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1、2014届高考英语一轮复习话题阅读素材66 ExxonValdezOilSpill TheExxonValdezdepartedfromtheTransAlaskaPipelineterminalat9:12pmMarch23,1989.AfterpassingthroughValdezNarrows,pilotMurphyleftthevesselandCaptainHazelwoodradioedtheCoastGuardtoreporttheExxonValdezhad"fetchedupha
2、rdaground"andwas"evidentlyleakingsomeoil."Thatscratchy,understatedmessagesetthesceneforoneoftheworsthuman-causedenvironmentaldisastersinhistory.Overthenextspringandsummer,thenewsinAlaskaandaroundtheworldwasdominatedbyimagesandstoriesfromPrinceWilliamSoun
3、dandtheGulfofAlaska--thousandsofdeadanddyingbirdsandseamammals,angryfishermen,armiesofrockwipersimprobablycleaningbeacheswithrags. BirdsandottershaveproventhemselveshighlyvulnerabletotheoildriftingaroundtheSound.Ottersaretheonlymarinemammallackingaprote
4、ctivelayerofblubberbeneaththeirhide.Theydependtotallyontheirdensefurforwarmthandfloatation.Whenthatfurgetsdirty,theotterdies.TheseanimalsaresosensitivetocontaminationthatearlyeffortstotransplantthemfromAlaskatootherpartsoftheWestCoastfailed.Theotters,the
5、irfurdirtiedbyhandling,diedincaptivity.Giventhisproblem,scientistssawlittlehopeofsavingtheotters.Therewere4,000to6,000oftheseanimalsintheSound.Nooneknowshowmanyhadcomeincontactwiththeoil. Seabirdswerenotinmuchbettershapethanotters.Oilmattedthefeathersof
6、birds,andthatledtodeathinanumberofways.Mattedfeathersceasetoinsulateandbirdsdieofhypothermia.Oilcoatedfeathersmakeitimpossibleforthebirdstoflytosafeareas.Birdsexhaustthemselvestryingtostayafloatafteroildestroysthewaterrepellencyoftheirfeathers.Rescuerswe
7、rehavingadifficulttimegettingtothebirdstocatchthemonrockybeaches.Inordertorehabilitateonebirdsuccessfully,rescuersneeded150gallonsofwaterat104degrees.Theobstaclesstandinginthewayofthejobwereintimidating. Animalslivinginthenearbyforestsandroamontothetide
8、landsinsearchoffood.Mink,landottersandbearscouldbeharmed.Therearesimilarfearsforbaldeagles,anotherscavenger.Theeagleshavealreadybegunpreyingupontheseabirdskilledorinjuredbyoil. Scientistsknewthatthe11milliongallonsofoilth