Elephant seal visits Victorian seaside towns

浙江 周晨曲

象海豹是一種行動緩慢、反應遲鈍的動物。人們輕輕地來到它的身旁，它竟會毫無知覺。但有一點必須注意，千萬不要繞到它的身后去，否則它會對你大發雷霆，發出一陣又一陣吼聲。

主題語境：野生動物 篇幅：337詞 建議用時：6分鐘

1An adventurous elephant seal named Henry caused quite a noisy confusion over the summer holidays when he appeared on a Victorian beach a couple of days after causing damage in the streets of another seaside town.

2The super-sized elephant seal drew a large crowd of onlookers, while the police and wildlife officers cleared the area and his path back to the water.But three days later, Henry reappeared.Again, Henry became known among people in the area, leading the authorities (官方) to close the beach and issue a warning to stay away.“We know it's exciting to see such large and unique animals on our beaches, but a photo or video opportunity is not worth risking your or an elephant seal's safety,”said Kate Gavens.Ms Gavens said wildlife authorities were disappointed to see onlookers get dangerously close to the animal.

3Elephant seals are known to visit and rest on Victorian beaches and can become defensive if approached by humans or other animals, so it is important for people to keep at least 30 m away or 50 m away if with a dog.Elephant seals and other wildlife are protected under the Victorian law.People who injure, disturb, chase, herd or feed seals on purpose will face a fine of up to$3,698.

4Southern elephant seals are named after the large nose of the adult males, which is used to make loud sounds.Male elephant seals are known as bulls and females are called cows.They are the largest seal species.Adult males weigh up to 3,000 kg, adult females weigh 300 kg-900 kg and pups weigh about 40 kg at birth.Henry is thought to be aged about five and weigh 500 kg,which means he is still growing.

5Elephant seals are big and heavy on land, but superb swimmers and divers.Biologists have recorded them diving up to 2 km deep and holding their breath under water for up to two hours.They spend about two minutes on the surface of the water between dives,with most dives lasting 30 minutes and to a depth of 300 m to 800 m.

Reading Check

Vocabulary 1.What does the underlined word“his”in paragraph 2 refer to?

A.The beach's.B.The elephant seal's.

C.The government's.D.The town's.

Detail 2.How did wildlife authorities feel when seeing people near Henry?

A.Excited.B.Happy.

C.Surprised.D.Disappointed.

Inference 3.What can be inferred about elephant seals from paragraph 3?

A.They are friendly to people who get close to them.

B.They enjoy being close to other animals.

C.They're protected by law in Victoria.

D.They can be fed by people on purpose.

Detail 4.How long do most elephant seals'dives last?

A.Thirty minutes.B.Forty minutes.

C.Fifty minutes.D.Sixty minutes.

Language Study

I.日積月累

causev.導致

drawv.吸引

issuev.公布

finen.罰款

worthadj.值得的

defensiveadj.戒備的

approachv.接近

meanv.意味著

recordv.記錄

cause damage 造成損害

a large crowd of 一大群的

lead to 導致

worth doing 值得做

at least 至少

on purpose 故意

face a fine of up to 面臨高達……的罰款

Ⅱ.單句填空

1.The camp ________(draw)students from all over the country every year.

2.The poor harvest last year ________(cause)prices to rise sharply.

3.This idea is well worth ________(consider).

4.She must be at ________(less)40.

5.Eating too much sugar can lead ________health problems.

6.He did it ________purpose,knowing it would make her happy.