Coral reefs are underwater structures madefrom calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tinyliving animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coralreefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that clusterin groups.
Coral reefs
A
Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284,300km2 just under 0.1% of the oceans' surface area, about half the area of France.The Indo-Pacific region accounts for 91.9% of this total area.Southeast Asiaaccounts for 32.3% of that figure, while the Pacific including Australiaaccounts for 40.8%. Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs account for 7.6%. Yetoften called “rainforests of the sea", coral reefs form some of the mostdiverse ecosystems on Earth. They provide a home for 25% of all marine species,including fish, mollusks (软体动物), worms, crustaceans(甲壳类动物), echinoderms(棘皮动物),sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians. Paradoxically, coralreefs flourish even though they are surrounded by ocean waters that provide fewnutrients. They are most commonly found at shallow depths in tropical waters,but deep water and cold water corals also exist on smaller scales in otherareas. Although corals exist both in temperate and tropical waters,shallow-water reefs form only in a zone extending from 30° N to 30° S of theequator. Deep water coral can exist at greater depths and colder temperaturesat much higher latitudes, as far north as Norway. Coral reefs are rare alongthe American and African west coasts. This is due primarily to upwelling and strongcold coastal currents that reduce water temperatures in these areas(respectively the Peru, Benguela and Canary streams). Corals are seldom foundalong the coastline of South Asia from the eastern tip of India (Madras) to theBangladesh(孟加拉国)andMyanmar borders. They are also rare along the coast around northeastern SouthAmerica and Bangladesh due to the freshwater release from the Amazon and GangesRivers(恒河),respectively.
B
Coral reefs deliver ecosystem services totourism, fisheries and coastline protection. The global economic value of coralreefs has been estimated at as much as $US375 billion per year. Coral reefsprotect shorelines by absorbing wave energy(潮汐能), and many small islands would not exist without their reef toprotect them.
C
The value of reefs in biodiverse (生物多样的) regions can be even higher.In parts of Indonesia and the Caribbean where tourism is the main use, reefsare estimated to be worth US$1 million per square kilometer, based on the costof maintaining sandy beaches and the value of attracting snorkelers (浮潜者)and scuba divers (水肺潜水). Meanwhile, a recent study ofthe Great Barrier Reef in Australia found that the reef is worth more to thecountry as an intact ecosystem than an extractive reserve for fishing. Eachyear more than 1.8 million tourists visit the reef, spending an estimatedAU$4.3 billion (Australian dollars) on reef-related industries from diving toboat rental to posh island resort stays. In the Caribbean, says UNEP, the netannual benefits from diver tourism was US$2 billion in 2000 with US$625 millionspent directly on diving on reefs. Further, reef tourism is important source ofemployment, especially for some of the world's poorest people. UNEP says thatof the estimated 30 million small-scale fishers in the developing world, mostare dependent to a greater or lesser extent on coral reefs. In the Philippines,for example, more than one million small-scale fishers depend directly on coralreefs for their livelihoods. The report estimates that reef fisheries (渔场) were worth between $15,000 and$150,000 per square kilometer a year, while fish caught for aquariums (水族馆) were worth $500 a kilogramagainst $6 for fish caught as food. The aquarium fish export industry supportsaround 50,000 people and generates some US$5.5 million a year in Sri Lankaalong.
D
Unfortunately, coral reefs are dying aroundthe world. In particular, coral mining, agricultural and urban runoff(入水), pollution (organic andinorganic), disease, and the digging of canals and access into islands and baysare localized threats to coral ecosystems(生态系统). Broader threats are sea temperature rise, sea level rise and pHchanges from ocean acidification (酸化) , all associated with greenhouse gas emissions. Some currentfishing practices are destructive and unsustainable. These include cyanidefishing, overfishing and blast fishing. Although cyanide (氰化物毒)fishing supplies live reef fishfor the tropical aquarium market, most fish caught using this method are soldin restaurants, primarily in Asia, where live fish are prized for theirfreshness. To catch fish with cyanide, fishers dive down to the reef and squirtcyanide in coral crevices and on the fast-moving fish, to stun the fish makingthem easy to catch. Overfishing is another leading cause for coral reef degradation.Often, too many fish are taken from one reef to sustain a population in thatarea. Poor fishing practices, such as banging on the reef with sticks(muro-ami), destroy coral formations that normally function as fish habitat. Insome instances, people fish with explosives (爆炸物) (blast fishing), which blast apart the surrounding coral.
E
Tourist resorts that empty their sewagedirectly into the water surrounding coral reefs contribute to coral reefdegradation. Wastes kept in poorly maintained septic tanks can also leak intosurrounding ground water, eventually seeping out to the reefs. Carelessboating, diving, snorkeling and fishing can also damage coral reefs. Wheneverpeople grab, kick, and walk on, or stir up sediment (沉淀物) in the reefs, they contributeto coral reef destruction. Corals are also harmed or killed when people dropanchors on them or when people collect coral.
