THE ATLANTIC COD FISHERY

1 Off the northeastern shore of North America, from the island of Newfoundland in Canada south to New England in the United States, there is a series of shallow areas called banks. Several large banks off Newfoundland are together called the Grand Banks, huge {{U}}shoals{{/U}} on the edge of the North American continental shelf, where the warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold waters of the Labrador Current. As the currents brush each other, they stir up minerals from the ocean floor, providing nutrients for plankton and tiny shrimp-like creatures called krill, which feed on the plankton. Herring and other small fish rise to the surface to eat the krill. Groundfish, such as the Atlantic cod, live in the ocean's bottom layer, congregating in the shallow waters where they prey on krill and small fish. {{U}}This rich environment has produced cod by the millions and once had a greater density of cod than anywhere else on Earth.{{/U}}
2 Beginning in the eleventh century, boats from the ports of northwestern Europe arrived to fish the Grand Banks. For the next eight centuries, the entire Newfoundland economy was based on Europeans arriving, catching fish for a few months in the summer, and then taking fish back to European markets. Cod laid out to dry on wooden "flakes" was a {{U}}common{{/U}} sight in the fishing villages dotting the coast. Settlers in the region used to think the only sea creature worth talking about was cod, and in the local speech the word "fish" became synonymous with cod. {{U}}Newfoundland's national dish{{/U}} was a pudding whose main ingredient was cod.
3 By the nineteenth century, the Newfoundland fishery was largely controlled by merchants based in the capital at St. John's. They marketed the catch supplied by the fishers working out of more than 600 villages around the long coastline. In return, the merchants provided fishing equipment, clothing, and all the food that could not be grown in the island's thin, rocky soil. This system kept the fishers in a continuous state of debt and dependence on the merchants.
4 Until the twentieth century, fishers believed in the cod's ability to {{U}}replenish{{/U}} itself and thought that overfishing was impossible. However, Newfoundland's cod fishery began to show signs of trouble during the 1930s, when cod failed to support the fishers and thousands were unemployed. The slump lasted for the next few decades. Then, when an international agreement in 1977 established the 200-mile offshore fishing limit, the Canadian government decided to build up the modern Grand Banks fleet and make fishing a viable economic base for Newfoundland again. All of Newfoundland's seafood companies were merged into one conglomerate. By the 1980s, the conglomerate was prospering, and cod were {{U}}commanding{{/U}} excellent prices in the market. Consequently, there was a significant increase in the number of fishers and fish-processing plant workers.
5 However, while the offshore fishery was prospering, the inshore fishermen found their catches dropping off. In 1992 the Canadian government responded by closing the Grand Banks to groundfishing. Newfoundland's cod fishing and processing industries were shut down in a bid to let the vanishing stocks recover. The moratorium was extended in 1994, when all of the Atlantic cod fisheries in Canada were closed, except for one in Nova Scotia, and strict quotas were placed on other species of groundfish. Canada's cod fishing industry collapsed, and around 40,000 fishers and other industry workers were put out of work.
6 Atlantic cod stocks had once been so plentiful that early explorers joked about walking on the backs of the {{U}}teeming{{/U}} fish. By 2008, cod stocks were still at historically low levels and showed no signs of imminent recovery, even after drastic conservation measures and severely limited fishing. Some fishermen blamed the diminished stocks on seals, which prey on cod and other species, but scientists believe that decades of overfishing are to blame. There have been occasional signs of hope. For example, studies on fish populations show that cod disappeared from Newfoundland at the same time that stocks started rebuilding in Norway, raising the possibility that the cod had simply migrated to a different region. Still, in the early twenty-first century, it remains uncertain whether or when the cod will return to the Grand Banks or the moratorium will end.

单选题 The word {{U}}shoals{{/U}} in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A. shallows
B. currents
C. mountains
D. islands

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】Shoals means shallows in this context. Clues: ...a series of shallow areas

问答题 What physical process occurs in the region of the Grand Banks?

A. Underwater hot springs heat the water.
B. Warm and cold currents come together.
C. Nutrient-rich water flows in from rivers.
D. Tides transport plankton and small fish.

单选题 Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 1? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A. Millions of cod come to the Grand Banks every year to feed on the abundant supplies of herring and other small fish.
B. The Grand Banks used to have the world's largest concentration of cod because of favorable natural conditions.
C. The Grand Banks is the only place on Earth where cod are known to come together in extremely large groups.
D. The environmental resources of the Grand Banks have made many people wealthy from cod fishing.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】This rich environment.., is paraphrased in The Grand Banks...favorable natural conditions. ... has produced cod by the millions and once had a greater density of cod than anywhere else on Earth is paraphrased in...used to have the world's largest concentration of cod....

