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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. 68. 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 69. 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. 70. 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 71. 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 E Americans are more socially isolated than they were 20 years ago, and nearly a quarter of people said they had “zero”close friends with whom to discuss personal matters. More than 50 percent named two or fewer confidants (密友), most often immediate family members, the researchers said. “This is a big social change, and it shows something that’s not good for our society，” said Duke University Professor Lynn Smith. She said that it showed there was a surprising drop in the number of close friends people had since 1985. At that time, Americans most commonly said they had three close friends whom they had known for a long time, saw often, and with whom they shared a number of interests. They were almost likely to name four or five friends and the relationships often sprang from their neighborhoods or communities (社区). Ties to a close network of friends create a social safety net that is good for society, and for the individual. People were not asked why they had fewer intimate (亲密的) ties, but Smith said that part of the causes could be that Americans are working more, marrying later, having fewer children, and commuting (往返上班) longer distances. “It’s one thing to know someone and exchange e-mails with him. It’s another thing to say, ‘Will you give me a ride out of town with all of my possessions and pets?’ and ‘Can I stay with you for a couple or three months?’” Smith said. “Worrying about social isolation is not a matter of nostalgia (怀旧之情) for a warm and comfortable past. Real things are strongly connected with that，” added Harvard University Professor Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone, a book on the decline of American communities. He suggested flexible work schedules would allow Americans to tend both personal and professional lives. 72. What’s the passage mainly talking about? A. American social isolation. B. Americans have “zero” close friends. C. Ties to a close network of friends are good for society. D. Flexible work schedules change Americans’ lifestyle. (责任编辑：admin) |