F
To find answers for these problems,scientists and researchers study the various factors that impact reefs. Thelist includes the ocean's role as a carbon dioxide sink, atmospheric changes,ultraviolet light (紫外线光) , ocean acidification, viruses, impacts of dust storms carryingagents to far flung reefs, pollutants, algal blooms and others. Reefs arethreatened well beyond coastal areas. General estimates show approximately 10%of the world’s coral reefs are dead. About 60% of the world's reefs are at riskdue to destructive, human-related activities. The threat to the health of reefsis particularly strong in Southeast Asia, where 80% of reefs are endangered.
G
In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef(大堡礁) is protected by the GreatBarrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and is the subject of much legislation,including a biodiversity action plan. Inhabitants of Ahus Island, Manus Province,Papua New Guinea, have followed a generations-old practice of restrictingfishing in six areas of their reef lagoon(环礁湖). Their cultural traditions allow line fishing, but not net orspear fishing. The result is both the biomass and individual fish sizes aresignificantly larger than in places where fishing is unrestricted.
Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A-G.
Which paragraph contains the followinginformation?
Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes14-19 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
14 Geographical location of world’s coralreef
15 How does coral reef benefit economylocally
16 The statistics of coral reefs economicsignificance
17 The listed reasons for declining numberof coral reef
18 Physical approach to coral reef bypeople
19 Unsustainable fishing methods areapplied in regions of the world
Questions 20-25
Do the following statement agree with theinformation given in Reading Passage 2?
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not givenin the passage
20 Coral reefs provide habitat to varietyof marine life.
21 Coral reef distribute around the oceandisproportionally.
22 Coral reef is increasingly important forscientific purpose.
23 Coral reefs are greatly exchanged amongand exported to other counties.
24 Reef tourism is of economic essencegenerally for some poor people.
25 As with other fishing business, coralfishery is not suitable to women and
children
Questions 26
Choose the correct letter. A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 26 on youranswer sheet.
What is the main purpose of the thispassage
A Demonstrate how coral reef grow in theocean
B To tell that coral reef is widely used asa scientific project
