阅读理解。
Fish have started protecting us. It seems unlikely, but the Intelligent Automation Corporation has developed
a system that uses fish to protect our water supplies. Cities and towns share water with millions of people, so
it's important that the water is clean and safe to drink. Bluegills, which are small enough to fit in your hand, are
the fish that are protecting our water. They are common freshwater fish native to America and are also known
as bream or sunfish. According to the Associated Press, the bluegills were originally used by the Army to make
sure water was safe. Now San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C and several other cities use the bluegill monitoring system. The bluegill system works by constantly filling the fish tank with city or town water. A
small group of bluegills swim in the local water and are closely monitored.
Bluegills are very sensitive to their environment. Changes in the environment cause their behavior and
breathing patterns to change. They cough if the water is polluted. Fish cough by flexing their gills (鳃) to get
rid of unwanted particles, like grain of sand, from their breathing passages. If the bluegills are coughing the
computer sends an alarm via email.
The bluegills in New York City discovered an diesel spill (柴油外溢) hours before the usual monitors.
Adding the bluegill system to regular water protection methods resulted in an early warning and safer water.
1. People use the bluegill system to monitor water supplies_____.
A. because they have high sensibility to their environment
B. because they are used to swimming in the fresh water
C. because they can cough by means of their gills
D. because they are able to send e-mails by computers
2. Which of the following statements about Bluegills is NOT true?
A. They are about the size of a human hand.
B. They are freshwater fish easily found in America.
C. They were used to safeguard water in the army.
D. They are smarter than any other living thing on earth.
3. People decide whether the water is polluted by means of _____.
A. information sent by the Army
B. the warning e-mail the computer sends
C. observing the activities of bluegills
D. constantly filling the fish tank with water
