Sometimes it takes a crisis (危机) to bring friends together. When Hurricane (飓风) Maria went through the island of Cayo Santiago in 2017, the monkeys living there became kinder toward each other, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.
The findings show the monkeys made more friends and became more patient to one another. Although the hurricane destroyed two-thirds of the plants on the “Monkey Island”, the increased competition for resources caused the monkeys to become more amicable, which helped them widen their friendship circles.
“We expected the monkeys would use their closest partners to deal with the destruction of the hurricane and so would strengthen their existing relationships,” said lead author Testard.
But that was not what happened. Instead, the monkeys built new relationships, rather than strengthening their old ones, which surprised the researchers. Monkeys that were the most lonely before the storm increased social connections the most afterward. The study showed that monkeys often befriended the friends of their friends. This “easy” way to making friends is often mirrored in human society.
The findings could also indicate how people might deal with the increasing threat of climate change. The monkeys are close evolutionary relatives to humans and share many features of their biology and behavior with human beings. The climate crisis has increased the likelihood of extreme weather events and natural disasters. Humans can learn a thing or two from studying how the monkeys cope with the unpleasant effects of climate change.
The main takeaway the study offers humans: go beyond your close-knit circle of friends and form a broader social network to survive tough times. “Our best friends can give us many things. But sometimes, what we need is a social network where everyone is just friendly enough,” Testard says.
8. What does the underlined word “
amicable” probably mean?
A.Attacking. | B.Frightening. | C.Friendly. | D.Energetic. |
9. What shocked researchers about the monkeys in crisis?
A.They shared the limited resources. | B.They took advantage of old bonds. |
C.They established new relationships. | D.Isolated monkeys were most popular. |
10. What does the last paragraph focus on about the study?
A.Its process. | B.Its result. | C.Its purpose. | D.Its significance. |
11. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Ups and Downs of the Monkey Island |
B.Connection between Humans and Monkeys |
C.A Crisis Leads to New Monkey Friendships |
D.Learn from Monkeys for Broader Social Network |