Japanese scientists have taken the first photographs of one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep ocean — the giant squid^①.

Until now the only information about the behavior of the creatures which measure up to 18 meters (59 feet) in length has been based on dead or dying squid washed up on shore or captured^② in commercial fishing nets.

But Tsunemi Kubodera, of the National Science Museum, and Kyoichi Mori of the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, both in Tokyo have captured the first images of Architeuthis attacking bait^③ 900 meters below the surface in the cold, dark waters of the North Pacific. “We show the first wild images of a giant squid in its natural environment,” they said in a report in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society.

Little is known about the creatures because it has been so difficult to locate and study them alive. Large ships and specialist equipment, which is costly, are needed to study deep sea environments.

The Japanese scientists found the squid by following sperm whales, the most effective hunters of giant squid, as they gathered to feed between September and December in the deep waters off the coast of the Ogasawara Islands in the North Pacific. They used a remote long-line camera and depth logging system to capture the giant squid in the ocean depths.

The most dramatic character of giant squids is the pair of extremely long tentacles^④, distinct from the eight shorter arms. The long tentacles make up to two-thirds of the length of the dead specimens^⑤ to date. The giant squid appear to be a much more active meat-eating animals than researchers had thought.

Notes:

① squid  n. 魷魚

② capture  vt. 捕獲

bait  n. 魚餌

tentacle  n. 觸角，觸須

specimen  n. 標(biāo)本，樣本

The passage mainly tells us that ________.

      A. Scientists captured a giant squid alive

      B. Scientists captured a giant squid on camera

      C. giant squids are special meat-eating animals

      D. giant squids mainly live in the deep sea

According to the passage, we can infer that the word “Architeuthis” should refer to ________.

      A. a scientist        B. the sperm whale       C. a big ship      D. the giant squid

Which of the following about giant squids is TRUE?

      A. They like living the cold and deep waters.

      B. They mainly feed on the dead fish.

      C. They like playing, using their tentacles.

      D. They have only eight arms around the mouth.

According to the passage, the scientists located the giant squid ________.

      A. through a remote long-line camera

      B. by using depth logging system

      C. by following sperm whales

D. by using the bait to attract them

Japanese scientists have taken the first photographs of one of the most mysterious creatures in the deep ocean – the giant squid (魷魚).

Until now the only information about the behavior of the creatures which measure up to 18 meters (59 feet) in length has been based on dead or dying squid washed up on shore or captured in commercial fishing nets.

But Tsunemi Kubodera, of the National Science Museum, and Kyoichi Mori of the Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, both in Tokyo have captured the first images of Architeuthis attacking bait 900 meters below the surface in the cold, dark waters of the North Pacific. “We show the first wild images of a giant squid in its natural environment,” they said in a report in the journal Proceedings B of the Royal Society.

Little is known about the creatures because it has been so difficult to locate and study them alive. Large ships and specialist equipment, which is costly, are needed to study deep sea environments.

The Japanese scientists found the squid by following sperm whales, the most effective hunters of giant squid, as they gathered to feed between September and December in the deep waters off the coast of the Ogasawara Islands in the North Pacific. They used a remote long – line camera and depth logging system to capture the giant squid in the ocean depths.

The most dramatic character of giant squids is the pair of extremely long tentacles (觸角，觸須), distinct from the eight shorter arms. The long tentacles make up to two – thirds of the length of the dead specimens to date. The giant squid appear to be a much more active meat – eating animals than researchers had thought.

1．The passage mainly tells us that         .

       A．Scientists captured a giant squid alive

       B．Scientists captured a giant squid on camera

       C．giant squids are special meat – eating animals

       D．giant squids mainly live in the deep sea

2．According to the passage, we can infer that the word “Architeuthis” should refer to       .

       A．a(chǎn) scientist            B．the sperm whale   C．a(chǎn) big ship            D．the giant squid

3．Which of the following about giant squids is TRUE?

       A．They like living the cold and deep waters.

       B．They mainly feed on the dead fish.

       C．They like playing, using their tentacles.

       D．They have only eight arms around the mouth.

4．According to the passage, the scientists located the giant squid          .

       A．through a remote long – line camera

       B．by using depth logging system

       C．by following sperm whales

       D．by using the bait to attract them

US researchers have found traces of an ancient lake on Mars recently, increasing hopes of discovering evidence that billions of years ago the Red planet hosted life.
The lake, which dates back some 3.4 billion years, appears to have covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep, said the team from the University of Colorado.
“This is the first clear evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars,”said Boulder’ s research associate, Gaetano Di Achille, in a study published in the latest edition of Geophysical Research Letters.
“The identification of the shorelines and accompanying geological evidence allows us to calculate the size and volume of the lake, which appears to have formed about 3.4 billion years ago.”
Analysis of the images has shown the water carved out the canyon (溪谷) in which it was found, which then opened out into a valley depositing (使淤積) sediment (沉積) which formed a delta (三角洲).
“Finding shorelines is a great discovery to us,” said assistant professor Brian Hynek, adding it showed the lake existed at a time when Mars was thought to have been cold and dry.
Scientists believe the oldest surfaces on Mars formed during the wet and warm era known as the Noachan epoch, about 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago.
The newly discovered lake is believed to date from the Hesperian era and postdates the end of the warm and wet period on Mars by 300 million years, according to the study.
Scientists believe deltas next to the lake may well hold secrets about past life on Mars as such places on Earth have become the natural deposits of organic carbon and other markers of life.
【小題1】The size of the lake found on Mars is ______.

