The smallest animal with a backbone（脊椎） known to science, a fish from the carp family, has been discovered in the peat swamps （沼泽）of Indonesia. Mature（成熟的）females of the fish species （种类）Paedocypris reach just 7.9mm in length.

　 The species was discovered in the highly acidic (酸性的) peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra by a team led by Ralf Britz, a zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London.

　 “This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career,” Dr Britz said. “It’s tiny, and it lives in acid. I hope that we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.”

　 The species lives in dark tea-colored swamp waters, which are 100 times more acidic than rainwater. Although these swamps were once thought to be inhabited by very few animals, recent research has shown that they are home to a highly different range of species that occur nowhere else.

　 The peat swamps were damaged by forest fires in 1997, and are also threatened by agriculture. The scientists behind the discovery said that several populations of Paedocypris had already been lost.

　 “Many of the peat swamps we surveyed （调查）throughout South-East Asia no longer exist,” Dr Britz said. “Populations of all the miniature（微型的） fish of peat swamps have decreased or disappeared.”

　 Details of the discovery are published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

　　 A. The Strangest Fish

　　 B. Acidic Peat Swamps

　　 C. Strange Species

　 D. The Smallest Backbone Animal

2. Where does the smallest backbone animal live?

　　 A. It lives in highly acidic rainwater.

　　 B. The species lives in the acidic waters of dark tea-coloured swamps.

　　 C. It was put in the Natural History Museum in London.

　　 D. Its habitat disappears completely.

3. Dr Britz’s words imply____.

　　 A. the habitat will be more after a period of time

　　 B. many peat swamps that they surveyed have already survived

　　 C. he wants to find out more about them before their habitat disappears

　　 D. he wants to have a further research

4. According to the passage, the forest fires in 1997 have led to the fact that ____.

　　 A. many places where these animals lived have been damaged

　　 B. the population of the species has increased

　　 C. there are many animals in the acidic peat swamps today

　　 D. agriculture doesn’t affect the living space of these animals

 

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle (吹口哨) when you are happy.

Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims（声称）as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species (物种) are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.

　　　　 If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects no outsiders almost any time, especially at nesting（筑巢）season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.

You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

56. Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’ singing is actually　　　 .

A. an expression of happiness　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a way of warning

　　　 C. an expression of anger　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. a way of greeting

57. What is a bird’s “territory”?

　　　 A. A place where families of other species are accepted.

　　　 B. A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice.

　　　 C. An area for which birds fight against each other.

　　　 D. An area which a bird considers to be its own.

58. Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

　　　 A. Because they want to invite more friends.

　　　 B. Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away.

　　　 C. Because they want to find outsiders around.

　　　 D. Because their singing helps get rid of their fears.

59. How does the writer explain birds’ singing?

　　　 A. By comparing birds with human beings. B. By reporting experiment results.

　　　 C. By describing birds’ daily life.　　　　　　　　　　　 D. By telling a bird’s story.

60. Where will you probably find the passage?

A. A textbook　 B. A newspaper　 C. A science report　 D. A guidebook

　 The smallest animal with a backbone（脊椎） known to science, a fish from the carp family, has been discovered in the peat swamps （沼泽）of Indonesia. Mature（成熟的）females of the fish species （种类）Paedocypris reach just 7.9mm in length.

　 The species was discovered in the highly acidic (酸性的) peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra by a team led by Ralf Britz, a zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London.

　 “This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career,” Dr Britz said. “It’s tiny, and it lives in acid. I hope that we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.”

　 The species lives in dark tea-colored swamp waters, which are 100 times more acidic than rainwater. Although these swamps were once thought to be inhabited by very few animals, recent research has shown that they are home to a highly different range of species that occur nowhere else.

　 The peat swamps were damaged by forest fires in 1997, and are also threatened by agriculture. The scientists behind the discovery said that several populations of Paedocypris had already been lost.

　 “Many of the peat swamps we surveyed （调查）throughout South-East Asia no longer exist,” Dr Britz said. “Populations of all the miniature（微型的） fish of peat swamps have decreased or disappeared.”

　 Details of the discovery are published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

　　 A. The Strangest Fish

　　 B. Acidic Peat Swamps

　　 C. Strange Species

　 D. The Smallest Backbone Animal

2. Where does the smallest backbone animal live?

　　 A. It lives in highly acidic rainwater.

　　 B. The species lives in the acidic waters of dark tea-coloured swamps.

　　 C. It was put in the Natural History Museum in London.

　　 D. Its habitat disappears completely.

3. Dr Britz’s words imply____.

　　 A. the habitat will be more after a period of time

　　 B. many peat swamps that they surveyed have already survived

　　 C. he wants to find out more about them before their habitat disappears

　　 D. he wants to have a further research

4. According to the passage, the forest fires in 1997 have led to the fact that ____.

　　 A. many places where these animals lived have been damaged

　　 B. the population of the species has increased

　　 C. there are many animals in the acidic peat swamps today

　　 D. agriculture doesn’t affect the living space of these animals