A
Humpback Whales
Humpback whales are sometimes calledperformers of the ocean.This is because they can make impressive movements whenthey dive.The name“humpback”, which isthe common name for this whale, refers to the typical curve shape the whale'sback forms as it dives.
Sometimes the humpback will dive with a fantasticmovement known as a breach.During breaching the whale uses its powerful tailflukes to lift nearly two-thirds of its body out of the water in a giant leap.A breach might also include a sideways twist with fins stretched out likewings, as the whale reaches the height of the breach.
A humpback whale breathes air at the surface of thewater through two blowholes which are located near the top of the head.It blowsa double stream of water that can rise up to 4 metres above the water.
The humpback has a small dorsal fin located towardsthe tail flukes about two-thirds of the way down its back.Other distinguishingfeatures include large pectoral fins, which may be up to a third of the bodylength, and unique black and white spots on the underside of the tailflukes.These markings are like finger prints: no two are the same.
Humpback whales live in large groups.They communicatewith each other through complex “songs”.
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Quick Facts
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Size:
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14m-18m in length;
30-50 tons in weight
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Living
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Open ocean and shallow coastline waters
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Environment
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From warm tropical waters, where they breed, to cold polar waters,
where they eat
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Diet:
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Shellfish, plants and fish of small size
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Hunting:
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Sometimes in groups, in which several whales form a circle under the water, blowing bubbles that form a “net” around a school of fish.The fish are then forced up to the surface in a concentrated mass.
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Current state:
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Endangered: it is estimated that there are about 5000-7500 humpback whales worldwide
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1. According to Quick Facts, ahumpback whale _____.
A. cannot survive in waters near the shore
B. doesn't live in the same waters all the time
C. lives mainly on underwater plants
D. prefers to work alone when hunting food
2. To make a breach, a humpback whale must _____.
A. use its tail flukes to leap out of the water
B. twist its body sideways to jump high
C. blow two streams of water
D. communicate with a group of humpbacks
3. From the passage we can learn that a humpback whale _____.
A. has its unique markings on its tail flukes
B. has black and white fingerprints
C. gets its name from the way it hunts
D. is a great performer due to its songs
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. A
【解析】
【分析】本文是一篇说明文。 Humpback whales有时被称为海洋的表演者。文章介绍了Humpback whales的特点和生活习性等。
【1题详解】
推理判断题。根据Quick Facts中“Living: Open ocean and shallow coastline waters（生活在公海和浅海岸线水域）”可知，根据Quick Facts， humpback whale并不是一直生活在同一水域。故选B。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中“During breaching the whale uses its powerful tailflukes to lift nearly two-thirds of its body out of the water in a giant leap. （在破浪时，鲸鱼用它强有力的尾部将身体的近三分之二举起来，这是一次巨大的跳跃。）”可知，为了完成这一突破， humpback whales必须用它的尾鳍跃出水面。故选A。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据第四段中“unique black and white spots on the underside of the tailflukes（尾部有独特的黑色和白色斑点）”可知从这篇文章中我们可以了解到humpback whales在它的尾巴上有它独特的标记。故选A。
