题目内容
Warmer sea temperatures could worsen the widespread destruction of coral reefs that hit the Caribbean in 2005,scientists fear.
In the waters around the US Virgin Islands,as much as 40 percent of coral died in some reefs last year,and the coral that survived probably isn't healthy enough to survive another hot summer,said Caroline Rogers,a US Geological Survey biologist.
Reefs are vital habitat for fish,lobsters and other sea life that feed and breed in the sheltered waters. The reefs also change storm waves that might otherwise wash away the beaches that are at the heart of the region's multibilliondollar tourism industry.
"You don't know how scary it looks down there," said Zandy Starr,who monitors coral and sea turtles in St. Croix's national parks. "All of us thought that by now,with all the cooler temperatures in January and February,we would have seen recovery,but they're still sick."
Glassy,calm seas have permitted coralkilling ultraviolet (紫外线的) rays to access to the ocean floor,warming water temperatures and making the fragile (易碎的) undersea life more sensitive to disease,Starr said.
Scientists haven't pinpointed (准确地说出) what caused coral to become sick or led to the warm water,which stresses coral and makes it more susceptible (敏感的) to disease. They can't say whether global warming is a factor.
"We don't really have the data. You need a record over decades. There's a lot of research that needs to happen”，said Alberto Sabat,a biology professor at the University of Puerto Rico.
But the trend of warmer waters isn't limited to the Caribbean. The National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration said waters were warmer than usual in the South Pacific,mid-Atlantic and Indian Ocean in mid-April.
Rogers said coral grew far better after hurricanes that devastated (摧毁) the US Virgin Islands in 1989 and 1995 because the storms cooled the sea,allowing reefs to recover relatively quickly from damage.
Rising temperatures appear to be "something new that the corals aren't used to," said Tyler Smith,a marine researcher at the University of the Virgin Islands.
The scientists worry that the problem is being overlooked,
"People just don't know that much about coral because it's underwater. If 40 percent of the trees ill one of our national parks died,people would take notice”，Rogers said.
( ) 5. The underlined word "overlooked" in the passage means .
A. to have a view from above B. to fail to notice
C. to pay attention to D. to guide somebody
( ) 6. According to the passage,coral is very important because .
A. it is the necessity for the sea life
B. it can prevent the global warming spreading
C. it can make the beach more beautiful so that people can earn more money
D. it can offer a shelter not only for the human being but also for the fish
( ) 7. The example of hurricanes given by Rogers is to show .
A. coral reefs don't like the warm water
B. hurricanes are good for the growing of coral reefs
C. the global warming is terrible for coral reefs
D. how to cure the sick coral reefs
( ) 8. What can we infer from the passage?
A. More and more areas will face the coral problem.
B. The survived coral is being recovered this year.
C. Most people have noticed the seriousness of the problem.
D. Calm seas are good for the coral growing.
( ) 9. What is the best title for the passage?
A. A Research Report on the Coral Problem
B. Scientists Is Warning of Threat to Coral Reefs
C. Coral Reefs Are Part of Our Life
D. How to Protect the Coral
5. B从末段可知大多数的人们还未注意到这个问题，所以可推断，此词的含义为B项。
6. A从文章的第3段可知，珊瑚礁是海洋生物的生息场所，同时也可改变海潮，这样，海潮就不会冲毁我们的旅游支柱——海滩。其他的原因文中未提及。
7. A 从文中的because the storms cooled the sea,allowing reefs to recover relatively quickly from damage可知,他举例只是为了证明水凉一些对珊瑚有益。
8. A从文中的But the trend of warmer waters isn't limited to the Caribbean,可知科学家担忧更多的海域因为水变暖，珊瑚礁会受影响。
9. B整篇文章表达的是科学家对于珊瑚礁死亡的忧虑,不是科学报告，所以A项错误。
