[高考题型练习提能力]

　　Ⅰ.阅读理解

　　The gentle giants of our oceans are whale sharks.It's the biggest shark and can reach as long as 41.5 feet，and these amazing creatures are not only the biggest sharks，they are also the biggest fish of any kind.

　　Whale sharks have a lifespan (寿命) of 70 years on average，and they spend their days gently swimming in the warm and tropical oceans.

　　Their teeth are the size of match heads，and while their jaws could be powerful，they have never tended to attack humans.Their teeth play no role in eating，as plankton (浮游生物)does not need to be chewed.They are to be found in numbers in the warmer oceans and they prefer the deep waters of the open oceans.

　　Several times a year they gather together in certain spots where plankton is plentiful.Those areas are all within a 30° north or south latitude (纬度) from equator.Sadly，whale sharks are targeted by commercial fisheries at those spots.

　　How easy it must be for the fishermen to catch those beautiful creatures who can only swim at 3.5 miles per hour！So great a loss have they suffered that whale sharks are now listed as one of the endangered species.Measures have been taken by some countries to protect the whale shark from extinction (灭绝)．

　　The Philippines and India have all banned the fishing，selling，importing and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes.However，the law does not seem to be effective because the hunting and killing are still going on today，especially in the Philippines.Each whale shark can fetch around $21，000.In parts of Asia they are known as the "money shark"．

　　The mighty dollar wins again at great cost to our habitat，we will not know what we have lost until we have lost it forever.

　　【语篇解读】　本文主要介绍的是鲸鲨目前的处境。

　　1．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

　　A．Whale sharks usually live a life of 70 years on average.

B．Whale sharks can reach as long as 41.5 feet.