The world’s seas and oceans support nearly half of all species on Earth, but we aren’t one of them. We can’t drink the salt water, walk on the surface, or breathe in it. Yet now, over onethird of the total human population, nearly 2.4 billion people, lives within 100 km of a coast.
Few people have a deeper connection with the sea than the Bajau Laut of Southeast Asia. Sometimes known as “sea gypsies”， they live in house boats or houses built on top of coral reefs(珊瑚礁) and when they do spend the night on the ground sometimes, they often report feeling “landsick”. Malaysia’s best Bajau freedivers can dive to depths of over 20 metres and stay there for several minutes on a single breath. Besides, studies on some “sea gypsy” children from Thailand and Burma show they have unusual good underwater eyesight because their eyes have adapted to the liquid environment.
The Bajau Laut’s livelihood is traditionally totally dependent on the resources of the sea, so fishing is vitally important to them, but different cultures have different ways of catching fish. In the waters off Laguna in Brazil, fishermen use dolphins to drive crowds of fish into their nets.When the fish are within catching distance, the dolphins leap out of the water as the sign to the fishermen that they should now throw their nets. The dolphins then stop the fish as they manage to escape from the nets.
But the ocean isn’t just about food. In ancient Hawaii, chiefs used surfing competitions to show off their power and skills. Nowadays bigwave surfers do the same, monitoring(监测) conditions around the world to ensure they are in the right place at the right time when the giants come rolling in.
If only we had a good relationship with the ocean.Sadly, it is now assessed that we may have removed as much as 90% of the ocean’s large fish. And since the ocean absorbs 50% of the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere, we are continually increasing the acidification(酸化) of the ocean.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。海洋提供给人类丰富的资源，和人类的生存发展密切相关。本文讲述了人类和海洋的关系。
1．When “sea gypsies” live on the land at times, they feel ________.
A．excited B．uncomfortable
C．happy D．embarrassed
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的when they do spend the night on the ground sometimes, they often report feeling “landsick”可知，在陆地上感觉好像生病了，即并不舒服。
2．What can be learned about fishing off Laguna?
A．When fish want to flee, dolphins will save them.
B．Dolphins are smart partners of the fishermen there.
C．It’s a sign to draw nets when dolphins jump out of water.
D．Fishermen do nothing when dolphins catch fish for them.
B 解析：推理判断题。第三段中详细描述了在巴西海豚帮助渔民捕鱼的精彩细节，所以可以推断出海豚是渔民聪明的好帮手。
3．What is the author’s attitude towards the relationship between humans and the ocean?
A．Curious. B．Enthusiastic.
C．Uninterested. D．Concerned.
D 解析：观点态度题。根据最后一段可知，作者对于人类和海洋的关系还是很担忧的。
