Test 12

Heimaey is a small island off the southern coast of Iceland, where   1   the world’s largest puffin colony (海鹦群). Each spring, puffins go to the island to breed. Around August, baby puffins   2   their way to the ocean.

Baby puffins leave at night by instinct (本能) and follow the light of the  3   to the sea. But they are   4   by bright lights. Every year, a large number   5   lost. Worse still, the lost birds are   6   hit by cars or eaten by cats.

Each breeding season, the   7   of Heimaey start their own midnight   8  , which is called the Puffling Patrol. They   9   to form search parties. “When you see a bird, you try to   10   it and guide it into the box,” Eldur Hansen, a 14-year-old boy said.

The next morning, they take the birds to the beach for   11  . Over the years, kids have even developed a   12   method. “You hold them in both hands,” Eldur says. “ And then   13   your arms out in front of you and let go.” Before being set free, the birds are weighed and   14  for tracking purposes.

“Thanks to kids’ help, they have a   15   chance of survival,” says Erpur Hansen, Eldur’s dad, a researcher in the Southeast Iceland Nature Research Center. “The message is that people can make a difference,” he says. 

1. A. hasB. livesC. standsD. contains

2. A. searchB. continueC. makeD. follow

3. A. sunB. moonC. candleD. bulb

4. A. puzzledB. excitedC. delightedD. surprised

5. A. get intoB. give offC. figure outD. end up

6. A. slightlyB. fluentlyC. mainlyD. hardly

7. A. scientistsB. childrenC. birdsD. adults

8. A. adventureB. voyageC. researchD. competition

9. A. collectB. getC. turnD. gather

10. A. cornerB. run C. catchD. count

11. A. saleB. freedomC. funD. release

12. A. gentleB. calmC. toughD. rough

13. A. takeB. foldC. spreadD. wave

14. A. raisedB. taggedC. beatenD. tapped

15. A. lowerB. higherC. worseD. better