英文科学读本 第二册·Lesson 03 The Sponge

Lesson 03 The Sponge

Isn't it strange? said Fred, "We were talking about the sponge last night, and today we have had a lesson on it at school.

I know now what a sponge is. I have often tried to think, but I could never make it out, till teacher told us today.

I never thought it could be an animal. said Willie.

It is not quite right to call it an animal, said Fred. "Teacher says it is the skeleton of an animal, that's all."

An animal, said Norah. "Where can such an animal live?"

It lives, said Fred, "at the bottom of the sea, and a strange life it must be. It cannot move about, for it is fixed to the rocks by a sort of root."

I suppose, said Norah, "as this is only the skeleton that we see, it must have some flesh on it when it is alive?"

Oh yes, said Fred, "but the flesh is only a sort of soft jelly. That all runs away, when it is taken out of the water. Nothing is left but the tough, elastic, porous framework of its body."

But, said Norah, "if it is an animal, I suppose it has a mouth; it must eat."

Well, said her brother, "it has a great many mouths. All these little pores in the sponge are so many mouths. Teacher says it feeds by drawing itself up, and then swelling out again. You know that the sponge is very elastic.

Every time it swells itself out, some water rushes in through these little pores, and with the water the food on which the sponge lives. When it draws itself up, the water is sent out again through the larger holes. The sponge keeps back all that it wants for food. That is not sent out with the water.

What a strange animal! said Norah. "How do they get the sponges, Fred?"

Teacher told us all about it, didn't he, Fred? said Will. "Men have to go down to the bottom of the sea to get them. They are called sponge-divers. I'm glad I am not a sponge-diver, though."

Oh, do tell me all about it. said Norah.

Well, these divers are trained to dive while they are boys. They are taken out to the place in a boat. When they are ready, they fix a large stone to their foot and slide down to the bottom, holding a rope in their hands. As soon as they get to the bottom, they cut away with a long knife as many sponges as they can. These they put into a bag slung round their neck. They can't stay under water more than three minutes, and then they are drawn up by the men in the boat."

What a dreadful life it must be! said Norah.

SUMMARY

The sponge is the skeleton of an animal, that lives on the rocks at the bottom of the sea. Its pores are its mouths. Divers go down to the bottom of the sea to get the sponges.