题目内容
Are Baiji Dolphin Extinct?
Does the Yangtze River still have baiji the graceful, grey dolphin with tiny eyes and a long narrow beak?
Since November 6, a team of scientists from China, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and Japan have been searching for any sign of the freshwater dolphin on the middle and lower sections of the river.After six weeks, they came back empty-handed.
Wang Ding, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is the head of the team, said.he has seen a sharp decline in the baiji population over the past few decades. However, he is still unwilling to call the species extinct, and adds, "We will try every effort to save them as long as they are not found to be extinct."
The baiji is shy and nearly blind and is, one of the world's oldest.'dolphin species. It dates back some 20 million years and is found only in the Yangtze.It's listed as one of the 12 most endangered animal species in the world.
Around 400 baiji were believed to be living in the Yangtze until the 1980s.A 1997 survey spotted 13.Two years later their numbers were down to two.
The rapid disappearance of this dolphin over the past two decades coincided with(与……同时)the rapid expansion of economic development along the river. Research on some dead baiji collected in recent years showed that more than 90 percent of the deaths were caused by human activities.
One reason is that over-fishing has cut the dolphin's food sources.Dams built along the river and neighboring waterways have also kept them from swimming into and out of their habitats. Meanwhile, waste discharge(排放) has seriously polluted the river. And heavy river traffic has greatly reduced their living space.
The disappearance of the baiji would be the first instance of a large aquatic mammal(水生哺乳动物)being driven to extinction since hunting killed off the monk seal(僧海豹)around 1952.
56.Bajji dolphin used to live in of the Yangtze River.
A.upper sections B.middle sections
C.lower sections D.middle and lower sections
57.The first paragraph shows writer's .
A.love of baiji B.eagerness to write the passage
C.anger for not having a baiji D. dissatisfaction with our government
58.Which of the following countries didn't join the action to search for baiji?
A.England. B.America. C.Japan. D.India
59. How many baiji dolphins were left by the end of last century?
A.400 B.13 C.Atmost2 D.2
60.Which of the following reasons doesn't lead to the rapid disappearance of baiji dolphins?
A. Over-fishing. B. Heavy Road Traffic.
C. Dams built along the river. D. Waste discharge.
DADCB
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