Virginia Oliver has been trapping lobsters(龙虾) in the northeastern American state of Maine for more than 90 years. And even at 101 years old, she says she has no plans to stop. Oliver recently said she started catching lobsters at age eight. At that time, the electronic traffic signal was a recent invention and few women were harvesting lobsters. Oliver still goes out to set traps off Rockland, Maine, with her 78-year-old son Max. She uses a boat that once belonged to her late husband. The boat, called “Virginia”, was named after her.
Oliver is now the oldest lobster fisher in the state and possibly in the world. “I’ve done it all my life, so I might as well keep doing it,” she said. Oliver said she worries about the health of Maine’s lobster population. She said the lobsters have been facing heavy fishing pressure in recent years. The lobster industry has changed over Oliver’s many years on the water. For example, the sea creatures have grown from a working class food to a tasty delicacy(美味佳肴).
When she first started trapping, lobsters sold for 28 cents a pound. Now, they bring in 15 times that. Wire traps have replaced her beloved wooden ones, which these days are mainly used as decorations in seafood restaurants. Other parts of the business have remained much the same over the years. She still loads up pogeys—a term used in the industry for menhaden(油鲱) fish— to put inside the traps to lure lobsters in. And, she still gets up before the sun rises to get an early start on the boat.
In some ways, she was destined(注定的) for this life. Her father was a lobster dealer who started around the 1900s. She joined her father on trips and that is when Oliver’s love of the business began. After all these years, Oliver still gets excited about a lobster dinner of her own and said she usually prepares one for herself about once a week. When asked whether she sometimes considers ending her work, Oliver said she just does not see any good reasons to do so. “I like doing it, I like being along the water,” she said. “And so I’m going to keep on doing it just as long as I can.”
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1.Which of the following best describes Virginia Oliver?
A She named a boat as “Virginia” after her husband.
B She regards trapping lobsters as her leisure hobby.
C She were once afraid of harvesting lobsters on the sea.
D She will never give up trapping lobsters till the end of life.
解析:选D。D 细节理解题。根据全文可知,来自美国缅因州的弗吉尼亚·奥利弗(Virginia Oliver)已经101岁,但她仍然无退休计划,每周坚持带着儿子出海捕龙虾。故选D。
2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?
A Local lobsters have been over-fished in recent years.
B Nowadays only working class afford to eat lobsters.
C Maine’s lobsters are not healthy for people to eat.
D Oliver has set a world’s record of being the oldest lobster fisher.
解析:选A。A 推理判断题。根据第二段She said the lobsters have been facing heavy fishing pressure in recent years.可知,近年来龙虾面临着巨大的捕捞压力,即当地龙虾被过度捕捞。BCD三个选项都是对奥利弗的话的误读。故选A。
3.Which of the following is NOT changeable for Oliver?
A The price of lobsters.
B The bait in the traps.
C The material of the traps.
D The decorations in seafood restaurants.
解析:选B。B 细节理解题。根据第三段Other parts of the business have remained much the same over the years. She still loads up pogeys—a term used in the industry for menhaden(油鲱) fish— to put inside the traps to lure lobsters in.可知, 不变的是奥利弗仍然在龙虾陷阱内装油鲱鱼来诱捕龙虾,即她捕龙虾的诱饵没变。故选B。
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A Trapping lobsters can make a person strong and healthy.
B Oliver has given up other hobbies in order to catch lobsters.
C Oliver always keeps healthy as she eats lobsters every week.
D Oliver’s love for trapping lobsters came from her father’s influence.
解析:选D。D 推理判断题。根据最后一段Her father was a lobster dealer who started around the 1900s. She joined her father on trips and that is when Oliver’s love of the business began.可知,奥利弗的父亲是一位龙虾商人,大约在20世纪初开始。她和父亲一起出行,也就是奥利弗对这一行业的热爱开始的时候。由此说明奥利弗对捕捉龙虾的热爱来自她父亲的影响。故选D。