Question

B

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.

60. 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.

61. 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

62. 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

【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文，题材是海豚的励志故事。作者通过描述海豚没有尾巴，依然可以游泳的励志故事。

段落	关键词、句	大意推测
第一部分（Para. 1）	She doesn’t have a tail.	故事背景：小海豚没有尾巴。
第二部分（Para. 2-5）	Grace, fish trap, learned, swim, without, tail. Harmful, pressure, backbone，wore, artificial tail	故事情景：小海豚没有尾巴的原因和结局。
第三部分（Para.6）	gives, people, courage	主旨：看到格瑞丝带着人造尾游泳给人很大的勇气。

【解析】

60. C。细节理解题。难度：较易。第二段当中的“She was fighting for her life. Is she going to make it(她在为她的生命战斗。她能成功吗？她能活下来吗?)，与选项C。chance of survival（幸存的机会）相对应，故答案选C。   

61. C。细节理解题。难度：中等。第四段The movement put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her.（运动把有害的压力压在格蕾丝的脊椎上。所以一个公司表示愿意为她创造一个人造的尾巴。）而第五段The new tail isn’t necessary for her to feel comfortable(新尾巴不是一定要让她感到舒适)，it helps to keep that range of motion and build muscles（它帮助保持运动范围和肌肉的构建）。说明作用是adjust her way of swimming（调整游泳方姿势）而不是 help her perform better（帮助更好表演）。

62. D。主旨大意题。难度：较易。最后一句中的courage是本题的题眼。作者在最后告诉读者本文写作目的，即鼓励人们在逆境中要勇敢要有勇气，故答案为D。

【难句学习】

1. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she’s even swimming at all.

翻译：然而，最令人惊讶的事情是她甚至在游泳。

分析：The most amazing thing about her 是主语，that引导表语从句。

2. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.

翻译：这尾巴必须强大到足以保持在格瑞丝身上当她游的时候，而且又得足够柔软以至于不会弄疼她。

分析：as引导时间状语从句。

3. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focuses on her rescue and recovery.

翻译：本月,格瑞丝将明星在海豚的故事,电影,关注她的救援和恢复。

分析：a film 是Dolphin Tale 的同位语；that引导定语从句，修饰a film。