Question

TaIL Spin

Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin Grace, shown off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she’s even swimming at all. She doesn’t have a tail.

Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap. When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it --- but her tail didn’t. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.

Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way---like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncles from side to side.

The movement put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.

The first time Grace wore the artificial tail. She soon shook it off and let it sink in the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The tail isn’t

necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”

Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focus on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage.

1. When Grace first arrived at the Ocean Park, her trainer worried about her        .

A．physical build                          B．potential ability

C．chance of survival                       D．adaptation to the surroundings.

2.A man-made tail is created for Grace to   _.

A．let her recover faster                    B．make her comfortable

C．adjust her way of swimming                D．help her perform better tricks

3.The story of Grace inspires people to_      .

A．stick to their dreams                     B．treat animals friendly

C．treasure what they have                  D．face difficulties bravely

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.D

【解析】

文章大意：本文介绍了海豚Grace曾严重受伤，失去了尾巴并且危机生命，但是它坚强的活了下来，并且在训练员和医生的帮助下装了一个假尾巴，帮助它更好的游泳和锻炼肌肉。它的故事对人们也有很大的激励作用。

1.根据第二段中“...she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst可知当Grace海豚刚到海洋公园的时候它正在为生命奋斗着，训练员担心它能否能撑过去，因此选C，担心它生存的几率。

2.根据倒数第二段中“The tail isn’t necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”可知这个人造尾巴未必会让Grace感到舒服，但是会帮助他保持动作的幅度和锻炼肌肉，因此可推断此题ABD错误，选C即“调节它游泳的方式”。

3.根据文章最后一句“Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage.”即Grace的故事给人们更多的勇气，可推断出这个故事激励着人们要勇敢的面对困难。因此选D。