Question

    If you’ve spent any amount of time boating, fishing, or bird-watching at lakes and rivers, you have most likely seen fishes jumping out of the water. I have seen it many times. Certainly, fishes will exit water in desperate attempts to escape enemies. Dolphins take advantage of the behavior, forming a circle and catching the frightened fishes in midair. But just as we may run fast from fun or from fear, different emotions might motivate fishes to jump.

Mobula rays (蝠鲼) aren’t motivated by fear when they throw their impressive bodies — up to a seventeen-foot wingspan (the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other) and a ton in weight — skyward in leap of up to ten feet. They do it in schools of hundreds. They usually land on their bellies, but sometimes they land on their backs. Some scientists think it might be a way of removing parasites (寄生虫). But I think that the rays are enjoying themselves.

In the clear waters of Florida’s Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, I watched several schools of fifty or more mullets(鲻鱼) moving in beautiful formation. Their well-built bodies were most evident when they leaped from the water. Most of the time I saw one or two leaps by a fish, but one made a series of seven. They usually land on their sides. Each jump was about a foot clear of the water and two to three feet in length.

Nobody knows for sure why the fish leaps. One idea is that they do it to take in oxygen. The idea is supported by the fact that mullets leap more when the water is lower in oxygen, but is challenged by the likelihood that jumping costs more energy than is gained by breathing air. It is hard to imagine they will feel any fresher when back in water.

Might these fishes also be leaping for fun? There is some new evidence. Gordon M. Burghardt recently published accounts of a dozen types of fishes leaping repeatedly, sometimes over floating objects — sticks, plants, sunning turtle — for no clear reason other than entertainment.

1.What can we say about the dolphins in Paragraph 1?

A.They have great escaping skills. B.They are easily frightened.

C.They are very clever. D.They love jumping.

2.What do the ray and the mullet have in common when jumping?

A.Both do it in groups. B.Both land on their bellies.

C.Both jump many feet out of water. D.Both make leaps one after the other.

3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the idea mentioned in Paragraph 4?

A.Anxious. B.Indifferent.

C.Approving. D.Questionable.

4.Why do fishes leap according to Gordon?

A.To remove parasites. B.To amuse themselves.

C.To take in more oxygen. D.To escape enemies.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了鱼为何要跃出水面，一些人认为是因为情绪的激发和要去除寄生虫，但也有人认为这些鱼跃出水面可能是为了享受快乐。

1.

推理判断题。根据第一段Dolphins take advantage of the behavior, forming a circle and catching the frightened fishes in midair.可知海豚利用这种行为，围成一个圈，在半空中抓住受惊的鱼。由此可推知，海豚能够巧妙地吃掉跃出水面的鱼，说明它们很聪明。故选C。

2.

细节理解题。根据第二段中They do it in schools of hundreds.可知蝠鲼成群跳跃。以及第三段中I watched several schools of fifty or more mullets moving in beautiful formation.可知我看到几个由50只或更多的鲻鱼组成的鱼群以美丽的队形移动。由此可知，蝠鲼和鲻鱼都是成群地跳跃。故选A。

3.

推理判断题。根据第四段中It is hard to imagine they will feel any fresher when back in water.可知很难想象当它们回到水里时会感觉更新鲜。由此可推知，作者认为第四段提到的猜想是值得怀疑的。故选D。

4.

推理判断题。根据最后一段中Gordon M. Burghardt recently published accounts of a dozen types of fishes leaping repeatedly, sometimes over floating objects—sticks, plants, sunning turtle—for no clear reason other than entertainment.可知Gordon M.Burghardt戈登•M•伯格哈特最近发表了一篇关于十几种鱼类反复跳跃的报道，有时它们会越过漂浮物、树枝、植物、晒太阳的海龟，除了娱乐之外，没有其他明确的原因。由此可推知，Gordon 认为鱼跃出水面可能是为了享受快乐。故选B项。