Her name may be 501, but she’s more than just a number. The lovely sea otter(水獭) is the star of Otter 501, a new film from Sea Studios Foundation.

Otter 501 was just a few days old when she lost her parents in June 2010. Washed onto a beach along California’s Big Sur coast, the pup(幼崽) could have died. Instead, she got a second chance at life after being taken to an aquarium(水族馆). There she learned from an adoptive otter mom how to be an otter. In the film, it’s Katie Pofahl who finds the troubled pup on the shore. Through the young volunteer’s eyes, we follow 501’s journey from the day of her rescue to her release into the wild in Elkhorn Slough. But while the fluffy star’s story has a happy ending, the film reminds us of the threats that remain against California’s sea otters.

Mark Shelley is the executive director of Sea Studios and producer of Otter 501. He hopes the movie will encourage more young people to get involved in protecting the otter’s ocean habitat. Time For Kids (TFK) spoke with Shelley and Pofahl about sharing the otter’s tale.

TFK:      How much of the film is fact, and how much is fiction?

Shelley:   The story of 501 and the explanation of the natural history of the sea otter are fact. But we needed a good storyteller to tell the story. That’s where Katie Pofahl’s character came in. Katie’s story in the film is partly fictionalized. She is a trained biologist from the Midwest who moved out here, like her character, so all that is true. She wasn’t really a volunteer at the aquarium, but she did go through the training for the film.

Pofahl:    I was one of the last people to get involved in the project. Mark and Sea Studios put out a casting call for a marine biologist. I responded with a little video, and the team liked it. So, I was brought on to help tell 501’s story.

TFK:       What did you learn about otters during filming that you didn’t know before?

Pofahl:    I’m a zoologist, and I love studying animals. I came onto this project thinking that I knew almost everything there was to know about otters. But I learned some things. Otters keep busy because they live in such cold waters. Unlike other marine mammals, they do not have blubber(鲸油，鲸脂) to keep warm. So, they are constantly moving and eating. And they are a keystone(基本的) species, which means they help to structure the environment they live in. There are endless things to learn. That’s what I love about this job.

TFK:       What do you hope people will take away from the film?

Pofahl:    We have an amazing opportunity to help people become aware of how they impact the world. People will watch the movie to see this lovely otter, but it can also be an entry point into conservation. We want to show people that these animals are amazing and that they are at risk and that they are worth protecting. We also want to show people, especially young women, anyone can get involved in science. It’s been an amazing experience for me.

59. We can conclude from the text that sea otters ________.

A. prefer to live in warm ocean waters

B. stay quiet most of the time and don’t eat much

C. are a dangerous species faced with extinction（灭绝）

D. are a key element in the marine life environment

60. Which of the following statements about the film Otter 501 is TRUE according to the text?

A. The film is about the tragic story of an otter that lost its parents.

B. The character of Katie Pofahl is based completely on a real life person.

C. The director of the film is worried about the trouble faced by California’s sea otters.

D. The movie was shot to raise awareness about the natural history of otters.

61. Which of the following is the right order of events?

a. Otter 501 got an adoptive otter mom at the aquarium.

b. Otter 501 was rescued at the Big Sur coast.

c. Otter 501 lost its parents.

d. Katie Pofahl got involved in the project of Otter 501.

e. Otter 501 was released into the wild in Elkhorn Slough.

A. c-d-b-a-e                 B. b-c-a-e-d                  C. c-b-a-d-e                D. b-a-c-e-d

听下面5段对话，每段对话有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1．When will the woman sleep?

[　　]

A．Before turning off the lights.

B．After taking a walk.

C．After turning off the lights.

2．What did the man mean?

[　　]

A．He could offer her a pencil.

B．He had lost his pen.

C．He could lend her an extra pen.

3．Why was the woman late?

[　　]

A．Heavy traffic.　　B．Missing the bus.　　C．Car trouble.

4．Where did the woman see the movie?

[　　]

A．At a cinema.　　B．On TV.　　C．In a shop.

5．How did Betty find the gift?

[　　]

A．Very satisfying.

B．Very disappointing.

C．Not mentioned.

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6至8题。

6．Where does the dialogue most probably take place?

[　　]

A．In a hospital.　　B．At the doctor's.　　C．At home.

7．What can we conclude about the man and the woman?

[　　]

A．The woman is a nurse.

B．The man has caught a cold.

C．The man doesn't have a cold at all.

8．What did the woman do with the man's trouble?

[　　]

A．She told him to go to bed.

B．She got some hot water for him to use.

C．She telephoned the doctor at last.

听第7段材料，回答第9至11题。

9．Where do you think they were talking?

[　　]

A．In his house.　　B．In a hospital.　　C．In an office.

10．What most probably is Tim?

[　　]

A．A driver.　　B．A worker.　　C．A fire fighter.

11．What does the woman want the man to do?

[　　]

A．Not to save anyone any more.

B．To find another job.

C．To change his resting - place.

听第8段材料，回答第12至13题。

12．What made the man worried?

[　　]

A．Losing his car.

B．The wheels of his car being gone.

C．His car being stolen.

13．How did that happen?

[　　]

A．He left his car outside.

B．Someone had broken into his garage.

C．He forgot to lock his garage.

听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。

14．When does this conversation take place?

[　　]

A．At the beginning of the term.

B．At the end of the school year.

C．In the middle of the summer vacation.

15．Where do Bob and Ellen want to go?

[　　]

A．To a movie at the student center.

B．To an opera at a concert hall.

C．To a popular music concert.

16．What are they going to do first?

[　　]

A．To buy two tickests

B．To have supper.

C．To go to the concert.

听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。

17．Where do you suppose John lived?

[　　]

A．In the northeast of England.

B．In the southwest of England.

C．In London.

18．Which of the following is not mentioned in this story?

[　　]

A．John has lost his job before going to the south.

B．He didn't want to get a job in the northeast of England.

C．It was easier to find jobs in the south.

19．How many people were there in John's car when the men with a gun came in?

[　　]

A．The car was full.

B．Only five people were there.

C．He was alone in the car.

20．Why was John shaking before the man with a gun?

[　　]

A．Because he found the man was very strong.

B．Because he was afraid of the gun.

C．Because he was afraid of the ticket - collector.