Irish Dolphins may have a unique dialect
Irish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other.
The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF)1 has been studying a group of up to 120 bottle-nose dolphins in the River Shannon2 using vocalisations collected on a computer in a cow shed3 near the River Shannon.
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications. "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
"When I first heard it I was surprised as I thought sperm whales were the only species who used it. We can speculate the dolphins are using it for the same reason as the sperm whales," Berrow said.
References8 in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century9.
They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists every year take special sightseeing tours on local boats to visit them.
詞匯：
Irish adj. 愛爾蘭的socialise v. 社交，交往
dolphin n.海豚
bottle-nose dolphin 寬吻海豚sperm whale 巨頭鯨
click n. 咔噠聲，喀嚓聲
estuary n. 河口，江口
vocalisation n. 發(fā)聲
shed n. 小屋，棚
digitalise v. 使數(shù)字化
whistle n. 嘯聲
forage v. 搜尋(食物)prey n. 被捕食的動物
gunshot n. 射擊聲
groan n. 呻吟，嘆息
pulse n. 脈沖
stun v. 擊昏
注釋:
1. The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF): 香農(nóng)海豚與野生生物基金會。
2. the Shannon River：香農(nóng)河[ 位于愛爾蘭共和國的中西部]
3. cow shed: 牛棚
4. those 指代前半句的 whistles。
5. Ronan Hickey…separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories： Ronan Hickey 將嘯聲劃分為6大類32種
6. most = most categories
7. both sets of dolphins 是指 the Irish dolphins 和 the Welsh dolphins。
8. References in local legend:：當(dāng)?shù)貍髡f中的有關(guān)說法
9. they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century：海豚可能早在公元 6 世紀(jì)就在香農(nóng)河河口繁衍生息，resident 是形容詞，意思是 “居住的”。
練習(xí)：
1. The difference in eating habits between the bottle-nose dolphins and the sperm whales interested the SDWF scientists.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
2. Ronan Hickey analyzed almost 2000 different dialects of the bottle-nose dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
3. Of the 32 categories, eight were produced only by the Irish dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
4. Whistles could also be used to communicate between adult dolphins and baby dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
5. Sperm whales can produce stronger ultrasonic waves to kill their prey than dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
6. As early as the 6th century, Irish fishermen started raising dolphins in the Shannon estuary.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
7. Irish dolphins attract tourists and over 25,000 people come to see them every year.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
參考答案：
1.C. 細(xì)節(jié)題。 利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞bottle-nose dolphins， sperm whales, eating habits和特征詞SDWF(香農(nóng)海豚與野生動物基金會) scientists共同作為答案線索，在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
Irish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other.
The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF)1 has been studying (一直在研究)a group of(一組) up to (多達(dá)，直到)120 bottle-nose dolphins (寬吻海豚)in the River Shannon using vocalisations (發(fā)聲)collected on a computer (被收集在計算機里)in a cowshed (牛棚) near the River Shannon.
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications. "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot(射擊， 槍響) is an intense(強烈的) pulse of sound(脈沖聲). Sperm whales use it to stun(使暈倒) their prey(獵物).
"When I first heard(聽到) it I was surprised (感到吃驚)as I thought (認(rèn)為)sperm whales (巨頭鯨)were the only species(物種) who used it. We can speculate(推測) the dolphins(海豚) are using it for the same reason (為了與...同樣的原因)as the sperm whales(巨頭鯨)," Berrow said.
References8 in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century9.
They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists every year take special sightseeing tours on local boats to visit them.
與問題句可能相關(guān)的語句中都沒有涉及到問題句的內(nèi)容， 因此判斷問題句的內(nèi)容在文章中沒有被提到。
2. B。 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的特征詞Ronan Hickey(人名)和2000 different(不同的) dialects， 及細(xì)節(jié)信息詞bottle-nose dolphins共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of (部分的)a research(研究) project(計劃), student Ronan Hickey digitised (使數(shù)字化)and analyzed(分析) a total(總數(shù)) of 1,882 (與almost 2000 呼應(yīng))whistles(鳴叫聲， 口哨聲， 汽笛聲) from the Irish(愛爾蘭) dolphins and those from the Welsh(威爾士的) dolphins on a computer and separated them into(把...分成...) six fundamental whistle types (基本鳴叫類型) and 32 different(不同的) categories(種類) . Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
題句的意思是： Ronan Hickey 分析了愛爾蘭海豚發(fā)出的近2000種不同的方言。這句話與短文中敘述的意思不符。第三段第一句說： Ronan Hickey 分析了愛爾蘭海豚和威爾士海豚(不僅僅寬吻海豚)發(fā)出的近2000種不同的嘯聲(不是方言)。所以，本題選項 B 是答案。
3.A. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的特征詞32 categories， eight，Irish(愛爾蘭的) dolphins共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 (大多數(shù))were used by (被...使用)both sets of (來自Irish和Welsh的)dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard (僅僅被聽見)from the Irish dolphins.
