HUMPBACK WHALE FACTS

Every humpback can be identified from the unique marking on the underside of its tail.

They can dive for up to 45 minutes and can reach depths of 600 feet.

Humpbacks can weigh two tons at birth . A full-grown whale can be 45 feet long and weigh up to 40 tons.

Nearly 40 percent of a humpback’s body weight is muscle.

They can see up to 400 feet underwater.

They can blow out air from their blowholes at a speed of 300 mph . Their lungs can hold 2,500 gallons of air.

When Lady Gage releases a catchy new single , it quickly goes around the world.

Now scientists have discovered the same thing happens with the songs of another exotic（外來(lái)的） creature the humpback whale.

The mammals become interested in new tunes just like people do ,and the most popular original whale songs spread globally like hit singles. The discovery has astonished marine experts who say it is the first time such a large., “ population-wide cultural exchange” has been seen in the animal kingdom.

Male humpback whales are famed for the loud , long and complex songs they make during the mating season . Scientists are unsure why the males sing . Some believe it is a way of advertising themselves to females , others that it allows migrating whales to stay in contact.

Each song lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and the males can sing continuously for 24 hours . At any period of time , all the males in a population sing the same song . But a study ,published in the journal Current Biology , shows that this song changes over time and spreads around the oceans . Dr Ellen Garland , of Queensland University , said :“Our findings reveal cultural change on a vast scale. Songs move like cultural ripples from one population to another , causing all males to change their song to a new version.”

Researchers recorded songs from six neighboring populations of whales in the Pacific over a decade. They found that new versions of the songs appear over time and always spread from west to east.

Dr Garland believes that a small number of whales may migrate to other populations carrying the new songs with them , or that they are heard by passing whales.

Dr Garland said, “We think this male search for song novelty（新奇） is in the hope of being that little bit different and perhaps more attractive to the opposite sex. ”

66. What can we learn from the facts of humpback whales?

A. They can travel at a speed of 300 miles per hour.

B. They always stay at a depth of 600 feet in the sea.

C. All of them differ from each other.

D. Approximately 40 tons of a grown humpback whale is muscle.

67. The author mentions Lady Gaga to 　　　　.

A. Prove the popularity of her hit singles

B. show the whale’s songs also spread quickly

C. emphasize humpbacks are as famous as her

D. provide readers with a new way to learn her songs

68. The word “population ” in this passage probably refers to 　　　.

A. the spreading of the humpback whales’ new versions of the tunes

B. the number of male humpback whales singing in the sea

C. the place where certain amounts of humpback whales live

D. the migration of humpback whales from one place to another

69. The discovery is very astonishing to experts , because it reveals　　　 .

A. the existence of cultural change

B. the reason why male humpbacks sing

C. the novelty of the songs of humpbacks

D. cultural exchange on a vast scale

70. According to the passage , Dr Garland wants to tell us 　　　　.

A. all female humpbacks also change their song during the mating season

B. whales have their own tunes that spread around the world for a decade

C. whale’s songs always spred from east to west in the Pacific Deean

D. male humpbacks adopt new songs to make themselves unique and attractive

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Humpback whales

Humpback whales are sometimes called performers of the ocean. This is because they can make impressive movements when they dive. The name “humpback”, which is the common name for this whale, refers to the typical curve shape the whale’s back forms as it dives.

   Sometimes the humpback will dive with a fantastic movement, known as a breach. During breaching the whale uses its powerful tail flukes to lift nearly two-thirds of its body out of the water in a giant leap. A breach might also include a sideways twist with fins stretched out like wings, as the whale reaches the height of the breach.

   A humpback whale breathes air at the surface of the water through two blowholes which are located near the top of the head. It blows a double stream of water that can rise up to 4 meters above the water.

   The humpback has a small dorsal fin located towards the tail flukes about two-thirds of the way down its back. Other distinguishing features include large pectoral fins, which may be up to a third of the body length, and unique black, and white spots on the underside of the tail flukes. These markings are like fingerprints: no two are the same.

   Humpback whales live in large groups. They communicate with each other through complex “songs”.

Quick Facts

Size:

14m~18m in length

30~50 tons in weight

Living environment:

Open ocean and shallow coastline waters

Migration:

From warm tropical (熱帶的) waters, where they breed, to cold polar waters, where they eat.

Diet:

Shellfish, plants and fish of small size

Hunting:

Sometimes in groups, in which several whales form a circle under the water, blowing bubbles that form a “net” around a school of fish. The fish are then forced up to the surface in a concentrated mass.

Current state:

Endangered: it is estimated that there are about 5000~7000 humpback whales worldwide.

 

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I once experienced an unforgettable trip to Gloucester to see some of the world’s most beautiful and exciting animals in their own habitat(棲息地), the North Atlantic Ocean.

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They all have names,and on this trip we saw “Salt” and “Pepper”, two whales named by a biologist and a fisherman. They were swimming toghter all the time.

I took twenty-seven photos,but it was very hard to take them because the whales were quick and stayed on the surface of the ocean just for a short time. It was really something. It was one of the chances that a person hardly ever experiences in life, but I had that chance.

1.This passage is mainly about _________________.

A an unforgettable experience in the forest

B an unforgettable trip to see some strange animals in the mountains

C a long trip on the ship

D an unforgettable trip to watch whales

2.Everyone on the ship began to shout because_____________.

 A a whale came so close to the ship

 B they saw a singing whale

 C they saw a finback whale

 D they could touch the whale

3.When they were watching the whales, __________________.

 A some of them fed the whales

 B they found several kinds of whales

 C a guide told them something about the whales

 D some of them took many photos and touched the whales

4.How can we recognize a whale?

 A By its tail                B By its head

 C By its neck               D By its eyes

 

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