49.Passenger ships,trade ships,and fishing boats are a normal part of life on the open sea.However,all their activity creates a great deal of noise underwater.Scientists from the United States and Canada recently reported their observations(觀察) that the ocean is getting noisier. Scientists at the University of Victoria have studied the recordings recorded with equipment placed underwater near the busy shipping lanes off Vancouver Island in Canada.They say engine(發動機) noise is continuous during the day,and a little less strong at night. Scientists say it is likely that whales must call out more loudly to be heard over this noise.The noise could make it more difficult for orca whales to find food.The orcas find fish by producing clicking sounds and other noises.Loud engine noise could beinterfering withtheir efforts. Michael Jasny is a policy expert for the Natural Resources Defense Council.He says the rise of underwater noise is limiting the ability of whales to communicate. Shipping noise falls across the same frequencies(頻率) that these animals use for all their vital(生死攸關的) behaviors - for feeding,for finding mates,for avoiding predators(捕食者) and for going ahead. Mr.Jasny says sound travels very effectively underwater.And it is not just whales he is worried about. "The whole web of life in the oceans depends on sound.And as more and more research has been done,it's been very clear that what we have on our hands is really a major problem.It's a serious problem.It's a global problem.Fortunately,in shipping we have a problem that has a solution." One answer is to design quieter ships.America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,or NOAA,has four new ships that are made to be quieter.Michael Bahtiarian works for Noise Control Engineering,the company which helped design the boats. Mr.Bahtiarian says the main source of noise pollution is the propeller(螺旋槳).Better shaped propellers and ship designs can help to reduce noise.NOAA's ships also have costly engines,which produce less noise.Mr.Bahtiarian says the technology to make quieter ships does exist and has been used in the military for some time.
(1)The underlined phrase " interfering with" in Paragraph 3 probably means
. A.controlling B.disturbing C.encouraging D.stopping (2)We can tell that whales depend on sound for
. A.communicating with their mates B.stopping predators from fishing C.fighting against the shipping noise D.telling the night time from the day (3)From the passage we can learn that
. A.expensive engines produce less noise in the ocean B.people should stop making big ships in order to save whales C.the other animals in the ocean also depend on sound for living D.it is difficult to find a way to stop noise pollution in the ocean (4)What is the best title for the passage?
A.The ocean is getting noisier. B.Whales and ships in the ocean. C.Whales are facing a serious problem. D.Quiet ships are needed in the ocean.