注释:
1. The Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF): 香农海豚与野生生物基金会。
2. the Shannon River：香农河[ 位于爱尔兰共和国的中西部]
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 将啸声划分为6大类32种
6. most = most categories
7. both sets of dolphins 是指 the Irish dolphins 和 the Welsh dolphins。
8. References in local legend:：当地传说中的有关说法
9. they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century：海豚可能早在公元 6 世纪就在香农河河口繁衍生息，resident 是形容词，意思是 “居住的”。
练习：
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 analysed 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
.
答案与题解：
1. C本题所说的意思是宽吻海豚与巨头鲸进食习惯上大相径庭，这一点令科学家很感兴趣。题句表达的内容短文中找不到，故答案为C。
2. B题句的意思是： Ronan Hickey 分析了爱尔兰海豚发出的近2000种不同的方言。这句话与短文中叙述的意思不符。第三段第一句说： Ronan Hickey 分析了爱尔兰海豚和威尔士海豚(不仅仅是爱尔兰海豚)发出的近2000种不同的啸声(不是方言)。所以，本题选项 B是答案。
3. A题句表达的意思与第三段第二句所述的内容相符。32 种啸声中有 8 种是爱尔兰海豚独有的。所以答案是 A。
4. A短文第四段第一句说科学家正在设法将啸声与海豚的行为特性联系起来，其中也包括成年海豚与小海豚之间的联络这一行为。题句的意思与原句的意思相符，所以答案是 A。
5. C本题所说的意思是鲸鱼能发出比海豚更强烈的超声波去杀死猎物。题句表达的内容短文中找不到，故答案为 C。
6. B短文第五段说的是，早在公元6世纪海豚就在香农 河河口繁衍生息，而没有说早在公元6世纪渔民开始在香农 河河口养殖海豚。题句的意思与文章的意思不符，所以答案是 B。
7. A题句表达的意思与最后一段的意思相符。原文说大约每年有 25000 名游客专程到此乘坐当地的小船观看海豚.。所以答案是A。
