2014高考英语阅读理解基础训练（23）及答案
阅读理解-------B (2013·北京，B)
Tail Spin
Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin, Grace, shows off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thin g about her, however, is that she's even swimming at all. She doesn't have a tail.
Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap. When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “ Is she going to make it？” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it—but her tail didn't. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.
Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way—like a fish! She pushes herself forward through the water by moving her peduncle from side to side.
The movements put harmful pressure on Grace's backbone. So a company offered to create a manmade tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn't hurt her.
The first time Grace wore the artificial tail, she soon shook it off and let it sink to the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The new tail isn't necessary for her to feel comfortable，” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion (动作) and build muscles (肌肉)．”
Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focuses on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her manmade tail gives people so much courage.
文章大意：本文为一篇记叙文，属励志类文章。通过讲述海洋公园的小海豚Grace尽管没有尾巴，却能克服困难， 用另外一种方式游泳，并且还要拍电影《海豚的故事》以激励人们要勇敢地面对困难。