答案相關(guān)句與問題句的句意一致：32 種嘯聲中有 8 種是愛爾蘭海豚獨有的。所以答案是 A。
4.A. 主題題。這個問題句的內(nèi)容與文章主題(愛爾蘭海豚可能有獨特的語言)內(nèi)容一致，因此該問題句很可能提供了正確的信息。 利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Whistles， adult dolphins和baby dolphins作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of (部分的)a research(研究) project(計劃), student Ronan Hickey digitised (使數(shù)字化)and analyzed(分析) a total(總數(shù)) of 1,882 whistles(鳴叫聲， 口哨聲， 汽笛聲) from the Irish(愛爾蘭) dolphins and those from the Welsh(威爾士的) dolphins on a computer and separated them into(把...分成...) six fundamental whistle types (基本鳴叫類型) and 32 different(不同的) categories(種類) . Of(在...之中) the categories, he found(發(fā)現(xiàn)) most6 were used by (被...使用)both sets of dolphins(來自愛爾蘭的海豚和威爾士的海豚) -- but eight were only heard (僅僅被聽見)from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up(正在建立)a catalogue(目錄) of the different(不同的) whistle types(類型) they use and trying to associate them with(把...和...聯(lián)系起來) behavior(行為) like(例如) foraging(覓食), resting(休息), socialising(社交) and the communications of groups with calves(牛犢)," project(項目) leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially(實質(zhì)上， 實際上) we are building up what is like(象) a dictionary of words (字典)they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications。 "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
短文第四段第一句說科學(xué)家正在設(shè)法將嘯聲與海豚的行為特性聯(lián)系起來，由此可推斷出這也包括成年海豚與小海豚之間的聯(lián)絡(luò)這種行為。題句的意思與原句的意思相符，所以答案是 A。
5.C. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Sperm whales, ultrasonic waves和prey作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
Berrow, a marine(海洋的， 航海的) biologist(生物學(xué)), said the dolphins' clicks(發(fā)出的卡塔聲) are used to(被用于) find(發(fā)現(xiàn)) their way around(周圍) and locate(查找...的地點，位于) prey. The whistles are communications(交流). "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot (槍響聲)is an intense(強烈的) pulse of sound(脈沖聲). Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
本題所說的意思是鯨魚能發(fā)出比海豚更強烈的超聲波去殺死獵物。題句表達(dá)的內(nèi)容短文中找不到，故答案為 C。
6.B. 細(xì)節(jié)題。 利用問題句中細(xì)節(jié)信息結(jié)構(gòu)as early as the 6th century和特征結(jié)構(gòu)Irish fishermen及Shannon estuary共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
References(證明， 參考) in local(當(dāng)?shù)氐?，局部? legend(傳說) indicate(顯示) there have been dolphins (一直有)in the Shannon estuary for generations (存在了數(shù)代)and they may even have been resident(居民， 居住的) there as far back as /遠(yuǎn)在/早在the 6th century(最遠(yuǎn)追溯到6世紀(jì)).
短文第五段說的是，早在公元6世紀(jì)海豚就在香農(nóng) 河河口繁衍生息，而沒有說早在公元6世紀(jì)漁民開始在香農(nóng) 河河口養(yǎng)殖海豚。題句的意思與文章的意思不符，所以答案是 B。
7.A. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Irish dolphins , tourists和every year及特征結(jié)構(gòu)over 25,000 people共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
References in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century.
They are regularly seen by (被定期地觀看)passengers(游客， 乘客) on the Shannon ferry(渡船) and an estimated(被估計的) 25,000 tourists every year take special(專門的， 特殊的) sightseeing tours (觀光旅游)on local boats to visit(參觀，拜訪，游覽) them. 現(xiàn)在需要確定是否代詞they就是指代Irish dolphins/愛爾蘭海豚， 借助前句內(nèi)容知道they指代shannon河口的海豚， 現(xiàn)在還需要了解這些海豚是愛爾蘭海豚嗎?因為文章前面部分還提到過其他的海豚 – 威爾士海豚， 因此在文章前面部分進(jìn)一步查找信息， 既然這些動物是生活在Shannon河口的，利用shannon作為線索詞在文章開頭第一段和第2段中找到相關(guān)信息：
問題句表達(dá)的意思與最后一段的意思相符。原文說大約每年有 25000 名游客專程到此乘坐當(dāng)?shù)氐男〈^看海豚。所以答案是A。
Irish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other.
The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF)1 has been studying a group of up to 120 bottle-nose dolphins in the River Shannon2 using vocalisations collected on a computer in a cow shed3 near the River Shannon.
