Scientists in England are using two selfdirected water vehicles to explore the animal and plant life of the Celtic Sea.
The Celtic Sea is a body of water off the southern coast of Ireland. The area is known for its unusual sea life. Scientists want to know why sea creatures are so attracted to this part of the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the research vehicles is powered by batteries (电池). It collects information for the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, England, and the World Wildlife Fund. The vehicle's low energy requirements permit it to stay floating on water for up to 30 days. Reports of what it finds in the Celtic Sea are sent by satellite.
Stephen Woodward is an engineer who helped design the vehicle. He says the vehicle has equipment that can discover small organisms called zooplankton (浮游动物) and fish. He adds that other sensing equipment measures water currents and other features of sea life. The vehicle also creates a map of the sea.
Another vehicle is powered by the sun and the wind. It can stay floating on water for months. The robotic vehicle sends information about the socalled biodiversity hotspots. A biodiversity hotspot is an area of an ocean that has a lot of plant and animal life activity.
Lavinia Suberg is one of the scientists studying the Celtic Sea. She says productive ocean areas, like the Celtic Sea, attract zooplankton. The zooplankton then attracts fish. She adds that areas with a large increase of fish often attract sea mammals and birds.
Using these robotic ocean vehicles greatly reduces the cost of exploring the sea with manned laboratories. Scientists can spend more time analyzing the collected information. They say the research will give them a better understanding of the needs of the Celtic Sea for future management and protection.
语篇解读：本文为说明文。英国科学家利用水中机器人探索凯尔特海，旨在弄清为什么有如此之多的动植物生活在该海域。
1．Why do the British scientists explore the Celtic Sea?
A．To study the geography of the sea.
B．To learn why the sea is rich in sea life.
C．To test their selfdirected water vehicles
D．To learn about the sea creatures in the sea.
解析：选B 推理判断题。由第二段“Scientists want to know why sea creatures are so attracted to this part of the Atlantic Ocean”可知，研究旨在弄清为什么凯尔特海富含海洋生物。
2．According to the text, the water vehicles ________.
A．are controlled directly by humans
B．work depending on the map of the sea
C．can send the information back directly
D．can keep floating on water for a long time
解析：选D 细节理解题。由第三段“The vehicle's low energy requirements permit it to stay floating on water for up to 30 days”和第五段“It can stay floating on water for months”可知，它们都能在海中漂浮很久。
3．According to Lavinia Suberg, the sea mammals and birds ________.
A．are afraid of living alone
B．mainly feed on zooplankton
C．like to live in warm ocean areas
D．are especially interested in fish
解析：选D 细节理解题。由倒数第二段“She adds that areas with a large increase of fish often attract sea mammals and birds”可知，它们对鱼很感兴趣。
4．What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A．The aim of sea exploration.
B．The cost of exploring the sea.
C．The importance of the water vehicles.
D．Ways to deal with the collected information.
解析：选C 段落大意题。由最后一段“greatly reduces”， “spend more time”和“a better understanding”可知，本段旨在介绍这两个水中机器人在海底探索中的重要性。
