A
Researchers spotted the killer whale they call J35 alongside her playful and lively new calf on Saturday—a ray of hope for the endangered Southern Resident population off the Pacific Northwest.
An orca that once spent 17 days carrying her dead calf has become a mother once again. The orca, identified by researchers as J35 and also known as Tahlequah, became a symbol in 2018 of the difficult situation of the Southern Resident whales, which were 88 in number when they were listed as endangered in 2005 and have decreased further since then. The birth of the new orca, which was seen for the first time by researchers on Saturday, brings the population to 73.
“It's a bit of a nail-biter right now,” said Dr. Deborah Giles, a whale researcher. I can't help but be thrilled that she had this baby and this baby didn't die right away. Everybody is worried and on pins and needles, wondering if this calf is going to make it.
The Southern Resident population of orcas, which are also known as killer whales, largely stay near Washington State and British Columbia. The whales have been struggling to get through a variety of troubles-a lack of high-quality food to eat, noise pollution from ships and boats in their habitat, and dangerous pollutants that make their way up the food chain to them. Many of the population's pregnancies 35 fail, and about 40 percent of the calves die in their first year.
J35 had a calf in 2018 that died shortly after birth off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia. The mother continued to carry the calf, pushing it through the water and repeatedly diving deep to get it when it fell away. Orcas sometimes do that for a little while, but J35's journey of grief lasted 17days and covered about 1,000 miles, attracting wide attention at a moment when government agencies were attempting to change the population's downward trend.
Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Centre for Whale Research, documented the newest calf, listed now as J57, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Mr. Balcomb said he was hopeful that recent efforts could bring back more Chinook salmon, the primary food source for the Southern Resident orcas. He pointed to the removal of a dam on the Elwha River, which empties into the strait, as a possible turning point.
1. What can be learned about J35?
A. She once refused to part from her dead baby.
B. She went through great difficulty in order to survive.
C. She once received loving care and attention from researchers.
D. She looked different from the other Southern resident whale
2. How do the researchers feel about the new calf?
A. Relieved. B. Anxious. C. Puzzled. D. Proud.
3. What did Ken Balcomb talk about in the last paragraph?
A. How the newest calf was named.
B. The main habitat for Southern Resident orcas.
C. How the dam on the Elwha River was removed.
D. The measures for helping Southern Resident survive.
【答案】1. A 2. B 3. D
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了研究人员发现了这头他们称之为J35的虎鲸，它和它顽皮活泼的新生幼崽在一起，这给太平洋西北部濒临灭绝的南部居民种群带来了一线希望。介绍了J35这头虎鲸的一些情况和研究人员对此的看法。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“J35 had a calf in 2018 that died shortly after birth off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia. The mother continued to carry the calf, pushing it through the water and repeatedly diving deep to get it when it fell away.(2018年，J35在不列颠哥伦比亚省维多利亚海岸产下一头幼崽，出生后不久就死亡。母鲸继续带着小鲸，在水里推着它，当它掉下去时，母鲸反复潜入深水去救它)”可知，J35曾经拒绝离开她死去的孩子。故选A。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段““It's a bit of a nail-biter right now,” said Dr. Deborah Giles, a whale researcher. I can't help but be thrilled that she had this baby and this baby didn't die right away. Everybody is worried and on pins and needles, wondering if this calf is going to make it.(鲸鱼研究人员Deborah Giles博士说：“现在我们有点紧张。我忍不住为她生下这个孩子而这个孩子并没有马上死掉而高兴。每个人都很担心，担心这头幼崽是否能挺过去”)”可知，研究人员对这头幼崽感到担心。故选B。
【3题详解】
主旨大意题。根据最后一段“Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Centre for Whale Research, documented the newest calf, listed now as J57, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Mr. Balcomb said he was hopeful that recent efforts could bring back more Chinook salmon, the primary food source for the Southern Resident orcas. He pointed to the removal of a dam on the Elwha River, which empties into the strait, as a possible turning point.(鲸鱼研究中心创始主任Ken Balcomb在胡安·德富卡海峡记录了这只最新出生的幼鲸，现在被命名为J57。Balcomb说，他希望最近的努力能带回更多的奇努克鲑鱼，这是Southern Resident鲸的主要食物来源。 他指出，流入海峡的爱尔瓦河上一座大坝的拆除可能是一个转折点)”可知，Ken Balcomb在最后一段谈论了帮助Southern Resident鲸鱼生存的措施。故选D。
