课时数智作业34.docxVIP

PAGE6/NUMPAGES6

课时数智作业(三十四)

选择性必修第四册UNIT3SEAEXPLORATION

Ⅰ．阅读理解(限时7分钟)

(2025·浙江诸暨模拟)

Whalesarecelebratedforbeingthelargestandmostintelligentcreaturesintheocean．Now，biologistshavediscoveredthattheyalsocapture(捕获)tonsofcarbonfromtheatmosphere，aservicewithaneconomicvalueofUS$1trillionforallthegreatwhales，accordingtoanewstudypublishedbytheInternationalMonetaryFund．Thestudypointsoutthatprotectingwhales，normallyviewedasahumangood，alsohasamonetarymotivation．

“Thecarboncapturepotentialofwhalesistrulyincredible，”saidthereport．“OurconservativeestimatesputthevalueoftheaveragegreatwhaleatmorethanUS$2million，andeasilyoverUS$1trillionforthecurrentstockofgreatwhales．”Whalesabsorbcarbonintheirbodiesduringtheirlonglives，someofwhichstretchto200years．Whentheydie，theysinktothebottomoftheocean，takingthecarbonwiththem．Accordingtothestudy，eachgreatwhaletrapsaround33tonsofcarbondioxideonaverage．Atreeduringthesameperiodonlycontributesto3percentofthecarbonabsorptionofthewhale．

Whalepopulationsaretodayasmidgenofwhattheyoncewere．Itisestimatedthatthereareslightlymorethan1.3millionwhalesintheocean，aquarteroftheirpre-whalingnumberof4to5million．Somespeciesinparticular，likethebluewhale，areonly3percentofwhattheyusedtobe．“Wecancreatefinancialmethodstopromotetherestorationoftheworldswhalepopulations，”saidthereportsauthors．“Rewardscouldhelpthosewhopaysignificantcostsasaresultofwhaleprotection．”

WiththeParisAgreementcomingintoforceandtheeffectsofclimatechangeevermorewidespread，wemustpreventtheharmtowhales．Researchersanalysedthatunlessnewmethodsareputforward，itwouldtakeover30yearstodoublethenumberofcurrentwhales，andseveralgenerationstoreturnthemtotheirpre-whalingnumbers．“Societyandourownsurvivalcantaffordto