Question

Sound travels very well through water-much better, in fact, than it does through air. So it shouldn’t be surprising that many ocean animals make noise. They use sound to communicate and hunt. As biologist Brandon Southall says, “Their whole world is related to sound.”

Dolphins whistle, organizing hunts. Lovesick whales sing so loudly they can be heard hundreds of miles away. But these days they aren’t the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.

Every day, thousands of huge container ships sail across the world’s oceans. On top of the engine noise, the ships’ propeller (螺旋桨) make a loud noise all the time. All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.

Underwater construction can also be dangerously loud. When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.

Geologist (地质学家) pound on the seafloor too, trying to find oil wells and map Earth’s surface. The results are useful lo science, but all that hammering probably gives ocean animal a headache.

As people realize how important sound is to ocean animals, they are looking for ways to reduce human noise. Ships could get quieter just by slowing down. Engineers are also trying to find quieter propeller ships.

Now some companies are using a simple invention called a bubble curtain, which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter. It seems to work - when bubble curtains were fixed on the San Francisco bridge project fish deaths dropped.

We still have a lot to learn about sound in the oceans, but together we can help keep the sea a quieter place.

1.Dolphins and whales arc mentioned to show       .

A. sound travels very well through water

B. they are surprisingly noisy in the sea

C. the ocean is filled with sound

D. ocean noise is a big problem

2.What is happening to ocean animals these days?

A. Human noise is causing danger to their safety.

B. There is less food in the ocean for them.

C. They are being killed in large numbers.

D. They are losing their hearing.

3.During the first repair to the bridge, some fish       .

A. started to die    B. were attracted to it

C. got quiet underwater    D. suffered from headaches

4.Bubble curtains are used to       .

A. research on fishes underwater    B. build the San Francisco bridge

C. stop noisy machines working    D. reduce construction noise

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.A

4.D

【解析】文章主要讲述了人类在海洋中制造的噪音对海洋生物有很大的危害，它影响了动物之间的交流，捕猎，所以现在一些公司正在使用一种叫做气泡帷幕使声波通过时失去能量，变得更安静。

1.细节理解题。根据“But these days they aren’t the only ones sounding off. They have more and more competition from human machines.” 但这些天，他们不是唯一的声音了。越来越多的声音来自于人类的机器。可知文中提及海豚，鲸鱼是为了说明海中充满了声音。根据题意，故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据“All that can make it hard for ocean animals trying to listen out for friends, or dinner. Animals swimming nearby a ship can be deafened or even killed.”这一切声音使动物们很难听到朋友们的声音，捕食也会受到影响。在轮船附近游动的动物可能会变聋或者会死去。可知人类的噪音对动物安全造成危害。根据题意，故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据“When construction machines called pile drivers were used during repairs to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, dead fish appeared.” 在三藩奥克兰湾大桥维修期间使用打桩机时，鱼开始死亡。根据题意，故选A。

4.细节理解题。根据“which makes sound waves passing through it lose energy and gel quieter.” 它使声波通过它，失去能量，变得更安静。根据题意，故选D。