2019屆高三英語Under the sea
附 件
文化背景知識
oceanic seahorse
fragile and mystical, the oceanic seahorse (hippocampus kuda) is probably what you see when you close your eyes and think of seahorses. while not the most exotic species of seahorse, it is a classic representation of a beautiful and fascinating fish. you’ll see many types of seahorses at shedd.
oceanic seahorses may be yellow, deep red, brown, or black and may be blotched or banded. they can reach about 7 inches in adulthood. the oceanic seahorse is also known as the common seahorse, but the sad truth is that all seahorses are becoming less and less common. and it’s precisely their ethereal, otherworldly charm that has gotten them into trouble.
we’ve been enchanted by these creatures for millennia. from practitioners of ancient chinese medicine to tourists in florida, we’ve believed their magic gave us wondrous things — arthritis cures, love elixirs, even key chains.
now, because of that, they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. seahorses cannot produce enough offspring to replace the huge numbers fished for medicines, pets and souvenirs. there are several reasons for this. first, they are monogamous, and if one of the pair is captured, it can take a long time for the remaining partner to mate again. second, the striking ringed armor that protects seahorses from many predators does not develop until they’re adults so perhaps only two in a thousand juvenile seahorses reach adulthood.
green sea turtle—characteristics
name
green sea turtles get their name from the color of their body fat, which is green from the algae or grasses they eat. the hawaiian green sea turtle population, is known by its hawaiian name honu
history
green sea turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and returned to the sea to live. the first turtles appeared during the triassic period, 245 to 208 million years ago. fossils for the earliest known sea turtles appear in the late jurassic period, 208 to 144 million years ago. turtles are one of the few species that watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.
as reptiles, sea turtles possess the following traits:
* they are cold-blooded, meaning they get their
body heat from the environment.
* they breathe air.
* their skin is scale
status
now, scientists recognize seven species of these marine reptiles. the recognized sea turtle species are as follows: greens, hawksbill, kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, loggerhead, flatback and leatherback. the loggerhead sea turtle is listed as threatened, the flatback is listed as vulnerable, and all other species are listed as endangered. green sea turtle populations of hawaii are threatened and protected in hawaii under state law. populations of green sea turtles off the coast of florida and the pacific coast of mexico are listed as endangered. green sea turtles are protected by the federal endangered species act, and listed under the convention on international trade of endangered species (cites). cites makes it illegal to import or export turtle products.