Beaches Closed Because of Dead Whale (CEFR Compare)

Apr 26, 2026, 11:01

Beaches Closed Because of Dead Whale

Introduction

Some beaches south of Sydney are closed. A large dead whale is on the beach. Now, there are many sharks in the water.

Main Body

On Saturday, workers found a dead sperm whale. The whale is very big and heavy. It is on the rocks at Era Beach. The whale is not dangerous to people. Many places are now closed. These include Garie, Era, and Wattamolla beaches. People cannot go there. Big white sharks are swimming near the dead whale. Workers cannot move the whale easily. It is too heavy. They cannot pull it into the deep sea. They will move it by road next week. Workers are talking to the Dharawal people. The sperm whale is important to their culture. They want to move the whale with respect.

Conclusion

The beaches will stay closed. They will open again when the whale is gone and the sharks leave.

Vocabulary Learning

culture (n.)

way of life / the habits and beliefs of a group of people文化

Example:We should learn about the culture of different countries.

dangerous (adj.)

unsafe / likely to cause harm危險的

Example:It is dangerous to walk alone in the dark.

easily (adv.)

without difficulty / in a way that is not hard容易地

Example:She can speak three languages easily.

include (v.)

contain / to have something as a part of a group包括；包含

Example:The price of the meal does not include drinks.

respect (n.)

politeness / a feeling of admiring someone or something尊重；敬意

Example:We must show respect to our teachers.

Sentence Learning

Beaches Closed Because of Dead Whale

Reasoning: The phrase 'because of' explains the reason for the beach closure.原因: 'because of' 短語解釋了海灘關閉的原因。

Now, there are many sharks in the water.

Time Marker: The word 'now' describes what is happening at the present time.時間標記: 'now' 一詞描述了目前發生的事情。

The whale is very big and heavy.

Basic Connector: The word 'and' is used to join two words together to describe the whale.基本連接詞: 'and' 一詞用於將兩個詞語連接在一起，以描述該鯨魚。

It is on the rocks at Era Beach.

Prepositional Phrase: The phrases 'on the rocks' and 'at Era Beach' show the exact location.介詞短語: 'on the rocks' 與 'at Era Beach' 顯示了確切的位置。

They will open again when the whale is gone and the sharks leave.

Time Connector: The word 'when' connects the opening of the beaches to a future event.時間連接詞: 'when' 一詞將海灘的重開與未來的事件聯繫起來。

Royal National Park Beaches Closed After Sperm Whale Carcass Found

Introduction

Authorities in New South Wales have closed several beaches south of Sydney after finding the body of a large sperm whale. This discovery has led to an increase in shark activity in the area.

Main Body

On Saturday morning, lifesavers found a partial sperm whale carcass on the rocks at the southern end of Era Beach. The whale weighed about 25 tonnes and measured between 8.5 and 9 metres. Brendon Neilly, a manager for NSW National Parks and Wildlife, explained that the body is already quite decomposed. Although the cause of death is not yet known, Mr. Neilly emphasized that the carcass does not currently pose a risk to public health. As a result, several areas in the Royal National Park have been closed, including Garie, Era, Wattamolla, and Burning Palms beaches, as well as the Figure Eight Pools and the Coast track. These closures are happening during the Anzac weekend public holiday. Authorities decided to restrict access because bull and great white sharks have been seen near the carcass. To manage the risk, Surf Life Saving NSW is using drones and jet skis for monitoring and has told patrol teams to remain highly alert. Removing the whale has proven difficult due to several logistical problems. Because of its size, officials claimed that towing the body into deeper water is not a viable option. Furthermore, the site can only be reached on foot, and there are few places to bury it on land. The current plan is to move the carcass to a location where it can be transported by road to a waste facility, though this is not expected to happen until next week. Additionally, authorities are working with the Illawarra Land Council to ensure the process respects the cultural importance of sperm whales to the Dharawal people.

Conclusion

The affected beaches and park areas will stay closed until the carcass is removed and the risk from sharks has decreased.

