Baleen whales (须鲸), such as the blue whale, are huge sea animals. “Baleen” describes a filter-feeding (滤食的) system in their mouths through which they can eat huge numbers of very small ocean animals. But it appears now that whales are not the first sea animals to filter-feed.
Scientists recently reported their findings about the ancient remains of a sea animal called Hupehsuchus nanchangensis that lived 248 million years ago, during the Triassic Period. They say its fossil (化石), which was unearthed in China’s Hubei Province, presents evidence of a filter-feeding system similar to that of baleen whales.
Unlike blue whales, Hupehsuchus was not large. The animal measured about one meter long. Its mouth was narrow and toothless. Its lower jaw was loosely connected to the rest of the head bone. This permitted the animal to open its mouth wide to take in a large amount of water and the animals it carried. The structure traps little sea animals but lets the seawater flow out.
From two new fossils with well-kept head bones the scientists found evidence along the jaws suggesting the presence of soft tissues that could have served as baleen. “We were amazed to discover the adaptation in such an early sea animal,” said Fang Zichen of the Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey.
Paleontologist Mike Benton said, “Altogether, this points to a soft pocket of skin around the mouth and throat, as in modern baleen whales, and some kind of filtering device hanging from the jaws, like baleen.” But, he added, the baleen and skin were not fossilized.
According to scientists, Hupehsuchus’ feeding style would match that used by baleen whales. This feeding structure is an example of a phenomenon in which distinct organisms independently evolve similar features—like the wings of birds and bats—to adapt to similar environments.
【小题1】Why are baleen whales mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To present another sea animal. | B．To awaken curiosity about huge whales. |
| C．To draw attention to their current state. | D．To introduce their unique feeding pattern. |
| A．How it filter-fed. | B．Its lower jaw's function. |
| C．Why it grew toothless. | D．Its physical characteristics. |
| A．Baleen surrounded the jaws. | B．It could feed and live in the sea. |
| C．It developed a filter-feeding system. | D．Two undamaged head bones were found. |
| A．Hupehsuchus Proving to Be a Filter-feeder |
| B．Hupehsuchus Appearing Earlier than Whales |
| C．Scientists Unlocking the Secrets of Hupehsuchus |
| D．New Evidence Telling Hupehsuchus'Evolution |
Benny’s story is one of coming from the poor streets to a life of pets. The little cat was found on the streets after he was discarded out of a truck. He was saved and brought to the Wood County Humane Society, where he was able to recover from his injuries.
Benny was adopted (收养) by Anna Burwell, the adult services manager for Swanton Public Library and she started to bring him to work. Benny lives a good life at the library and takes on the role of protector. Of course, he goes home for the night and does not actually live in the library.
Benny spends his days making his way around the library, walking through the empty bottom shelves and driving the children into Storytime. In just a few weeks, he has made a perfect impression on the community.
Now, the library is considering using Benny as a treatment cat. That’s because he is a good listener and makes the children feel comfortable.
Library cats have been in the library for a long time. In fact, cats were kept in libraries during the Middle Ages to keep mice from eating the books. And they have been an important part of library life around the world ever since.
In 1745, cats were invited into the royal (皇家的) palace by Russian Empress Elisabeth to control mice in the library. The descendants (后代) of these cats still live in what is now the Hermitage Museum.
The most famous library cat was Dewey Readmore, who lived in the Spencer Public Library in lowa. He was discovered in the library’s drop box when he was only 8 weeks old in 1988 and lived there for almost 20 years.
The custom of library cats is still very much alive and well, as Benny is the newest model of the Swanton Library.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “discarded” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Defended. | B．Treated. | C．Caught. | D．Thrown. |
| A．He builds his home there. | B．He plays with children. |
| C．He protects the library. | D．He welcomes students at the door. |
| A．He keeps the library quite safe. | B．He can bring comfort to children. |
| C．He is considered honourable. | D．He is popular around the community. |
| A．It is a tradition. | B．It is a must to kill mice. |
| C．It saves homeless cats. | D．It makes libraries more attractive. |
Auckland, New Zealand
After two months of learning, Monty, and Porter were able to drive an automobile around a racetrack. “We wanted to prove how smart rescue dogs are,”animal behaviorist Mark Vette says. Vette first used voice commands and treats to teach the dogs how to turn a steering wheel and how to change gear (换挡).
The dogs’ ride only accelerated up to 7.5 miles an hour, and trainers could stop the auto using a remote control.
GOLDEN ZEBRA
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Zoe the zebra’s markings are special. The animal has white and golden stripes. Zoe’s appearance resulted from a rare condition called amelanosis (黑素缺失症). Her body doesn’t make enough melanin, the substance in an animal’s skin and hair cells that produces color. “Only 25 other golden zebras are known to exist in the world,” says Ann Goody, who runs the wildlife refuge where Zoe lives. In the wild, life may be difficult for animals with amelanosis because predators (捕猎者) can easily spot them. But Zoe is protected at her refuge.
COCKATOO MAKES TOOLS
Vienna, Austria
When Figaro the cockatoo spots food lying just out of reach from his cage, he builds a tiny wooden tool to sweep the tasty prize in his way.
The bird first revealed his talent when a stone he was playing with rolled out of his cage. The cockatoo couldn’t reach the stone. So he flew away and returned with a small branch, slipping it through the fence to slide the stone toward him.
Wondering if he would do it again, scientists placed a nut exactly where the stone had been. This time, Figaro pulled out a small piece of wood in his cage and dragged the nut toward him.
【小题1】If Zoe the zebra is set free in the wild, she will ________.
| A．meet no natural predators |
| B．not get along with other zebras |
| C．manage to make enough melanin |
| D．be easily found for her appearance |
| A．He is particular about his food. |
| B．He is extremely fond of stones. |
| C．He is good at drawing support from outside forces. |
| D．He can tell the difference between stones and nuts. |
| A．Amazing animals. |
| B．Ways to help animals. |
| C．Animals’ unique talents. |
| D．Tips on training animals. |
These rules say that nature should decide what happens to the park. Alsten also writes that the elk herd(马鹿群) has grown too big. The elks walk on the riverbanks. They eat the new grass and roots of baby trees. The beavers (河狸) need the trees to build dams.
The dams raise the water levels. Higher water levels put more water into the soil. Moist soil helps plants grow faster. The plants offer homes and food to other animals.
Chase thinks that the park rules would work only in a park with natural settings. He believes that Yellowstone has had an artificial setting for a long time. The native people left. The wolves were taken away and other animals were removed．The areas of land were fenced off and other animals added．He thinks the park rules that let herds grow too big and the fires burn are hurting the nature of the park.
The park manager thinks the rules are good and that the park will be fine. Chase thinks the way the people run the park should be changed.
【小题1】In Chase’s opinion, too many elks in the park will ___.
| A．cause great fires | B．break the balance of nature |
| C．destroy the dams | D．do no damage at all |
| A．no longer in a natural state | B．still in a natural state |
| C．well protected | D．well managed |
| A．be quickly changed | B．be completely replaced |
| C．no longer work | D．continue to work |
组卷网是一个信息分享及获取的平台，不能确保所有知识产权权属清晰，如您发现相关试题侵犯您的合法权益，请联系组卷网
