It’s 4 am, and Danilo C. Dequina is already awake. Holding a flashlight and a bucket, he is walking in the pre-dawn darkness along the shore of Old Poblacion Beach in the town of Maitum, Sarangani, in the far south of the Philippines.

A few minutes later, he spots a patch of sand that appears to have been disturbed by a turtle. Dequina studies the area carefully, figuring out where the eggs have been buried, and then starts digging slowly. After clearing away several centimeters of sand, he uncovers a large group of eggs, roughly the size of ping-pong balls. He picks them up and puts them in the bucket.

Dequina carries the eggs to his hatchery (孵卵所), some 50 meters away from the seashore. The hatchery is really just a sandy patch of land under the coconut trees enclosed by a black fence. It is here that he buries the turtle eggs he has collected. Today, Dequina scoops a hole, puts the eggs in it, and covers them with sand. After 45 to 70 days, the eggs will hatch. Dequina will then carry the hatchlings to the shore, and release them into the sea. He admits to feeling sorrow as he sets the hatchlings free -- most are hunted down by natural predators, and just one percent survive to adulthood.

According to the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), eight species of sea turtles face extinction, including four that come to the shores of Sarangani to lay their eggs -- the Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead and Green Turtles.

After learning about their plight (困境), Dequina attended a DENR training session on turtle conservation and decided to take action. He helped the local government to set up the Pawikan Nesting Sanctuary next to his house in 2003.

The hatchery drew the attention of the locals. “They started to change their attitudes towards sea turtles,” 52-year-old Dequina says. “If they see turtle eggs, they will either bring them to me or inform me of the nesting places.” Over the past ten years, more than 3,000 hatchlings have been released to the ocean.

55. Dequina walks along the shore to ________.

A. release small turtles

B. bury turtle eggs deeper

C. look for newly laid turtle eggs

D. clear away trash from the seaside

56. When Dequina finds turtle eggs along the shore, he will ________.

A. put them into the sea instantly

B. just bury them

C. pick them up and put them in the bucket

D. take them and go to his house

57. What is the attitude of local people toward Dequina’s efforts?

A. Doubtful. B. Disappointed. C. Opposed. D. Supportive. [来源:Zxxk.Com]

58. What do we learn from the passage?

A. Dequina feels sad when he releases hatchlings.

B. Dequina has worked for the hatchery for six years.

C. The hatchery is far from Dequina’s house.[来源:学科网]

D. The hatchery mainly protects injured turtles.

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