grieving."
Researchers have been growing more concerned about the fortune of killer whales, who face three major challenges to their survival as a species: toxins(毒素）, traffic and lack of adequate food. The most recent survey has found that they number just 75 in the area. For the last three years there have been no new babies born to the killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.
1. Why has the mother whale dived repeatedly in the past five days?| A．To avoid possible danger. |
| B．To feed her baby underwater. |
| C．To prevent her dead baby from sinking. |
| D．To play with her newborn baby sometimes. |
| A．She swam a long distance to save her baby. |
| B．She showed unusual grief over her dead baby. |
| C．She formed social bonds with her baby. |
| D．She proved herself highly intelligent. |
| A．Sensitive. | B．Powerful. | C．Dangerous. | D．Stubborn. |
| A．What Problems Killer Whales Are Facing | B．The Killer Whales Died From Lack of Food |
| C．Rare Whales Were Found in Canadian Waters | D．Grieving Whale Carried Dead Baby for Days |
