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The Seahorse: Reading Practice 8 (explanation)

The seahorse is a small species of vertebrate that is found in the tropical shallows and temperate waters around the world. The seahorse is also commonly found around coral reefs where there is plenty of food and places for the seahorse to hide.

They have a long, flexible tail which is used for wrapping around weeds for support. They swim upright position, their movements being helped by a rapidly oscillating fin on their back.

The most remarkable fact about the seahorse is that part of the reproduction process is taken over by the male of the species. Once the female seahorse has laid her eggs in the male’s brooding pouch, she leaves. The hatching of the egg is done by the male fish.

Mating begins with the male and the female seahorses doing courtship dance. They swim around each other in circles. At the end of the dance, the male appears to bow to its partner; but actually, the male is banding to pump water from his pouch.

Next the female seahorse lays her eggs into the male’s pouch. Anywhere between 8 and 600 eggs are laid, depending on the species of seahorse. The pouch then closes up. The female seahorse now swims away, leaving the male seahorse to do the hatching. The eggs are hatched about a month later. The young seahorses are ejected from the pouch by means of muscular contractions.

1. What is the purpose of the text?
A. to describe what a seahorse looks like
B. to argue that seahorses are unique fish
C. to provide factual information about seahorses
D. to explain how seahorses reproduce themselves
E. to inform that seahorses live in the sea

2. We know form the text that … .
A. seahorses eat weeds for their food
B. the male seahorse do the hatching
C. seahorses are tiny horses
D. the female seahorse keeps eggs in her pouch
E. the female seahorse doesn’t eat fish during pregnancy

3. Where do seahorses find food?
A. around coral reefs
B. on sea floor
C. among seaweeds
D. on shores
E. under stones

4. How does the seahorse swing its fin?
A. with its back
B. with its position
C. with its flexible tail
D. with a slow manner
E. with a fast movement

5. What makes seahorses remarkable?
A. its size
B. its reproduction process
C. its shape
D. its respiratory system
E. its rapid movement

6. What happens during the mating?
A. they lay and hatch eggs
B. they swim along together
C. they move their fin
D. they dance on circles
E. they open up the pouch

7. What does the female seahorse do after she lays eggs?
A. closes the pouch
B. lays more eggs
C. hatches the eggs
D. stays in the pouch
E. swims away

8. What determines the number of eggs the female seahorse lays?
A. the species
B. the fertility
C. the mating process
D. the hatching speed
E. the size of the pouch

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