单选题 The word {{U}}common{{/U}} in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

A. messy
B. colorful
C. plain
D. familiar

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】Common means familiar in this context. Clues: ... the entire Newfoundland economy was based on...catching fish for a few months in the summer

单选题 Why does the author mention {{U}}Newfoundland's national dish{{/U}} in paragraph 2?

A. To encourage the development of tourism in Newfoundland
B. To describe the daily life of people in Newfoundland
C. To stress the economic and cultural significance of cod
D. To show that Newfoundland used to be a separate country

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】The author's purpose is to stress the economic and cultural significance of cod. Clues: ... the entire Newfoundland economy was based on... catching fish...; ... the only sea creature worth talking about was cod...; ...a pudding whose main ingredient was cod.

单选题 All of the following statements characterized Newfoundland's cod fishery in the past EXCEPT:

A. Fishers were dependent on merchants in the capital.
B. Cod were the foundation of the island's economy.
C. Fishers competed with farmers for natural resources.
D. Cod were placed on wooden "flakes" for drying.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】The passage does not state that fishers competed with farmers for natural resources. All the other answers are given: ... controlled by merchants based in the capital... This system kept the fishers in a continuous state of debt and dependence on the merchants; ...the entire Newfoundland economy was based on Europeans arriving, catching fish.., and then taking fish back to European markets; Cod laid out to dry on wooden "flakes "....

单选题 The word {{U}}replenish{{/U}} in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

A. defend
B. repair
C. reproduce
D. improve

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】Replenish means reproduce in this context. Clues: ...-fishers believed in the cod's ability to itself and thought that overfishing was impossible; the prefix re- = again.

单选题 What event first signaled the overfishing of the Atlantic cod?

A. The failure of cod to support thousands of fishers in the 1930s
B. The merging of seafood companies into one huge conglomerate
C. An increase in the number of fishers and fish-processing plants
D. The government moratorium on cod fishing during the 1990s

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】Clues: Until the twentieth century,-fishers... thought that overfishing was impossible. However, Newfoundland's cod fishery began to show signs of trouble during the 1930s, when cod failed to support the fishers and thousands were unemployed.

单选题 Why did the Canadian government decide to build up the Grand Banks fishing fleet?

A. The 200-mile limit was seen as an economic opportunity.
B. There had not been enough boats to handle all the fish.
C. The shipbuilding sector of the economy was in a slump.
D. Canada faced stiff competition from other fishing nations.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】Clues: ...when an international agreement in 1977 established the 200-mile offshore fishing limit, the Canadian government decided to build up the modern Grand Banks fleet and make fishing a viable economic base for Newfoundland again.

单选题 The word {{U}}commanding{{/U}} in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

A. suggesting
B. missing
C. defying
D. receiving

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】Commanding means receiving in this context. Clues: ...the conglomerate was prospering, and cod were excellent prices in the market.

单选题 It can be inferred from paragraph 6 that the author most likely believes which of the following about the future of the Atlantic cod fishery?

A. The fishery will improve if the government lifts the fishing ban.
B. It may be a long time before cod stocks recover from overfishing.
C. The center of the Atlantic cod fishery will shift to Norway.
D. The cod will return to the Grand Banks if seal hunting is allowed.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】You can infer that the author believes it may be a long time before cod stocks recover from overfishing. Clues: By 2008, cod stocks were still at historically low levels and showed no signs of imminent recovery...; ... it remains uncertain whether or when the cod will return

单选题 The word teeming in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to

A. endangered
B. numerous
C. delicious
D. mysterious

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】Teeming means numerous in this context. Clues: Atlantic cod stocks had once been so plentiful

填空题 Look at the four squares,

, and

, which indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where would the sentence best fit?
They suspected this was because the offshore draggers were taking so many cod that the fish did not have a chance to migrate inshore to reproduce.
However, while the offshore fishery was prospering, the inshore fishermen found their catches dropping off.

In 1992 the Canadian government responded by closing the Grand Banks to groundfishing.

Newfoundland's cod fishing and processing industries were shut down in a bid to let the vanishing stocks recover.

The moratorium was extended in 1994, when all of the Atlantic cod fisheries in Canada were closed, except for one in Nova Scotia, and strict quotas were placed on other species of groundfish.

多选题 An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

【正确答案】 A、C、E

【答案解析】Key information: This rich environment has produced cod by the millions and once had a greater density of cod than anywhere else on Earth; Until the twentieth century, -fishers believed in the cod's ability to replenish itself and thought that overfishing was impossible... Newfoundland's cod fishery began to show signs of trouble...when cod failed to support the fishers...; By 2008, cod stocks were still at historically low levels and showed no signs of imminent recovery, even after drastic conservation measures and severely limited -fishing; ...it remains uncertain whether or when the cod will return. Answers (B) and (D) are minor ideas; answer (F) is not mentioned.