If you’ve ever been on a fishing boat, you’ve probably seen crowds of birds following it,
英语试题 07-03
If you’ve ever been on a fishing boat, you’ve probably seen crowds of birds following it, hoping to catch a snack. Now scientists use those birds’ behavior to track illegal fishing boats.
Researchers attached data loggers to the backs of 169 albatrosses (信天翁) in Indian oceans. Weighing only 42 grams, the devices included a GPS, which enabled them to detect the presence and intensity of radar signals emitting from boats. That information was then sent by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds—and thus the radar-emitting boats—in real time.
The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, collected from a system boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System (AIS). And noticeable differences appeared frequently.
More than a third of the times the birds “loggers” detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, but no such boat appeared in the official log—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their AIS—something that probably happens in illegal fishing operations.
The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool as long as illegal fishing operations don’t target the birds.
Fortunately, such a task would be difficult. Around fishing boats, you can find hundreds of birds at any one time that are flying around. And the birds with loggers are not marked in any way. So it’s not really possible for fishermen to pick out a specific bird.
But what concerns researchers is that albatrosses often get caught by some fishing boats. Though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don’t necessarily obey. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations.
12. What characteristic of albatrosses do scientists take advantage of in their research?
A. Their feeding patterns.
B. Their sense of direction.
C. Their greedy behaviors.
D Their habit of following fishing boats.
13. For what purpose does a boat shut off its AIS?
A. To seek more fishes.
B. To have it mistaken for another.
C. To avoid being detected.
D. To save the trouble of declaring itself.
14. What does “such a task” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A. Identifying birds with loggers.
B. Monitoring illegal boats.
C. Tracking radar signals automatically.
D. Fishing illegally.
Researchers attached data loggers to the backs of 169 albatrosses (信天翁) in Indian oceans. Weighing only 42 grams, the devices included a GPS, which enabled them to detect the presence and intensity of radar signals emitting from boats. That information was then sent by satellite, so the researchers could track the location of the birds—and thus the radar-emitting boats—in real time.
The scientists then cross-checked that data against the known locations of boats, collected from a system boats use to declare themselves, called the Automatic Identification System (AIS). And noticeable differences appeared frequently.
More than a third of the times the birds “loggers” detected radar signals, and therefore a boat, but no such boat appeared in the official log—meaning that the vehicles had likely switched off their AIS—something that probably happens in illegal fishing operations.
The work suggests birds could be an effective boat-monitoring tool as long as illegal fishing operations don’t target the birds.
Fortunately, such a task would be difficult. Around fishing boats, you can find hundreds of birds at any one time that are flying around. And the birds with loggers are not marked in any way. So it’s not really possible for fishermen to pick out a specific bird.
But what concerns researchers is that albatrosses often get caught by some fishing boats. Though regulations have been established to protect against that happening—with success—illegal boats don’t necessarily obey. So scientists might be underestimating the risk posed to albatross populations.
12. What characteristic of albatrosses do scientists take advantage of in their research?
A. Their feeding patterns.
B. Their sense of direction.
C. Their greedy behaviors.
D Their habit of following fishing boats.
13. For what purpose does a boat shut off its AIS?
A. To seek more fishes.
B. To have it mistaken for another.
C. To avoid being detected.
D. To save the trouble of declaring itself.
14. What does “such a task” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A. Identifying birds with loggers.
B. Monitoring illegal boats.
C. Tracking radar signals automatically.
D. Fishing illegally.
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