<div><p align="center" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">Fish </font></span></u></b></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">Fish? How much you know about them? But, I am not going to read to you anything from the encyclopedia. Fish in general is far too boring and anyone can pick up all the general information from encyclopedias and the Internet. So what I shall present to you is interesting facts about fish. After listening to my speech, I guarantee you that you will have further insights towards fish.</font></span></p><p><font size="5"><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">When you go to an aquarium, you think that the tanks are made of glass, without doubt. No! It is acrylic, not glass. Why not glass? My answer to you is: acrylic is stronger and produces less distortion. It is 28cm thick!</span><br/> <span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">At any one time, 4 million litres of water are in the Aquarium's tanks!</span></font></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">How about pain? When a fish is caught on a hook and line, it can definitely feel through its nervous system that it has been hooked, and will try to escape. Unlike humans, most fish have no frontal lobe in their brains and so they are not likely to be distressed by what they feel.</font></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">The underwater world is not as silent as you all may think. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, fish play an important role in contributing to the “noise”. The gas-filled swimbladder is used to amplify sounds. Muscles attached to the swimbladder are contracted to produce sound waves that are heard as growls, yelps, whistles, grunts, hoots and drumming noises. These noises are used to chase away predators or attract mates. Ganters and Kobs are well known fish that produce sounds.</font></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">Swimbladders are vital in keeping fish floating. Gas is pumped in or out to change the buoyancy of the fish. The fish will die a horrible death if it is pulled too quickly to the surface, the gas in the swimbladder cannot adjust quickly enough to the decreasing pressure. The bladder the either bursts or pushes the internal organs out of the mouth.</font></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">Wonder why there are scales on a fish? The scales on a fish's body actually protect it from predators, parasites and sharp rocks as they form a flexible armour coating. The rows of scales bend with the swimming movements of the fish to make a streamlined body over which the water flows smoothly. Other than that, scales are also used to store essential minerals, such as calcium, which are absorbed when needed.</font></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">All fish have an age just like us and we can find out a fish’s age by looking at the regular rings laid down on the scales. If they are laid down once a year then it is easy to tell the age of the fish.</font></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">Another fact, fish grow throughout their lives, but they grow slower as they grow older.</font></span></p><p><font size="5"><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">Now, imagine a fish lying on its side in the sand. Its eyes have no eyelids. What happens to that lower eye? Get flooded with sand? Flatfishes have the solution - they just move it!</span><br/> <span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">The young flatfish has eyes placed on either side of its head. It swims in the plankton.</span><br/> <span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">As it grows, one eye moves to the top of its head and the dorsal fin grows forward.</span><br/> <span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';">The adult flatfish lies on its side in the sand. Both eyes are now on the upper side and can focus independently of each other. Interesting right?</span></font></p><p><span lang="EN-US" xmllang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS';"><font size="5">This is certainly not the end to the fascinating facts of fish. There are still lots of interesting facts waiting for you. From my speech, I hope it will change your perspective when you look at a fish next time.</font></span></p></div>
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-8-16 21:42:08编辑过]
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