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  3. Rescue workers had collected 820 birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the majority of them already dead. The current spill p

Rescue workers had collected 820 birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the majority of them already dead. The current spill p

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问题     Rescue workers had collected 820 birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the majority of them already dead. The current spill promises to be the largest in the US history, and as cleanup efforts stretch across the summer, it’s clear that more oiled birds will be found, stuck and suffering in the black sticky liquid. And as they do with every oil spill, rescue workers will go to great lengths to capture and clean the survivors hoping to restore them to their natural habitat.
    Is it worth the effort? Some scientists aren’t so sure. Because the stress of being captured and bathed is as significant as the horror of being immersed in oil, and because research suggests that many rescued birds die shortly after being released, some experts say euthanasia (安乐死) is a more humane option.
    Clean bird feathers repel water and regulate body temperature—dirty ones don’t. Oil in particular makes feathers heavier and diminishes their ability to trap air, which in turn makes birds more vulnerable to drowning, overheating and organ damage. Of course, being captured and cleaned is no picnic either. Some birds wind up returning to their destroyed habitats only to fall victim to the oil again. And those who manage to avoid a second oil bath suffer dramatically shortened life spans and lower reproductive success. Of the thousands of birds that were rescued from the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain in 2002, only 600 were released into the wild; most of the rest died after just a few days in captivity.
    However, bird rescuers say they have learned a lot about how to best help oil-soaked birds, and that therefore, survival rates stand to increase this time around. In the past, birds were cleaned right away, and volunteers often worked through the night bathing rescued birds. But now, captured birds are left to rest for a day or two before being cleaned, and only washed during the day, so as not to disrupt their circadian (生理的) rhythms. But part of that increase may be due to greater selectivity on the part of rescuers. The workers do blood tests right in the field now and birds that are loaded with hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) or don’t look like they’re going to make it are put down right away, rather than subjected to the stress of captivity and cleaning.
    And so far, while release rates may be improving, there is little evidence of better medium or long-term survival, especially for the more-difficult-to-save species. There still aren’t good biomedical protocols (治疗方案) for repairing the internal organ damage. Nevertheless, rescue efforts will continue, in large part because the public demands that. Euthanasia is a difficult thing to do, especially for people who have built their lives around saving animals.
What do we learn about oiled birds according to Para. 3?
选项 A、Oiled bird feathers can repel water but cannot trap air or regulate their temperature.
B、Oil can add weight to their wings and make them unable to adapt to the environment.
C、Cleaned oiled birds can return to their habitats without influencing their life spans.
D、They suffer slightly shortened life spans and lower reproductive success.
答案B
解析 由题干中的Para. 3定位到原文第三段。细节辨认题。定位段指出，洁净的鸟羽能防水，并且可以调节体温，而粘满污垢后就不可以了。石油尤其会加重羽毛的重量，减弱它们捕捉空气的能力，这样一来鸟类就更容易受到溺水、体温过高和器官损伤的侵害。一些被救的鸟类最终还是回到了被破坏的栖息地，并再一次沦为牺牲品。有些鸟类成功逃脱了第二次油污，它们的寿命会急剧缩减，繁殖成功率也会下降。因此，B“石油会加重鸟类翅膀的重量，并使它们不能适应环境”与原文相符，为本题答案。
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