Five years ago, French navy officer Chardon was listening to a radio program about the journey of the bar-tailed godwit (斑尾塍鹬) , a bird that flies 14,000 kilometers between New Zealand and Alaska. Chardon understood how dangerous the journey would be, as heavy storms frequently hit Pacific island communities. Yet, somehow, bar-tailed godwits routinely pass through the area uninjured. Chardon wondered whether learning how godwits navigate (导航) could help coastal communities avoid disasters. Could tracking birds help save lives?
This past January, a team began experiments designed to test Chardon’s idea. Researchers led by Jiguet equipped 56 birds of five species with cutting-edge animal tracking technology. The team were transported to remote islands in French Polynesia, where they attached tags (追踪器). These tags send the birds’ locations to the International Space Station, which sends the data back to scientists on Earth who can then follow the birds — all the while waiting to see how the birds respond to natural disasters.
The project is focusing on birds’ ability to hear infrasound, the low-frequency sound humans cannot hear. Researchers believe it’s the most likely signal birds would use to sense storms and tsunamis. In a 2014 study, scientists tracking golden-winged warblers in the central and southeastern US founded the birds flew up to 1,500 kilometers to escape from the outbreak of tornadoes that killed 35 people. This showed they’d heard the storm system in advance.
The team plan on tagging more birds across the Pacific to prepare for a potential tsunami. “I think if there’s one wave that spreads across islands, we should get data from different species at different locations,” says Jiguet. “That’d definitely show it’s worth continuing to tag birds and to develop local systems to better analyze this.”
Even if the attempt to develop a bird-based tsunami early warning system fails, the project will still help scientists protect birds. In that sense, the research will have already gained results by that time. Jiguet says their first season’s tracking data shows Hawaii is an important stepping stone for the birds they tagged — a useful clue to the protection of these species above rising seas.
15. What is the purpose of Jiguet’s experiments?
A.To learn more about birds’ lifestyles. | B.To know birds’ reactions to disasters. |
C.To test an animal tracking technology. | D.To study birds’ adaptation to nature. |
16. Why is the 2014 study mentioned in paragraph 3?
A.To present a fact. | B.To make comparisons. |
C.To take a guess. | D.To introduce a new sound. |
17. What does Jiguet most probably think of their research?
A.Successful. | B.Challenging. | C.Regrettable. | D.Rewarding. |
18. What might be the best title for the text?
A.Can birds predict most natural disasters? |
B.How do we develop a warning system? |
C.Can birds warn us of natural disasters? |
D.How do birds avoid natural disasters? |