Getting caught up in fishing ropes or nets is one of the biggest threats to whales. The animals can suffocate or starve after becoming trapped. Reports of very large whales getting entangled in fishing gear are rare compared with smaller species, leading to the assumption that the biggest whales might largely avoid such threats.

被漁繩或漁網(wǎng)纏住是鯨魚(yú)面臨的最大威脅之一。它們?cè)诒焕ё『罂赡軙?huì)窒息或挨餓。與體型較小的鯨魚(yú)相比，關(guān)于大型鯨魚(yú)被漁具纏住的報(bào)道很少，因此產(chǎn)生了一種假設(shè)，即最大的鯨魚(yú)可能在很大程度上避免了這個(gè)威脅。

A new study, led by experts at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, cast doubt on this idea. The researchers analysed images taken by drones of blue and fin whales in Canada's Gulf of St Lawrence – an important summer feeding ground for whales.

由蘇格蘭圣安德魯斯大學(xué)的專家牽頭的一項(xiàng)新研究對(duì)這一觀點(diǎn)提出了質(zhì)疑。研究人員們分析了無(wú)人機(jī)在加拿大圣勞倫斯灣拍攝的藍(lán)鯨和長(zhǎng)須鯨的照片，圣勞倫斯灣是鯨魚(yú)夏季的重要覓食地。

Scars seen on the bodies of the whales suggest that 60% of blue whales studied, and about half of fin whales, had been entangled in nets at some point in their life.

鯨魚(yú)身上的傷疤表明，被研究的60%的藍(lán)鯨和大約半數(shù)的長(zhǎng)須鯨曾在它們生命中的某個(gè)時(shí)刻被漁網(wǎng)纏住。

The researchers say death from entanglement could tip some whale populations into decline. The blue and fin whale are the two largest species in the oceans. Both are endangered, though the blue whale's starting to make a comeback in Antarctic waters.

研究人員表示，鯨魚(yú)被纏住致死可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致一些鯨魚(yú)數(shù)量下降。藍(lán)鯨和長(zhǎng)須鯨是海洋中體型最大的兩個(gè)物種。盡管藍(lán)鯨的數(shù)量在南極水域有所增加，但這兩種鯨魚(yú)均為瀕危物種。

詞匯表

caught up 被纏住
suffocate 窒息
starve 挨餓
trapped 被困住
entangled 被纏在一起
gear 用具，裝備
cast doubt on… 對(duì)…懷有疑慮
blue whales 藍(lán)鯨
fin whales 長(zhǎng)須鯨
feeding ground 覓食地
scars 傷疤
endangered 瀕臨滅絕的
make a comeback 重新增長(zhǎng)

閱讀理解：請(qǐng)?jiān)谧x完上文后，回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. True or false? The new study has found that the biggest whales might largely avoid becoming trapped in fishing gear.

2. What can happen if a whale becomes trapped?

3. Where did the drones take images of blue and fin whales?

4. According to the researchers, what could death from entanglement result in?

答案  

1. True or false? The new study has found that the biggest whales might largely avoid becoming trapped in fishing gear.
False. The new study suggests the assumption that the biggest whales might largely avoid becoming trapped in fishing gear is uncertain.

2. What can happen if a whale becomes trapped?
It can suffocate or starve after becoming trapped.

3. Where did the drones take images of blue and fin whales?
The drones took images of blue and fin whales in Canada's Gulf of St Lawrence. 

4. According to the researchers, what could death from entanglement result in?
Death from entanglement could tip some whale populations into decline.