Humpback whales

Humpback whales are sometimes called performers of the ocean. This is because they can make impressive movements when they dive. The name “humpback”, which is the common name for this whale, refers to the typical curve shape the whale’s back forms as it dives.

   Sometimes the humpback will dive with a fantastic movement, known as a breach. During breaching the whale uses its powerful tail flukes 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 like wings, as the whale reaches the height of the breach.

   A humpback whale breathes air at the surface of the water through two blowholes which are located near the top of the head. It blows a double stream of water that can rise up to 4 meters above the water.

   The humpback has a small dorsal fin located towards the tail flukes about two-thirds of the way down its back. Other distinguishing features include large pectoral fins, which may be up to a third of the body length, and unique black, and white spots on the underside of the tail flukes. These markings are like fingerprints: no two are the same.

   Humpback whales live in large groups. They communicate with each other through complex “songs”.

Quick Facts

Size:

14m~18m in length

30~50 tons in weight

Living environment:

Open ocean and shallow coastline waters

Migration:

From warm tropical (熱帶的) waters, where they breed, to cold polar waters, where they eat.

Diet:

Shellfish, plants and fish of small size

Hunting:

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.

Current state:

Endangered: it is estimated that there are about 5000~7000 humpback whales worldwide.

 

1.According to Quick Facts, a humpback 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 it 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】 略

 

練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

I once experienced an unforgettable trip to Gloucester to see some of the world's most beautiful and exciting animals in their own habitat(棲息地), the North Atlantic Ocean.

    After a long trip by bus, we got on the ship. After a while, we stopped and everyone on the ship started to shout because we saw a humpback whale(座頭鯨). It was wonderful. Sometimes, whales came so close to the ship that you thought you could easily touch them.

    While we were watching the whales, a guide was giving us some information about them. She told us that we saw only two kinds of whales -- 50-foot humpback whales (singing whales) and 70-foot fin back whales (the second largest whales on earth). She also said we could easily recognize a whale by its tail because every whale has a different kind of tail just like people have different fingerprints.

    They all have names, and on this trip, we saw "Salt" and "Pepper", two whales named by a biologist and a fisherman. They were swimming together all the time.

    I took twenty-seven photos, but it was very hard to take them because the whales were quick and stayed on the surface(表面) of the ocean just for a short time. It was really something. It was one of the chances that a person hardly ever experiences in life, but I had that chance.

This passage is mainly about ____.

    A. an unforgettable experience in the forest

    B. an unforgettable trip to see some strange animals in the mountains

    C. a long trip on the ship

    D. an unforgettable trip to watch whales

Everyone on the ship began to shout because ______.

A. a whale came so close to the ship                   B. they saw a singing whale

C. they saw a fin back whale                             D. they could touch the whale

When they were watching the whales, ____.

A. some of them fed the whales                        

B. they found several kinds of whales

C. a guide told them something about the whales

D. some of them took many photos and touched the whales

How can we recognize a whale?

A. By its tail(認(rèn)識(shí)).                         B. By its head.

C. By its neck.                               D. By its eyes.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年四川樂山一中高二下期第二階段考試英語卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

閱讀短文，并按照題目要求用英語回答問題。
In college, Spring Break （春假）is usually associated with the beach, parties and sleepless nights, bringing about relaxation, free time and friends. Students who wish to spend their break doing something productive and rewarding, however, may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program. It places college students in communities both at home and abroad.
The Program allows students to take part in various projects dealing with issues such as literacy （識(shí)字）, homelessness and the environment. It includes helping kids with their lessons, raising money for families in need and collecting data for environmental research.
The hope is that, by getting themselves involved in different environments, students will have the opportunity to learn about members of communities and broaden their view. In turn, they will incorporate (融合) their experiences and lessons learned into their own communities. In a word, the Program aims to encourage students to be active citizens and engage themselves in making a difference in society.
In the spring of 2006, about 36,000 students in the USA participated in the Alternative Break Program.
Samantha Giacobozzi, now director of the Program, has been on five alternative break trips herself, including trips to New Orleans, India and Dominican Republic. “I was a student who went on alternative break trips and had my life totally transformed by that experience,” she said. “Every year, we meet many students who have attended the Program. You can see changes in their life that are connected with their alternative break experiences.”
The Program began in 1991.Today, it has become increasingly popular with college students in the United States.
【小題1】Who may choose to participate in the Alternative Break Program?(within                       10 words)
【小題2】Wha is the aim of the Program?(within 15 words)
【小題3】What is the meaning of the underlined word "transformed" in Paragraph 5?( 1 word)
【小題4】What is Samantha's attitude toward the Program?(within 10 words)
【小題5】If you take part in the Program, which project are you interested in? And why?(within 15 words)

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年海南瓊海嘉積中學(xué)高二上學(xué)期高中水平測試二英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

1 

Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern (模式). They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease.

Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.

1.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?

A. They eat too much for lunch.

B. They sleep too little at night.

C. Their body temperature becomes lower.

D. The weather becomes a lot warmer.

2.If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?

A. About 12:30 pm.                         B. About 1:30 pm.

C. About 3:30 pm                           D. About 2:30 pm

3.. Wha【小題】 would be the best title for the text?

A. Just for a Rest                      B. All for a Nap

C. A Special Sleep Pattern.              D. Taking Naps in Warmer Climate.

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2010年廣東省中山市高一上學(xué)期期中考試英語卷 題型：閱讀理解

I once experienced an unforgettable trip to Gloucester to see some of the world’s most beautiful and exciting animals in their own habitat(棲息地), the North Atlantic Ocean.

After a long trip by bus, we got on the ship. After a while, we stopped and everyone began to shout because we saw a humpback whale（座頭鯨）. It was wonderful. Sometimes, whales came so close to the ship that you thought you could easily touch them.

While we were watching the whales, a guide was giving us some information about them, She told us that we saw only two kinds of whales- 50 foot humpback whales (singing whales) and 70-foot finback whales(the second largest whales on earth). She also said we could easily recognize a whale by its tail because every whale has a different kind of tail just like people have different fingerprints.

They all have names,and on this trip we saw “Salt” and “Pepper”, two whales named by a biologist and a fisherman. They were swimming toghter all the time.

I took twenty-seven photos,but it was very hard to take them because the whales were quick and stayed on the surface of the ocean just for a short time. It was really something. It was one of the chances that a person hardly ever experiences in life, but I had that chance.

1.This passage is mainly about _________________.

A an unforgettable experience in the forest

B an unforgettable trip to see some strange animals in the mountains

C a long trip on the ship

D an unforgettable trip to watch whales

2.Everyone on the ship began to shout because_____________.

 A a whale came so close to the ship

 B they saw a singing whale

 C they saw a finback whale

 D they could touch the whale

3.When they were watching the whales, __________________.

 A some of them fed the whales

 B they found several kinds of whales

 C a guide told them something about the whales

 D some of them took many photos and touched the whales

4.How can we recognize a whale?

 A By its tail                B By its head

 C By its neck               D By its eyes

 

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案