Vocabulary Learning

alert (adj.)

watchful / quick to notice any unusual or dangerous circumstances警覺的；警惕的

Example:Drivers must remain alert when traveling on narrow mountain roads.

emphasize (v.)

highlight / to give special importance to something強調；重視

Example:The teacher emphasized the importance of arriving on time for the exam.

monitor (v.)

observe / to watch and check a situation carefully over time監測；監察

Example:The security team is monitoring the building using several cameras.

pose (v.)

present / to create a threat, problem, or danger造成；構成（危險、威脅等）

Example:The abandoned building poses a serious safety risk to the neighborhood.

restrict (v.)

limit / to keep something within certain limits限制；約束

Example:The government decided to restrict the use of plastic bags in supermarkets.

Sentence Learning

Although the cause of death is not yet known, Mr. Neilly emphasized that the carcass does not currently pose a risk to public health.

Concession & Passive Voice: This sentence uses 'although' to contrast the unknown cause of death with the lack of health risk, while using the passive voice 'is not yet known' for formal reporting.讓步子句與被動語態：此句子使用「although」（雖然）來對比死因不明與不構成健康風險的情況，並使用被動語態「is not yet known」（尚不清楚）進行正式報導。

As a result, several areas in the Royal National Park have been closed, including Garie, Era, Wattamolla, and Burning Palms beaches, as well as the Figure Eight Pools and the Coast track.

Cause and Effect & Present Perfect Passive: 'As a result' introduces the consequence of the discovery, and 'have been closed' indicates an action completed in the past with current relevance.因果關係與現在完成式被動語態：「As a result」（結果）引出發現屍體後的後果，而「have been closed」（已被關閉）則表示過去完成且對現狀有影響的動作。

The current plan is to move the carcass to a location where it can be transported by road to a waste facility, though this is not expected to happen until next week.

Relative Clause & Passive Voice: The relative adverb 'where' adds essential information about the 'location', and the passive voice 'is not expected' focuses on the event rather than the person.關係子句與被動語態：關係副詞「where」為「location」（地點）提供必要的補充資訊，而被動語態「is not expected」（預計不會）將焦點放在事件本身而非執行者。

Authorities decided to restrict access because bull and great white sharks have been seen near the carcass.

Reason & Present Perfect Passive: The conjunction 'because' explains the logic behind the decision, while 'have been seen' reports sightings without specifying who saw them.原因子句與現在完成式被動語態：連詞「because」（因為）解釋了決定背後的邏輯，而「have been seen」（已被看見）則在不指明目擊者的情況下報導目擊事件。

To manage the risk, Surf Life Saving NSW is using drones and jet skis for monitoring and has told patrol teams to remain highly alert.

Infinitive of Purpose: The sentence starts with an infinitive phrase to clearly state the objective of the actions taken by authorities.不定式表示目的：句子以不定式短語「To manage the risk」（為了管理風險）開頭，明確說明當局採取行動的目的。

Closure of Royal National Park Beaches Following Discovery of Sperm Whale Carcass

Introduction

Authorities in New South Wales have closed multiple beaches south of Sydney following the discovery of a large sperm whale carcass, which has resulted in increased shark activity in the region.

Main Body

On Saturday morning, lifesavers identified a partial sperm whale carcass, weighing approximately 25 tonnes and measuring between 8.5 and 9 metres, situated on the rocks at the southern extremity of Era Beach. According to Brendon Neilly, the royal area manager for New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife, the specimen is in a medium to advanced state of decomposition. While the cause of death remains undetermined, Mr. Neilly stated that the carcass currently presents no public health risks. Consequently, several locations within the Royal National Park have been closed to the public, including Garie, Era, Wattamolla, and Burning Palms beaches, as well as the Figure Eight Pools, the Coast track, and various picnic areas and lookouts. These closures coincide with the Anzac weekend public holiday. The decision to restrict access is predicated on the sighting of bull and great white sharks in the vicinity of the carcass. Surf Life Saving NSW has deployed drones and jet skis for surveillance and has instructed patrol teams in the Illawarra and Sydney regions to maintain high vigilance. Logistical constraints have complicated the removal of the remains. Due to the carcass's mass and the potential for it to become a navigational hazard, towing the specimen into deeper waters has been deemed non-viable. Furthermore, the site is only accessible on foot, and land-based burial options are limited within the Sydney Basin. The current operational plan involves towing the carcass to a location where it can be loaded for road transport to a waste transfer facility; however, removal is not anticipated until the following week. Parallel to the logistical operations, authorities are coordinating with the Illawarra Land Council. This collaboration is intended to ensure that the removal process is conducted with due respect for the cultural significance of sperm whales to the Dharawal people.

