It's sad to learn that a whale has died in the ocean． However， that is not the end for the whale．It gives a lot to other sea animals after death．

When a whale dies， it quickly drops to the bottom of the ocean floor． There the whale's dead body provides food and nutrients（营养） for deep sea animals． The remains（残髓） can last（持续） for ten years and build an ecosystem called a whale fall ﹣ an "oasis（绿洲）" of life in the deep sea．

Chinese scientists found a whale fall for the first time in the South China Sea this year． The whale fall ecosystem can stay in the deep ocean because of great pressure and cold temperature there． They can stop the body from decomposing（分解） too quickly． The depth（深度） makes it hard for scientists to find the whale fall There are less than 50 known whale falls in the world．

The whale fall in the South China Sea is about three meters long．Scientists have found several species（物种） near the whale fall． Some fish have started to eat the whale's tail． A scientist named Xie Wei says the whale fall might be quite recent and needs long﹣term observation（观察）． By studying the whale fall， scientists can better understand how sea ecosystems support life．

阅读下面短文，根据短文内容回答问题．

（1）What does the whale's dead body provide for deep﹣sea animals？ 　　

（2）Where did Chinese scientists find a whale fall for the first time？ 　　

（3）Why can the whale fall ecosystem stay in the deep ocean？ 　　

（4）Are there any species near the whale fall in the South China Sea？ 　　

（5）What does the passage mainly talk about？ 　　

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