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications. "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
"When I first heard it I was surprised as I thought sperm whales were the only species who used it. We can speculate the dolphins are using it for the same reason as the sperm whales," Berrow said.
References8 in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century9.
They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists every year take special sightseeing tours on local boats to visit them.
詞匯：
Irish adj. 愛爾蘭的socialise v. 社交，交往
dolphin n.海豚
bottle-nose dolphin 寬吻海豚sperm whale 巨頭鯨
click n. 咔噠聲，喀嚓聲
estuary n. 河口，江口
vocalisation n. 發(fā)聲
shed n. 小屋，棚
digitalise v. 使數(shù)字化
whistle n. 嘯聲
forage v. 搜尋(食物)prey n. 被捕食的動物
gunshot n. 射擊聲
groan n. 呻吟，嘆息
pulse n. 脈沖
stun v. 擊昏
注釋:
1. The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF): 香農(nóng)海豚與野生生物基金會。
2. the Shannon River：香農(nóng)河[ 位于愛爾蘭共和國的中西部]
3. cow shed: 牛棚
4. those 指代前半句的 whistles。
5. Ronan Hickey…separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories： Ronan Hickey 將嘯聲劃分為6大類32種
6. most = most categories
7. both sets of dolphins 是指 the Irish dolphins 和 the Welsh dolphins。
8. References in local legend:：當(dāng)?shù)貍髡f中的有關(guān)說法
9. they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century：海豚可能早在公元 6 世紀(jì)就在香農(nóng)河河口繁衍生息，resident 是形容詞，意思是 “居住的”。
練習(xí)：
1. The difference in eating habits between the bottle-nose dolphins and the sperm whales interested the SDWF scientists.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
2. Ronan Hickey analyzed almost 2000 different dialects of the bottle-nose dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
3. Of the 32 categories, eight were produced only by the Irish dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
4. Whistles could also be used to communicate between adult dolphins and baby dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
5. Sperm whales can produce stronger ultrasonic waves to kill their prey than dolphins.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
6. As early as the 6th century, Irish fishermen started raising dolphins in the Shannon estuary.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
7. Irish dolphins attract tourists and over 25,000 people come to see them every year.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
參考答案：
1.C. 細(xì)節(jié)題。 利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞bottle-nose dolphins， sperm whales, eating habits和特征詞SDWF(香農(nóng)海豚與野生動物基金會) scientists共同作為答案線索，在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
Irish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other.
The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF)1 has been studying (一直在研究)a group of(一組) up to (多達(dá)，直到)120 bottle-nose dolphins (寬吻海豚)in the River Shannon using vocalisations (發(fā)聲)collected on a computer (被收集在計算機里)in a cowshed (牛棚) near the River Shannon.
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications. "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot(射擊， 槍響) is an intense(強烈的) pulse of sound(脈沖聲). Sperm whales use it to stun(使暈倒) their prey(獵物).
"When I first heard(聽到) it I was surprised (感到吃驚)as I thought (認(rèn)為)sperm whales (巨頭鯨)were the only species(物種) who used it. We can speculate(推測) the dolphins(海豚) are using it for the same reason (為了與...同樣的原因)as the sperm whales(巨頭鯨)," Berrow said.
References8 in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century9.
They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists every year take special sightseeing tours on local boats to visit them.
與問題句可能相關(guān)的語句中都沒有涉及到問題句的內(nèi)容， 因此判斷問題句的內(nèi)容在文章中沒有被提到。
2. B。 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的特征詞Ronan Hickey(人名)和2000 different(不同的) dialects， 及細(xì)節(jié)信息詞bottle-nose dolphins共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of (部分的)a research(研究) project(計劃), student Ronan Hickey digitised (使數(shù)字化)and analyzed(分析) a total(總數(shù)) of 1,882 (與almost 2000 呼應(yīng))whistles(鳴叫聲， 口哨聲， 汽笛聲) from the Irish(愛爾蘭) dolphins and those from the Welsh(威爾士的) dolphins on a computer and separated them into(把...分成...) six fundamental whistle types (基本鳴叫類型) and 32 different(不同的) categories(種類) . Of the categories, he found most6 were used by both sets of dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins.
題句的意思是： Ronan Hickey 分析了愛爾蘭海豚發(fā)出的近2000種不同的方言。這句話與短文中敘述的意思不符。第三段第一句說： Ronan Hickey 分析了愛爾蘭海豚和威爾士海豚(不僅僅寬吻海豚)發(fā)出的近2000種不同的嘯聲(不是方言)。所以，本題選項 B 是答案。
3.A. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的特征詞32 categories， eight，Irish(愛爾蘭的) dolphins共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those4 from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories5. Of the categories, he found most6 (大多數(shù))were used by (被...使用)both sets of (來自Irish和Welsh的)dolphins7 -- but eight were only heard (僅僅被聽見)from the Irish dolphins.
