Like the rest of their species，the Southern Hemisphere humpback whales typically prefer to remain single or gather in small groups that disperse （散開） quickly．However，since 2011，researchers from Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town have been observing a new phenomenon off the coast of South Africa．Professor Ken Findlay and his team reported seeing 22 cases of large groups of humpback whales on three different occasions in 2011，2014，and 2015．
The researchers are puzzled not just by the unusual social behavior，but also by the fact that the"super-groups"were seen in April and May．That's because the mammals typically spend these late summer months （in the Southern Hemisphere） feeding in the Antarctic waters before heading back to the warmer subtropical South African waters during winter，to breed and give birth．In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE on May 1，F(xiàn)indlay and his team outlined some of the possible reasons behind the big change in the mammals' behavior．
The researchers say that the cause of the recent sightings could be the abundant food available in the Benguela upwelling system．Located near the southwestern tip of South Africa between St．Helena Bay and Cape Point，the system of cold，nutrient-rich ocean currents is rich in phytoplanktons and species of small fish that the humpback whales feed on，such as the mantis shrimp．
Another probable reason is the sudden increase in humpback whales' population．According to a recent scientific report，the mammals，population，off the coast of Australia，has reached nearly 90 percent of pre-whaling numbers，while on the US East Coast，the number of whales is up 60 percent from its lows．All in all，experts estimate there are currently 150，000 humpback whales swimming in our oceans．They all need to feed．
However，while the theories may explain the decision to skip migrating （遷徙） to Antarctic waters，the reason for the social super-groups remains a mystery．According to Findley，"It's possible that the behavior was occurring，but just not where it was visible （看得見的）．Because there were so few of them，we may not have seen it．"
（1）What is implied about the humpback whales in Paragraph 2？ CC
A．They no longer hunt for food in the Antarctic waters．
B．They usually spend the whole winter in the Antarctic waters．
C．They are rarely seen in South African waters during April and May．
D．They've changed their social behavior to adjust to the warmer waters．
（2）According to Findley，why are the humpback whales seen in large groups now？ BB
A．Because they swim in populated areas now．
B．Because their number has increased greatly．
C．Because they need to work together to hunt for food．
D．Because researchers pay closer attention to them now．
（3）What does the passage mainly talk about？ CC
A．Reasons for the number of humpback whales increasing so greatly．
B．How humpback whales adapt themselves to the changing environment．
C．Why humpback whales appear off the coast of South Africa in large groups．
D．Researchers' findings about a new whale species near the coast of South Africa．
【答案】C；B；C
【解答】
【點(diǎn)評】
聲明：本試題解析著作權(quán)屬菁優(yōu)網(wǎng)所有，未經(jīng)書面同意，不得復(fù)制發(fā)布。
發(fā)布：2024/5/27 14:0:0組卷：40引用：1難度：0.7
相似題
-
1．For some people，the warmest memories from childhood come from being read a great story．（1）
It develops children's language skills and increases their ability to succeed in school and，later，work．
A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics says reading aloud is so important that parents should start as soon as their children are born and continue to read aloud even after their children can read by themselves．They say parents should also point to and talk about pictures in books for infants（嬰幼兒）．（2）
The company Scholastic is fl major U．S．publisher of children's books．Every two years，Scholastic publishes a report on American reading attitudes and habits．The 2015 report says only 31 percent of children in the U．S．read a book for fun almost every day．
（3）One is simply to have books in the home．Elizabeth Lyttleton，the mother of three，is lucky．Her mother once wrote and illustrated children's books，so the family always have plenty to read．She says all her children learn from books-but in different ways．（4）Researchers from the Scholastic company found that 80%of children surveyed-of all ages-say they love being read to．And children ages 6 to 11 whose parents do not read to them anymore say they miss it．
（5）Of all the six to 17-year-olds in the Scholastic study，more than 90%said their favorite books are the ones they chose for themselves．
A．The Scholastic report also suggests permitting children to choose their own books．
B．Scholastic also identifies some ways to develop a love of reading in a child．
C．A book does not have to be serious to be good for kids．
D．For young children，parents should ask questions about the book．
E．Do children still read for fun？
F．Another way to develop a reading habit in children is to read to them．
G．But reading to children does more than create warm memories．發(fā)布：2025/1/1 13:30:1組卷：13引用：7難度：0.7 -
2．Chinese students always complain that they're under great pressure and don't get enough sleep.But they may be surprised to learn that they're much luckier than their peers（同齡人）in South Korea and Japan，according to a recently published report，conducted by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences on the physical and mental health of senior high school students in the three Asian countries.