Conclusion

The affected beaches and park areas will remain closed until the carcass is removed and the associated shark risk is mitigated.

Vocabulary Learning

extremity (n.)

limit / the furthest point or limit of something末端；盡頭

Example:The explorers reached the northern extremity of the island after weeks of trekking.

mitigated (v.)

alleviated / make less severe, serious, or painful緩解；減輕

Example:The government implemented new environmental regulations to ensure that the impact of industrial waste is mitigated.

non-viable (adj.)

unfeasible / not capable of working successfully; not feasible不可行的；無法辦到的

Example:Due to the lack of infrastructure, the proposal to build a luxury resort in the remote valley was deemed non-viable.

predicated (v.)

based / found or base something on取決於；以……為基礎

Example:The success of the project is predicated on the team's ability to secure additional funding.

vigilance (n.)

watchfulness / the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties警覺；警惕

Example:Security personnel maintained high vigilance throughout the international summit to ensure the safety of the delegates.

Sentence Learning

Authorities in New South Wales have closed multiple beaches south of Sydney following the discovery of a large sperm whale carcass, which has resulted in increased shark activity in the region.

Sentential Relative Clause: The relative pronoun 'which' refers back to the entire preceding situation rather than a single noun, a hallmark of advanced cohesion used to link complex cause-and-effect ideas.句子關係從句: 關係代名詞 'which' 指代前面提到的整個情況而非單一名詞，這是用於銜接複雜因果觀點的高級銜接手段。

Reduced Relative Clauses: Multiple participial phrases ('weighing', 'measuring', 'situated') function as post-modifiers, allowing for high descriptive density without the repetitive use of relative pronouns.簡略關係從句: 多個分詞短語（weighing、measuring、situated）作為後置修飾語，在不重複使用關係代名詞的情況下實現了高密度的描述。

The decision to restrict access is predicated on the sighting of bull and great white sharks in the vicinity of the carcass.

Nominalization and Stative Passive: The use of the formal phrasal verb 'is predicated on' combined with the nominalized 'sighting' creates a formal, objective tone typical of professional administrative reporting.名詞化與狀態被動語態: 使用正式短語動詞 'is predicated on'（基於）配合名詞化的 'sighting'（目擊），營造出專業行政報告中常見的正式且客觀的語調。

Due to the carcass's mass and the potential for it to become a navigational hazard, towing the specimen into deeper waters has been deemed non-viable.

Gerund Phrase as Subject: The complex gerund phrase 'towing the specimen into deeper waters' functions as the subject of the sentence, demonstrating mastery of non-finite clauses in formal writing.動名詞短語作主語: 複雜的動名詞短語 'towing the specimen into deeper waters' 作為句子的主語，展示了在正式寫作中對非限定分句的熟練運用。

This collaboration is intended to ensure that the removal process is conducted with due respect for the cultural significance of sperm whales to the Dharawal people.

Nested Passive Construction: The sentence nests a passive 'that' clause ('is conducted') within an initial passive expression of intent ('is intended to'), showcasing sophisticated syntactic layering and control.嵌套式被動結構: 該句子將被動語態的 'that' 從句（is conducted）嵌套在初始的被動意圖表達（is intended to）中，展示了高級的句法層次感與控制力。