Sharks have gained unfair reputation for being large fierce sea animals. That humanity’s unfounded fear and hatred of these ancient creatures are leading to a worldwide slaughter (大屠杀) may result in the extinct
ion of many larger, coastal shark species. The shark is the victim of a warped (有偏见的) attitude of wildlife protection; we strive (努力) only to protect the beautiful, non-threatening parts of our environment. And, in our efforts to restore only non-threat parts of our earth, we ignore other important parts.
A perfect illustration of this attitude is the contrasting attitude towards another large sea animal, the dolphin. During the 1980s, environmentalists in the United States objected to the practice of hunting tuna (金枪鱼) in the Pacific Ocean since these nets also caught dolphins. The environmentalists generated enough political and economic pressure to prevent tuna companies from buying tuna that had been caught in drift nets. In contrast to this effort, the populations of sharks in the Pacific Ocean have decreased to the point of extinction and there has been very little effort by the same environmentalism to save this important species of wildlife in water. Sharks are among the oldest creatures on earth, having survived in the seas for more than 350 million years. They are extremely efficient animals, feeding on wounded or dying animals, thus performing an important role in nature of knocking out the weaker animals in a species. Just the fact that species such as the Great White Shark have managed to live in the oceans for so many millions of years is enough proof of their efficiency and adaptability to changing environment. It is time for humans, who may not survive another 1,000 years at the rate they are damaging the planet, to cast away their fears and begin considering the protection of sharks as creatures that may provide us with an insight into our own survival.
小题1: The best summary of the passage is __________.
A．sharks have such a bad reputation
B．how sharks become some of the oldest creatures on earth
C．sharks should be put under wildlife protection
D．the campaign to save dolphins was not extended to save sharks小题2: How long have sharks been living on the planet?
A．More than 25 million years.
B．More than 150 million years.
C．More than 350 million years.
D．More than 500 million years.小题3:Which of the following best describes the organization of this passage?
A．Specific(细节) to general.
B．Cause and effect.
C．Statement and example.
D．Time order.小题4: How did environmentalists manage to protect dolphins?
A．They prevented fishermen from selling them for meat.
B．They pressured fishermen into protecting dolphins by law.
C．They created shelters where dolphin fishing was not allowed.
D．They brought political pressure against tuna companies.
