A
Scientists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa studied a huge area in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean known as the ClarionClipperton Zone，or CCZ to find and study new sea species.
Diva Amon，a researcher at the University says usually deep sea biologists think there is not a lot living in the deep sea.
“But we found that actually there is quite a lot living there，and so that was really exciting...”she says.
The group is studying the area because the CCZ，a huge and flat area of seabed，is known to have valuable minerals.The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is allowing the company UK Seabed Resources Ltd to explore the area on the Pacific Ocean floor for mining.However，the ISA said the company must first complete a biological study of the area before it can begin mining for metals.So，the company employed Amon and her group.
Amon says that more than half of the animals they collected were completely new to science.Her group discovered not only new species，but new genera (动植物的属) of animals.
Biological oceanographer Paul Snelgrove says that finding new species in the deep ocean is common.But，he said，finding a new genus “is really great”．
Amon warns that if mining happens across the whole area，the ecosystem would be largely destroyed.But，she says，we will find the least damaging way to make mining possible.
“There is a sort of scientific push to try and slow things down a bit so that the science can be done before...so it can be done with the least influence possible...”she says.
“It's likely we are going to develop at least some parts of these deep ocean environments and do it in a way that's going to minimize (最小化) our influence，”says Paul.
【语篇解读】 本文是一则新闻报道。科学家在太平洋发现数量惊人的新物种。
1．What did scientists try to find out in the CCZ?
A．Whether there is life.
B．Whether there are valuable minerals.
C．What sea life exists there.
D．What metals lie under the sea floor.
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Scientists...studied...CCZ to find and study new sea species”可知，科学家探测CCZ是为了研究这个区域的海洋生物。
答案：C
2．What is Amon's attitude towards mining the CCZ?
A．Careful. B．Doubtful.
C．Unsupportive. D．Uninterested.
解析：推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中的“But，she says，we will find the least damaging way to make mining possible”可知，她对于CCZ这个区域的开采持谨慎态度。
答案：A
3．What does the underlined word “it” in the text refer to?
A．Mining.
B．A scientific push.
C．Finding the least damaging way.
D．Developing the ocean environments.
解析：词义猜测题。该段承接上一段中的“find the least damaging way to make mining possible”来继续说明在开采前需要进行科学研究，因此it在此指代mining。画线词后的“with the least influence possible”与上一段中的“the least damaging way”相互呼应。
答案：A
