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  3. It sounds like a science fiction, but researchers say it’s a scientific fact

It sounds like a science fiction, but researchers say it’s a scientific fact

游客2023-12-27  35
问题     It sounds like a science fiction, but researchers say it’s a scientific fact: Microscopic organisms dubbed "killer algae" are paralyzing fish with unknown toxins and then eating away at their flesh. They might be making people sick, too.
    The name given to this single-cell organism, or dinoflagellate, is Pfiesteria piscimorte—literally, "fish killer." It was discovered at North Carolina State University in 1988, but at the same time, few scientists believed in its existence, much less in its highly unusual predatory nature. But ongoing research has led to international acknowledgment of the phenomenon and, recently, research funding.
    Seemingly prompted by an unknown substance secreted by fish, the aggressive creature swims into action. It sends neurotoxins into the water and air, paralyzing a fish’s nervous system, and causing it to gasp for air at the surface. Eventually the fish suffocates. The killer dinoflagellate then attaches itself to the fish and begins sucking away at its flesh. This macabre scenario may help solve several sea mysteries, such as why fishermen report seeing "fish walks" (fish trying to leave the water) and pools of dead fish with holes eaten through them.
    Whether humans are affected by the dinoflagellate’s toxin remains to be seen. Researchers think it’s unlikely eating fresh fish are in danger, but anyone with frequent exposure to the creature could be in peril. Several researchers working with the algae have reported bouts of memory loss and disorientation.
    To understand the killer algae further, scientists must fully characterize their toxin and determine what stimulates them to attack. They also need to know if the algae are hurting fish populations, and whether pollutants make them more likely to attack. [br] The word "they" underlined in Paragraph 1 refers to ______ .
选项 A、organisms
B、fish
C、toxins
D、flesh
答案 A
解析 推断题型见第一段第一句，麻痹鱼类后食用鱼肉的microscopic organisms也许会使人类得病。根据句子结构判断也可判断此处的they指的即是前面的microscopic organisms，因此A为答案。
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