A．80 square miles	B．1,500 square miles
C．3.4 billion square miles	D．300 million square miles

【小題2】When the lake existed, the weather on Mars was ____.

A．hot and wet

B．wet and warm

C．cold and dry

D．cold and wet

【小題3】Why do scientists think deltas near the lake may hold secrets about past life on Mars?

A．Because similar places on Earth have become natural deposits of markers of life.

B．Because someone has put secrets about past life on Mars there.

C．Because past life has been found in other deltas on Mars.

D．Because some people are said to have already seen life marks there.

【小題4】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The Noachan epoch was a wet and warm era.

B．The lake might have existed 3.4 billion years.

C．The discovery can’ t fully prove that the Mars once hosted life.

D．The lake traces prove that there exists life on Mars now.

US researchers have found traces of an ancient lake on Mars recently, increasing hopes of discovering evidence that billions of years ago the Red planet hosted life.

    The lake, which dates back some 3.4 billion years, appears to have covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep, said the team from the University of Colorado.

    “This is the first clear evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars,”said Boulder’ s research associate, Gaetano Di Achille, in a study published in the latest edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

   “The identification of the shorelines and accompanying geological evidence allows us to calculate the size and volume of the lake, which appears to have formed about 3.4 billion years ago.”

   Analysis of the images has shown the water carved out the canyon (溪谷) in which it was found, which then opened out into a valley depositing (使淤積) sediment (沉積) which formed a delta (三角洲).

  “Finding shorelines is a great discovery to us,” said assistant professor Brian Hynek, adding it showed the lake existed at a time when Mars was thought to have been cold and dry.

    Scientists believe the oldest surfaces on Mars formed during the wet and warm era known as the Noachan epoch, about 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago.

The newly discovered lake is believed to date from the Hesperian era and postdates the end of the warm and wet period on Mars by 300 million years, according to the study.

 Scientists believe deltas next to the lake may well hold secrets about past life on Mars as such places on Earth have become the natural deposits of organic carbon and other markers of life.

1.The size of the lake found on Mars is ______.

A. 80 square miles                  B. 1,500 square miles

C. 3.4 billion square miles             D. 300 million square miles

2.When the lake existed, the weather on Mars was ____.

A. hot and wet      B. wet and warm         C. cold and dry     D. cold and wet

3.Why do scientists think deltas near the lake may hold secrets about past life on Mars?

A. Because similar places on Earth have become natural deposits of markers of life.

B. Because someone has put secrets about past life on Mars there.

C. Because past life has been found in other deltas on Mars.

D. Because some people are said to have already seen life marks there.

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The Noachan epoch was a wet and warm era.

B. The lake might have existed 3.4 billion years.

C. The discovery can’ t fully prove that the Mars once hosted life.

D. The lake traces prove that there exists life on Mars now.

 

US researchers have found traces of an ancient lake on Mars recently, increasing hopes of discovering evidence that billions of years ago the red planet hosted life.

The lake, which dates back some 3.4 billion years, appears to have covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1，500 feet deep, said the team from the University of Colorado.

“This is the first clear evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars，” said Boulder's research associate, Gaetano Di Achille, in a study published in the latest edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

“The identification of the shorelines and accompanying geological evidence allows us to calculate the size and volume of the lake, which appears to have formed about 3.4 billion years ago.”

Analysis of the images has shown the water carved out the canyon(溪谷) in which it was found, which then opened out into a valley depositing(使淤積) sediment(沉積物) which formed a delta(三角洲)．

“Finding shorelines is a great discovery to us”， said assistant professor Brian Hynek, adding it showed the lake existed at a time when Mars was thought to have been cold and dry.

Scientists believe the oldest surfaces on Mars formed during the wet and warm era known as the Noachan epoch, about 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago.

The newly discovered lake is believed to date from the Hesperian era and postdates the end of the warm and wet period on Mars by 300 million years, according to the study.

Scientists believe deltas next to the lake may well hold secrets about past life on Mars as such places on Earth have become the natural deposits of organic carbon and other markers of life.

16．The size of the lake found on Mars is ________．

A．80 square miles 

B．1，500 square miles

C．3.4 billion square miles 

D．300 million square miles

17．When the lake existed, the weather on Mars was ________．

A．hot and wet  B．wet and warm

C．cold and dry  D．cold and wet

18．Why do scientists think deltas near the lake may hold secrets about past life on Mars?

A．Because similar places on Earth have become natural deposits of markers of life.

B．Because someone has put secrets about past life on Mars there.

C．Because past life has been found in other deltas on Mars.

D．Because some people are said to have already seen life marks there.

19．Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The Noachan epoch was a wet and warm era.

B．The lake might have existed 3.4 billion years.

C．The discovery can't fully prove that the Mars once hosted life.

D．The lake traces prove that there exists life on Mars now.