本文介绍了在繁殖后代过程中，雄雌海马生理特征和分工的不同,以及这种海底生物有趣的，独特的生活习性。
Sea horses are unusual parents. The female sea horses lay the eggs, but unlike other creatures, it’s the males that give birth to the young. ①and ⑤
Male sea horse have a fold of skin on their bellies that forms a pocket, called a brood pouch. During the breeding season, the sea horse’s pouch swells to receive eggs. A female sea horse lays up to 200 eggs at a time in the pouch. Then she swims off, leaving her male partner to care for the developing eggs and give birth to young sea horses. The female will return every day to check on her mate and the eggs, but she doesn’t stay long, nor does she take part in the birth.
It takes from to six weeks for the eggs in the male’s pouch to develop. During this time the male avoids open water and hides in sea grass. His big pouch makes it difficult form him to swim, so the male often uses his tail to grasp a piece of sea grass. Firmly, gripping the grass, he will stay perfectly still for hours or even days. The male sea horse will change his color to blend with his surroundings and avoid being seen by predators who will try to eat him or poke holes in his pouch to get the eggs. ③a
The eggs hatch inside the male’s pouch. When the babies begin moving around , the male sea horse knows it’s time for them to be born. He grabs a sea grass stem with his tail and begins rocking, bending his body back and forth．③b This causes the opening to enlarge until it is wide enough for the first baby sea horse to shoot out. The father sea horse continues rocking, bending, and stretching his baby sea horse to shoot our. The father sea horse continues rocking, bending, and stretching his body so that the rest of the babies can be born. Sometimes he has to press his pouch against a rock or some stiff seaweed to force the young out. ④
Sea horse babies are born in groups of five or more. Sometimes it takes two days for the father sea horse to give birth to all his young. He is very tiered when it’s over. ②
Soon after giving birth to one brood, the male will approach his mate and show her his empty pouch. This tells her he is ready to receive eggs again.
注释：
① 雌性海马产蛋，但雄性个体繁殖后代。
② 小海马以5个或更多为一组来到世间。有时雄性海马要化2天才能将所有的蛋孵化出
来。在完成之后它是非常累的。
③a 雄性海马要改变自身颜色目的是与四周环境颜色混同并防止被捕食类动物发现，而那些
捕食类动物试图吃掉它或戳破它的育儿袋以获取里面的蛋。
③b 雄性海马用自己的尾巴紧紧缠住海草的茎，并开始前后翻滚。
④ 有时它还得把身体紧靠在石头上或很硬的海草上，用力挤压育儿袋把即将出生的小海马挤出来。
36. What part does the female sea horse play in having babies?
A. Receive eggs. B. Laying eggs.
C. Hatching eggs D. Protecting eggs
37. What can be learned from the passage about giving birth to baby sea horses?
A. It is dangerous for the female. B. It happens once a year
C. It is hard work for the male D. It occurs in the deep sea.
38. To protect himself and his eggs, the male sea horse does all the following EXCEPT______.
A. changing his color B. gripping a piece of grass
C. staying motionless D. enlarging his pouch
39. The author suggests when sea horse babies are ready to be born _______.
A. the male sea horse seems very happy
B. it is difficult for them to come out
C. the female sea horse joins the male
D. they need large space in the pouch
40. Which fact does the author want the reader to remember most?
A. The male sea horse gives birth to the young.
B. The female sea horse lays up to 200 eggs at a time.
C. Baby sea horse are born in groups of five or more.
D. The female will return every day to check on the eggs.
36-40 B C D B A