C Present the general benefits and analarming situation of coral reef
D To show the vital efforts made to protectcoral reef in Australia
参考译文：
珊瑚礁是由珊瑚分泌的碳酸钙构成的水下结构。珊瑚礁为那些生活在几乎没有养料的海洋水域的细小生物提供了聚集场所。大部分珊瑚礁是由石珊瑚的骨骼组成的。反过来说，珊瑚礁里包含了成群成群的珊瑚虫。
珊瑚礁
The Coral Reef
A
据估计，珊瑚礁的总覆盖面积为28. 43万平方公里，连海洋表面面积的0.1%都不到, 大约为法国国土面积的一半。其中印度—太平洋海域就占了总面积的91. 9% [第21题]。 东南亚占32. 3%,而太平洋地区（包括澳大利亚在内）占40. 8%。[第14题]大西洋和加勒比海域的珊瑚礁占总面积的7. 6%。珊瑚礁经常被称为“海洋里的热带雨林”，珊瑚礁构成了地球上最多样化的生态系统。它们为25%的海洋生物提供了栖息地，包括鱼， 软体动物，蠕虫，甲壳类动物，棘皮动物，海绵，被囊类动物和其它剌胞动物。[第20题]自相矛盾的是，尽管身处几乎不含养分的海水水域里，珊瑚礁仍然能够茂盛生长。 珊瑚礁通常都长在热带水域浅水水域，但是在其它地区的深水水域和冷水水域也存在小 量的珊瑚礁。尽管温带水域和热带水域都有珊瑚礁，浅水珊瑚礁只存在于赤道以南30度和赤道以北30度的区域内。深水珊瑚礁可以在高纬度地区，北至挪威，更深，温度更低的水域生存。美国和非洲的西海岸几乎没有珊瑚礁。根本上是因为上涌流和冰冷的近岸流降低了当地的水温（分别为秘魯寒流，本格拉寒流和加纳利海流）。从最东端的印度（马德拉斯）到孟加拉国再到缅匈边界的南海海域也鲜有珊瑚礁。南美洲的东北海案以及孟加拉国海域几乎也找不到珊瑚礁的踪影，这是因为亚马逊河和恒河在这里有大量的淡水入海。
B
珊瑚礁为旅游业,渔业和海岸线保护提供了生态系统服务。珊瑚礁在全世界的价值被估计高达3750亿美元之多。珊瑚礁通过吸收潮汐能保护海岸线，如果没有珊瑚礁的保护，许多小岛都不复存在了。
C
在生物种类丰富的地区，珊瑚礁的价值会更髙[第16题]。在印尼和加勒比国家海地区，珊瑚礁主要用作旅游，基于维护沙滩，吸引浮潜者和水肺浮潜游客所花费的成本， 每方公里珊瑚礁的价值估计有100万美元。同时，一份对澳大利亚大堡礁的最近研究发现大堡礁对于澳大利亚而言，它的价值更多的是在于它是一个完整的生态系统，而不是那里的天然渔业储备。每年超过180万的游客去大堡礁旅游，他们在潜水，租船，豪华渡假酒店等与珊瑚礁有关的项目的花费高达43亿澳元。联合国环境规划署说，在加勒比海地区，2000年来自潜水旅游的年净收入是20亿美元，其中0.625亿来自珊瑚礁潜水u 并且，珊瑚礁旅游业是重要的工作岗位提供来源，尤其是给世界上最贫困的人群[第24题]。联合国环境规划署说，发展中国家小规模作业的渔民的数量有3000万，其中大部分在不同程度上都依靠着珊瑚礁。比如说，在菲律宾，超过100万的进行小规模作业的渔民的生计直接就依赖珊瑚礁。这份报告估计珊瑚礁渔场平均1平方公里的年产值在 15000美元到15万美元之间。捕捉1千克鱼用来吃值6美元，而为水族馆捕捉1千克的鱼值500美元。仅仅是在斯里兰卡，出口鱼用于水族馆养活了大约50000人，一年产值大约550 万美元。[第15题]
D
不幸的是，世界各地的珊瑚礁正在死去。【笫17题 原因见后】特别是对珊瑚的开采，农业用水和城市用水的排放，污染（有机和无机)，疾病，挖掘水道通往岛屿或者海湾，都是对生态系统的局部威胁。更广泛的威胁是海水温度的上升，海平面的上升， 以及海洋酸化产生的pH值的变化，所以这些都与温室气体的排放有关。一些捕鱼作业具有破坏性，并且是非持续性的。这其中包括用氢化物麻醉鱼，过度捕鱼，用炸弹炸鱼。 尽管用氢化物捕鱼可以为热带水族馆市场提供活的珊瑚礁鱼类，但是大部分用这种方法捕捉到的鱼都是卖给了餐馆，主要是亚洲国家的餐馆，因为人们很看中鱼的新鲜度。用氢化物捕鱼，捕负者要潜水到达珊瑚礁，然后朝珊瑚缝隙和快速游动的鱼身上喷洒氢化物，先弄晕这些鱼然后抓它们就很容易了。过度捕鱼是导致珊瑚礁数量下降的另外一个主要原因。当鱼大量地从一个珊瑚礁里被抓走，导致的结果就是那片地区鱼的数量将无法维持。一些糟糕的捕鱼行为，比如说用棍子敲击珊瑚礁（这个称为muro-ami捕鱼技术），会破坏珊瑚结构，而这些地方通常就是鱼类的栖息地。还有一些例子就是人们用爆炸物去捕鱼（炸鱼），这样会把周围的珊瑚也炸开。【第19题】
E
游客居住的度假洒店把污水直接排放到珊瑚礁周围的水域，这也会导致珊瑚礁数量下降。那些装在维护不善的化粪池里的垃圾也有可能会渗透进周围的地下水，最终渗透到珊瑚礁。粗心的驾船，潜水，浮潜和捕鱼行为都有可能会破坏珊瑚礁。每当人们抓，踢或者踩在珊瑚上面，或者搅动珊瑚礁里的沉淀物，他们都在破坏珊瑚礁。当人们把锚固定在珊瑚礁上或者釆摘珊瑚的时候，他们正在伤害甚至是在要珊瑚的命【笫18题】。
F
为了找到解决这些问题的方法，科学家和研究者研究了各种影响珊瑚礁的因素。这些因素包括，海洋对二氧化碳的吸收作用，大气变化，紫外线光，海洋酸化，病毒，给广袤的珊瑚礁带去作用剂的沙尘暴造成的影响，污染物，藻化现象以及其它一些因素。 不仅仅只是沿海地区的珊瑚礁才面临危险。综合评估表明世界上将近10%的珊瑚礁都己经死了。全世界大约60%的珊瑚礁因为一些破坏活动，或者人为因素处于危险境地 。东南亚的珊瑚礁的健康状况所而临的威胁尤其巨大，那里80%的珊瑚礁己经濒临灭绝。
G
在澳大利亚，大堡礁得到了大堡礁海洋公园管理处的保护，也站许多法律法规的保护对象去，其中包括一项生物多样性行动计划。在环礁湖的六个地区，阿赫斯岛，马努斯省和巴布亚新几内亚的居民沿用着已经流传几代的限制性捕鱼作业。他们的文化传统允许他们使用绳钓鱼法，但是不允许用网去网鱼成者用矛去刺鱼。这样做的结果就是，与对捕鱼不设限制的地区相比，这里的单位面积鱼数量和鱼的个头明显更多更大。
答案：
14.A 15.C 16.C 17.D 18.E 19.D 20.TRUE
21.TRUE 22.NOT GIVEN 23.NOT GOVIEN 24.TRUE
25.NOT GIVEN 26.C
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