Question

[Dương Minh]

Read the following passage and blacken the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

        Sharks have gained an unfair reputation for being fierce predators of large sea animals. Humanity's unfounded fear and hatred of these ancient creatures is leading to a worldwide slaughter that may result in the extinction of many coastal shark species. The shark is the victim of a warped attitude of wildlife protection; we strive only to protect the beautiful, non-threatening parts of our environment. And, in our efforts to restore only non-threatening parts of our earth, we ignore other important parts.

        A perfect illustration of this attitude is the contrasting attitude toward another large sea animal, the dolphin. During the 1980s, environmentalists in the United States protested the use of driftnets for tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean since these nets also caught dolphins. The environmentalists generated enough political and economic pressure to prevent tuna companies from buying tuna that had been caught in driftnets. In contrast to this effort on behalf of the dolphins, these same environmentalists have done very little to help save the Pacific Ocean sharks whose population has decreased nearly to the point of extinction.

Sharks are among the oldest creatures on earth, having survived in the seas for more than 350 million years. They are extremely efficient animals, feeding on wounded or dying animals, thus performing an important role in nature of weeding out the weaker animals in a species. Just the fact that species such as the Great White Shark have managed to live in the oceans for so many millions of years is enough proof of their efficiency and adaptability to changing environments. It is time for US humans, who may not survive another 1,000 years at the rate we are damaging the planet, to cast away our fears and begin considering the protection of sharks as an important part of a program for protection of all our natural environment.

How did environmentalists manage to protect dolphins?

A. They prevented fishermen from selling them for meat.

B. They pressured fishermen into protecting dolphins by law.

C. They brought political pressure against tuna companies.

D. They created sanctuaries where dolphin fishing was not allowed.

Answer 1

[Nguyen Hoang Hai]

Đáp án C.

Key words: environmentalists, protect, dolphins

Clue: “During the 1980s, environmentalists in the United States protested the use of driftnets for tuna fishing in the Pacific Ocean since these nets also caught dolphins. The environmentalists generated enough politic and economic pressure to prevent tuna companies from buying tuna that had been caught in driftnets”: Trong những năm 1980, những nhà hoạt động môi trường tại Mỹ đã phản đối việc sử dụng lưới kéo đế đánh bắt cá ngừ ở Thái Bình Dương vì những chiếc lưới này cũng bắt cả cá heo. Những nhà hoạt động môi trường gây ra đủ sức ép chính trị và kinh tế đế ngăn các công ty cá ngừ thu mua cá được bắt bởi lưới kéo.

A. They prevented fishermen from selling them for meat: họ ngăn ngư dân bán cá heo để lấy thịt

B. They pressured fishermen into protecting dolphins by law: họ gây áp lực bằng luật pháp để buộc ngư dân bảo vệ cá heo

C. They brought political pressure against tuna companies: họ dùng sức ép chính trị để chống lại các công ty cá ngừ

D. They created sanctuaries where dolphin fishing was not allowed: họ tạo ra những khu bảo tồn nơi không cho phép đánh bắt cá heo

Những nhà hoạt động môi trường gây ra đủ sức ép chính trị và kinh tế để ngăn các công ty cá ngừ thu mua cá được bắt bởi lưới kéo do lưới kéo cũng bắt cả cá heo.

Vậy đáp án chính xác là đáp án C.