答案相關(guān)句與問題句的句意一致：32 種嘯聲中有 8 種是愛爾蘭海豚獨有的。所以答案是 A。
4.A. 主題題。這個問題句的內(nèi)容與文章主題(愛爾蘭海豚可能有獨特的語言)內(nèi)容一致，因此該問題句很可能提供了正確的信息。 利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Whistles， adult dolphins和baby dolphins作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
As part of (部分的)a research(研究) project(計劃), student Ronan Hickey digitised (使數(shù)字化)and analyzed(分析) a total(總數(shù)) of 1,882 whistles(鳴叫聲， 口哨聲， 汽笛聲) from the Irish(愛爾蘭) dolphins and those from the Welsh(威爾士的) dolphins on a computer and separated them into(把...分成...) six fundamental whistle types (基本鳴叫類型) and 32 different(不同的) categories(種類) . Of(在...之中) the categories, he found(發(fā)現(xiàn)) most6 were used by (被...使用)both sets of dolphins(來自愛爾蘭的海豚和威爾士的海豚) -- but eight were only heard (僅僅被聽見)from the Irish dolphins.
"We are building up(正在建立)a catalogue(目錄) of the different(不同的) whistle types(類型) they use and trying to associate them with(把...和...聯(lián)系起來) behavior(行為) like(例如) foraging(覓食), resting(休息), socialising(社交) and the communications of groups with calves(牛犢)," project(項目) leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially(實質(zhì)上， 實際上) we are building up what is like(象) a dictionary of words (字典)they use or sounds they make."
Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications。 "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
短文第四段第一句說科學(xué)家正在設(shè)法將嘯聲與海豚的行為特性聯(lián)系起來，由此可推斷出這也包括成年海豚與小海豚之間的聯(lián)絡(luò)這種行為。題句的意思與原句的意思相符，所以答案是 A。
5.C. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Sperm whales, ultrasonic waves和prey作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
Berrow, a marine(海洋的， 航海的) biologist(生物學(xué)), said the dolphins' clicks(發(fā)出的卡塔聲) are used to(被用于) find(發(fā)現(xiàn)) their way around(周圍) and locate(查找...的地點，位于) prey. The whistles are communications(交流). "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot," he said. "The gunshot (槍響聲)is an intense(強烈的) pulse of sound(脈沖聲). Sperm whales use it to stun their prey.
本題所說的意思是鯨魚能發(fā)出比海豚更強烈的超聲波去殺死獵物。題句表達(dá)的內(nèi)容短文中找不到，故答案為 C。
6.B. 細(xì)節(jié)題。 利用問題句中細(xì)節(jié)信息結(jié)構(gòu)as early as the 6th century和特征結(jié)構(gòu)Irish fishermen及Shannon estuary共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
References(證明， 參考) in local(當(dāng)?shù)氐?，局部? legend(傳說) indicate(顯示) there have been dolphins (一直有)in the Shannon estuary for generations (存在了數(shù)代)and they may even have been resident(居民， 居住的) there as far back as /遠(yuǎn)在/早在the 6th century(最遠(yuǎn)追溯到6世紀(jì)).
短文第五段說的是，早在公元6世紀(jì)海豚就在香農(nóng) 河河口繁衍生息，而沒有說早在公元6世紀(jì)漁民開始在香農(nóng) 河河口養(yǎng)殖海豚。題句的意思與文章的意思不符，所以答案是 B。
7.A. 細(xì)節(jié)題。利用問題句中的細(xì)節(jié)信息詞Irish dolphins , tourists和every year及特征結(jié)構(gòu)over 25,000 people共同作為答案線索， 在文章中查找答案相關(guān)句：
References in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century.
They are regularly seen by (被定期地觀看)passengers(游客， 乘客) on the Shannon ferry(渡船) and an estimated(被估計的) 25,000 tourists every year take special(專門的， 特殊的) sightseeing tours (觀光旅游)on local boats to visit(參觀，拜訪，游覽) them. 現(xiàn)在需要確定是否代詞they就是指代Irish dolphins/愛爾蘭海豚， 借助前句內(nèi)容知道they指代shannon河口的海豚， 現(xiàn)在還需要了解這些海豚是愛爾蘭海豚嗎?因為文章前面部分還提到過其他的海豚 – 威爾士海豚， 因此在文章前面部分進(jìn)一步查找信息， 既然這些動物是生活在Shannon河口的，利用shannon作為線索詞在文章開頭第一段和第2段中找到相關(guān)信息：
問題句表達(dá)的意思與最后一段的意思相符。原文說大約每年有 25000 名游客專程到此乘坐當(dāng)?shù)氐男〈^看海豚。所以答案是A。