READING
Several hundred thousand kinds of plants and animals live in the ocean. Some organisms are found near the ocean’s surface, others prefer middle depth, and still others are found only on the ocean floor.
But depth is not the only thing that determines where an ocean life is found. Such factors as ocean size, temperature, current, and water pressure influence where certain marine plants or animal can live. The abundance of nutrients, the amount of light, and the characteristics of sea floor are also important.
Some of the most mysterious organism in the world’s oceans live of the deep sea. The deep sea is a part of the ocean beyond continental shelves and below the photic zone. As such, the deep sea is very harsh environment of permanently cold, dark water that contain little food.
Deep-sea organisms possess a number of adaptations that allow them to survive in the stressful environment. Modified eyes are common adaptations to the lack of light in the deep sea. Fishes in the upper parts of the deep sea often have very large eyes. These large eyes give fishes great light-collecting ability in areas where light levels are very low. On the other hand, fishes living in the bottom of the deep sea often have very small or no eyes at all. Others have tube-shape eyes. Certain deep-sea squids have no eye larger than the other – a usual characteristics that is not well understood by biologists.
Lack of available food is another reason for bizarre physical features among some deep-sea organisms. Most deep-sea fishes are very small in size so that they need less food to survive. Many deep-sea fishes have extremely large mouths with very long teeth. These fishes can open their mouth wider than their own bodies and swallow preys larger than themselves.
Other fishes, such as the anglerfish, have modified fins that act as lures to attract prey. These lures may have a luminescent ( light – producing ) organ that the fish flashes on and off to attract prey.
Light producing organs called photophores are a common adaptation among deep-sea organisms. Photophores consist of either specialized cells or bacteria that can produce light. Flashes and squids use especially placed photophores to produce a flash of light and “blind” predators. Photophores may be used to light an area in order to find food.
Reading Comprehension
Exercise 1
Direction : Read the above reading text, and choose the best answer for the following questions !
- Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
a. Plants and Animals Live in The Ocean
b. Deep – Sea Life
c. Marine Plants and Animals
d. Mysterious organisms in the world’s oceans
- Which of the following best describes the topic of the passage?
a. a number of adaptations undersea
b. bizarre physical features among some deep-sea organisms
c. light producing organs called photophores
d. factors that influences undersea life
3. Which of the following best states the subject of this passage?
a. Oceanography
b. Marine Geology
c. Marine Biology
d. Marine Physics
- The second paragraph ……………………………………………
a.provides examples to support the ideas in the first paragraph
b.precedes the ideas in the first paragraph
c.outlines the effect of the idea in the first paragraph
d.refutes the idea in the first paragraph
- What type of information is included in the first paragraph ?
a.An argument
b.A definition
c.An opinion
d.A theory
- The third paragraph contains information on ………..
a. how some mysterious organisms live undersea
b. condition of undersea environment that difficult to live in
c. deep-sea is part of the ocean
d. sea water that contain little food
- All of the following are true about deep sea life except…………
a.One of adaptations that fishes in the deep-sea have is the modified eyes.
b. Large eyes enable fishes to see when there is a small amount of light.
c. A luminescent is used by a fish to avoid being eaten by other fishes.
d. One of the functions of photophores is to hide from predators.
- What does “them in italic” in paragraph 4 refers to………
a. adaptations
b. the deep-sea fishes
c. modified eyes
d. fishes in the upper parts
- What does “These fishes” in paragraph 5 refers to ………
a. the physical features
b. the deep-sea organisms
c. the large mouths
d. the deep-sea fishes