阅读理解

　　Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergnecy alert(警报)System using text messages delivered to cell phones．

　　Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people, The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates(估计)more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month, The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system．The act tasked the Fedral Communications Conmmissino(FCC)with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies．

　　“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an improtant next step in our offorts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies．” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan, Participation in the alert system by carriers-telecommunications companies-is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry, The program would be optional for cell phone users, They also may not be charged for receiving alerts．

　　There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules．

　　The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster, The second would involve “approaching threats．” Which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings, The third would be reserved for child abduction(绑架)emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts, The service could be in place by 2010．

Reading Comprehension

　　In a little-known part of the counter-terrorism world, one of the most effective detection systems is a 600-pound animal that works for about 20 pounds of fish a day．

　　Since the 1960s, the United States and a handful of other countries have trained dolphins and sea lions to detect sea mines and swimmers, to recover inert torpedoes and to test objects used in Naval exercises．

　　Program officials estimate that the sea lions in the Marine Mammal Program have recovered millions of dollars of U．S．Naval torpedoes and instrumentation dropped on the sea floor．

　　The U．S．Navy kept its Marine Mammal Program a secret until the 1990s, and this spring CNN became one of only a handful of media outlets to see firsthand how the program works．

　　The program has trained about 75 Pacific bottlenose dolphins, with natural biosonar(生物声纳)that tracks better than any manmade device; and 35 California sea lions, with superb underwater eyesight．

　　Not only do these trained marine mammals track and retrieve millions of dollars in U．S．military equipment, they are also helping to save lives．

　　The Navy won't disclose whether the dolphins and sea lions have effectively intercepted terrorists attempting to do harm to any U．S．facilities．

　　"Either way, it serves as a deterrent effect．" says Christian Harris, operations supervisor for the program．The mammals can be deployed via C-130 cargo aircraft to perform their missions anywhere in the world within 72 hours．They have been used in exercises from Alaska to Hawaii, operating in great temperature and environmental ranges．They also have the capability to operate off vessels．

　　Dolphins most recently were deployed in the Iraq war, performing mine detection and clearance operations in the Persian Gulf to ensure safe passage for humanitarian ships delivering aid．Some of these Iraq war "veterans" are now back home, tasked with a new mission：guarding nuclear submarines in their homeports of Bremerton, Washington, and Groton, Connecticut．