According to the study among nearly 6，000 high school students in the three countries，Chinese students are the tallest but poorest in physical fitness.Chinese students are on average 168.17cm，compared with 167.61cm for South Korean students and 164.70cm for Japanese students.Chinese students asked for sick leave more than students in other countries.About 72 percent of Korean students never asked for sick and injury leave during high school，compared to 53 percent for Japanese students and 45 percent for Chinese students.Moreover，Chinese students drink alcohol and smoke earlier than Korean and Japanese students.Around 70 percent of Chinese students have drunk alcohol，compared to 50 percent for Korean and Japanese students.
According to the survey，Japanese and South Korean students suffer more pressure than their Chinese peers.Statistics show 16 percent of students in China said they experienced mental pressure often over the past year，while the numbers in Japan and South Korea were 33 percent and 47 percent respectively.Their worries come from "study"，"future after graduation"， "friendships" and "relationship with their parents".To go with stress，57.9 percent of Korean students sleep the least，less than six hours a day，compared with 46.6 percent of Japanese students and 30 percent of Chinese students.
More Chinese students were satisfied with their physical appearance，double that of students in the survey from Japan and South Korea.The report said that over half of students in South Korea had tried to lose weight in the past year，while in China the figure was only 22 percent.In measures of self-worth，such as "I think I am valuable" and "I think I am successful"，"I can complete many things"， "I won't give up to failure，" Chinese students showed greater self-confidence than students in Japan and South Korea.
（1）What's the main idea of the second paragraph？
A．Chinese students ask for sick leave most often.
B．Chinese students drink most alcohol and smoke earliest.
C．Japanese students ask for least sick leave.
D．Chinese teenagers are tallest，but most unhealthy.
（2）It can be inferred from the passage that.
A．Chinese students are confident in themselves and luckier
B．Chinese students are luckiest，yet most unsuccessful
C．Japanese students are most stressed
D．South Korean students sleep the least
（3）What does the underlined word "that" refer to？
A．the height
B．the number
C．the weight
D．the appearance
（4）The worries that causes students to be stressed come from the following factors EXCEPT.
A．study and career
B．friendships
C．physical appearance
D．family relationship發(fā)布：2025/1/1 16:0:1組卷：0引用：3難度：0.5 -
3．Paying ﹩25，000 to get your pet cloned might sound attractive，if you have the money and can't imagine life without your pet.
There are two companies now that can clone your pet：ViaGen and Sooam Biotech.Lab techs there will clone your pet using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer （體細(xì)胞核移植），the same method used to clone Dolly the sheep in 1996.This involves removing the nucleus from a female's developing egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus from a cell from the animal you want to clone.The new cell is then stimulated （刺激） with an electric shock to make it divide and then implanted into a host organism （有機(jī)體）.
The decision to clone your pet has to take place while they're still alive.You need to sign up with the company and take your pet to the vet so they can harvest some cells.Then，for between ﹩1-2000，the company will store the cells.Even if you decide to stop，there's no refund for the storage.If you decide to have your pet cloned，you'll pay a much larger deposit to perform the cell transfer and implant the cells into a host animal.
What's most important to consumers is the product.Your clone is a twin of your former pet，but it won't necessarily look or act like the original.They may have different colors and you don't get your money back.Even the companies admitted in New York Times "You can clone the look of a dog，but you can't clone the soul."
（1）Why did the author mention Dolly the sheep？
A．To ensure the safety of cloning.
B．To show that it is easy to clone sheep.
C．To prove the technology has a long history.
D．To tell readers the method used to clone their pets.
（2）What can we know about cloning a pet？
A．Your pet can be brought back to life.
B．The charge of pet cloning is ﹩1-2000.
C．Your new pet will have a parent when cloned.
D．The company will refund you if you give up halfway.
（3）What do the companies' words in the last paragraph mean？
A．Cloning is a moral issue.
B．The future of cloning is unclear.
C．The technology of cloning is not perfect.
D．Yon won't get the exact copy of the former one.
（4）Where is the text most likely from？
A．A travel guide.
B．A newspaper.
C．A science fiction.
D．A textbook.發(fā)布：2025/1/1 16:0:1組卷：19引用：4難度：0.5
把好題分享給你的好友吧~~