阅读理解。
Illegal removal of coral (珊瑚) along Sri Lanka's coastline increased the amount of destruction on the
island by last December's tsunami, say researchers.
Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist (力学家) at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection
after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year. While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a
BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit
coral-which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas. Fernando linked this to trucks he had
seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea.
Using the eyewitness reports, estimates (估算) of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the
presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding
along Sri Lanka's southwest coast.
The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps: in one instance, the water traveled 1.5
kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700. But only a few kilometers away,
where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths.
There is a similar phenomenon. In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef
made to let boats through. "Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland," says Fernando. "But
nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing."
In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint. Coral
harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite (炸药) in order to collect fish at the same time. Often, the
reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists.
Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce (实施) its laws against
coral mining.
1. Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ______. [ ]
A. serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team
B. helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining
C. producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka's southwest coast
D. linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami
2. The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that ______. [ ]
A. undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage
B. coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains
C. in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area
D. it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining
3. Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps? [ ]
A. Boat passages.
B. Tourists' sightseeing.
C. Fish collecting.
D. Tourists' souvenirs.
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?[ ]
A. Harindra Fernando, a Great Environment Protector
B. Stop Using Coral as Souvenirs
C. Coral Cried "Help! Help!"
D. Coral Mining Enhanced (加剧) Tsunami Damage