Three Gray Whales Trapped in Alaskan Ice

CNN Television News Report by Greg Lefevre, October 1988 - Modified by F. Meehan

Help is on the way for three whales trapped beneath the Arctic ice on Alaska's frozen north coast, but it is still a long distance off. A giant air-cushioned barge left Prudhoe Bay yesterday afternoon in hopes of creating a path for the whales to reach the sea. In the whales' favor, they are at their energy peak after fattening up all summer in the food rich Arctic waters getting ready for their long migration south to the waters off Mexico. The whales are now also rising to breathe in the new holes cut by rescuers. The California gray whales are sticking together, all three choosing the same hole at each breathing cycle.

(MAN SPEAKING) "The one that we were worried about - the slowest of the three - seems much better now. We think this may be because some folks have enlarged the opening that the animals have access to, and I think they are themselves less stressed now."

The nearest open ice channel is only 5 miles (about 7-8 kms) away, but just beyond that lurk polar bears, which are known to attack stressed whales.

(MAN SPEAKING) "It's getting darker and darker. There are polar bears out there that will certainly be attracted by a group of tired whales, so even if they escape fromn the ice they may still face other dangers."

There are other options for saving these whales, including dynamiting the ice to break it up, but biologists are concerned that the explosions may frighten the whales to death. Helicopter pilots are also experimenting with swinging a nine thousand pound concrete cylinder to smash the ice. Local Inuit people have given the whales the names "Siku" (meaning ice), "K'nik" (snowflake) and "Putu" (hole in the ice). However, some residents feel this rescue attempt may have gone far enough.

(MAN SPEAKING) "Personally, I think we ought to just come out in the middle of the night and end their suffering. They will suffer eventually because they're gonna lose these holes - we can't keep them open forever."

Ten to twenty rescuers are at the holes at any one time , hacking and chopping away to keep the ice from freezing over as the temperature drops below zero and continues to go down.

In which part of Alaska are the three whales trapped?
1. Near Mexico.
2. Off the north coast.
3. Off the west coast.
4. In Prudhoe Bay.
5. In California.
What is going to be used to try and make a path for the whales to escape?
1. An ice-breaking ship.
2. Dynamite.
3. A helicopter.
4. Axes.
5. A giant barge.
What advantage do the trapped whales have?
1. They have eaten well.
2. They are fast swimmers.
3. They are going to be rescued soon.
4. They have already reached the open sea.
5. Each whale uses a different hole for breathing.
How do the trapped whales use the holes cut by rescuers?
1. They each breathe at a different hole.
2. They all share the same hole for breathing.
3. They refuse to use the holes.
4. They keep their heads out of the water all the time.
5. They only breathe when the rescuers go away.
How far away is the nearest ice channel where the whales can swim freely?
1. About 3 kms away.
2. Only 5 kms away.
3. 78 kms away.
4. 10-20 kms away.
5. About 7-8 kms away.
What danger might the whales face if they do escape?
1. Polar bears.
2. Exhaustion.
3. Lack of food.
4. Inuit people who want to kill them.
5. Dynamite.
If the barge cannot help, what other options might be tried?
1. Using polar bears to scare the whales away.
2. Breaking the ice with dynamite, or by using a helicopter to swing a concrete cylinder.
3. Using food to lure (attract) the whales towards the open sea.
4. Using chemicals to dissolve the ice.
5. Cutting a series of holes in the ice, all the way out to sea.
What does the man who speaks in this report think should be done?
1. Try using a helicopter with a concrete hammer.
2. Blow up the ice with dynamite.
3. Kill the whales.
4. Wait for the barge to arrive.
5. Enlarge the openings in the ice.
How many people are keeping the ice holes open?
1. Three.
2. Five.
3. Ten to fifteen.
4. Ten to twenty.
5. More than twenty.
What kind of text is this?
1. A newspaper article.
2. A magazine article.
3. A radio report.
4. A TV report.
5. A "Save the Whales" leaflet.

Three Gray Whales Trapped in Alaskan Ice

Multiple-choice exercise

Three Gray Whales Trapped in Alaskan Ice