Every year 2.2 million tons of oil are spilled ( 散落，溅出 ) into the ocean. Actually, this only amounts to a small percentage of the total 1.6 billion tons of oil shipped around the world each year.However, this spilled oil has terrible effects on ocean life, including the coastlines where the off washes up onto shore. Some of the largest spills in history were caused by oil tankers running into each other or by an oil tanker sailing into shallow water and hitting the bottom of the ocean. After these spills, officials try to discover who or what was at fault to help prevent similar accidents in the future.
One of the worst oil spills in history occurred along the Alaskan coastline in 1989. In this accident, 42,000 tons of oil spilled from a tanker which resulted in terrible damage to this sensitive natural area. In this spill, the tanker's captain, who was tired from overwork and drinking alcohol, had gone to take a rest. He gave control of the ship to the third mate. The third mate was unfamiliar with the path the ship took, and he ran the ship onto Blighe Reef. Blighe Reef is a natural underwater rock wall near the Alaskan coast. Damaged by the reef, the ship leaked oil out into the ocean. More than 1,600 kilometers of coastline were affected by the oil spill. Some scientists who studied nature in the area guessed that 580,000 birds and 5,500 otters died when the oil from the spill covered their skin. As well, smaller shellfish and other sea creatures were later eaten by seals, whales, and other animals.
The most oil ever spilled was actually dumped on purpose as an act of ecological warfare. The term ecological warfare means to fight by doing harm to nature in the area under attack. In 1990, Iraq sent soldiers into Kuwait and set off the Persian Gulf War. As part of the Iraq war plan,900,000 tons of oil were let out into the Persian Gulf Way Iraq. This oil covered 1,500 square kilometers of water in the Persian Gulf. The oil also damaged 650 kilometers of the coastline of both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In some places, oil floating on the water was measured to be 43 centimeters thick. Water birds, water plants, and baby fish were all seriously affected by the oil. The long-term effects of this act on the food chain in the area are bound to cause problems tar into the future.
【小题1】Which cause of oil spills is described in the second paragraph?A．DumpingB．WarC．AccidentsD．Throwing about carelessly【小题2】The creatures affected by the oil spill near Alaska were .A．birds and ottersB．shellfishC．seals and whalesD．all of the above【小题3】The third mate ran the thanker agound (触礁) in this accident because .A．he was tiredB．he was drunkC．he was talking on the phoneD．he did not know the sea【小题4】 was responsible for dumping oil into the Persian Gulf.A．The United StatesB．KuwaitC．Saudi ArabiaD．IraqC
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(答案→)C
解析：
【小题1】答案为C。本题为细节理解题。从第二段的前半部分可知，由于油轮的船长过度工作并且喝醉，将船交给了船上的另外一名对船的航线不熟悉的人，从而导致了触礁事件。故选C。
【小题2】答案为D。本题为细节题。从第二段最后两句话 “Some scientists who studied nature in the area guessed that 580,000 birds and 5,500 otters died when the oil from the spill covered their skin. As well, smaller shellfish and other sea creatures were later eaten by seals, whales, and other animals.”可知，答案为D。
【小题3】答案为D。本题为细节理解题。从第二段 “The third mate was unfamiliar with the path the ship took, and he ran the ship onto Blighe Reef.”可知，导致触礁事件的原因是驾驶油轮的人不知道航线，与D选项意思符合。
【小题4】 答案为D。本题为细节题。从最后一段第三句话 “In 1990, Iraq sent soldiers into Kuwait and set off the Persian Gulf War.”可知，对波斯湾倾油事件负责的是伊拉克。