All animals play. Running and rolling are ways for them to have fun. But it also seems to be how they communicate and strengthen bonds with each other.
When a dog comes up to another dog, front legs bowed or his tail high or wagging, his friend knows he wants to play. But new research shows that this play behavior is surprisingly similar when horses and dogs play.
“Up to now, most studies have focused on dog-human play due to the important implications that such studies have in understanding the special relationship we establish with our pets,” researchers from Italy wrote in the journal Behavioural Processes. “Here, we focused on social play between dogs and horses.”
To study communication among different species, Elisabetta Palagi and her colleagues from the University of Pisa found 20 YouTube videos of dogs and horses playing where their interactions lasted at least 30 seconds. They analyzed the videos, looking for specific patterns of play.
They found that while playing, both dogs and horses often had relaxed, open mouths, which is a common playful facial expression in animals. Some also copied each others' movements, like pretending to bite, playing with an object, or rolling on their backs on the ground. The team also found that the dogs and horses copied each other's facial expressions. This behavior, called rapid facial mimicry, has been seen before in dogs and sun bears, points out National Geographic. But it has never been documented between animals of different species.
“A 2000-pound horse can play with a relatively tiny dog because the two are able to communicate their intentions. It's an important study because it shows how two animals who look and behave so differently can manage to discuss how to play in a way that's comfortable for both,” Barbara Smuts, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Michigan, told National Geographic.
1. How does a dog express his intention to play?| A．By bowing his back legs. | B．By crossing his legs. |
| C．By waving his tail high. | D．By raising his head. |
| A．By referring to some books about animal species. |
| B．By analyzing videos of dogs playing with horses. |
| C．By playing with some dogs and horses separately. |
| D．By conducting an experiment on dogs and sun bears. |
| A．Dogs like to play with horses best. |
| B．Dogs and horses imitate each other's actions. |
| C．Animals show happiness by opening their mouths. |
| D．Different animals have different patterns of play. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Opposed. | D．Unconcerned. |
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【推荐1】The high intelligence levels of orangutans (红毛猩猩) have long been recognised, partly due to their practical skills such as using tools to crack nuts and search for insects. But new research suggests the primate (灵长动物) has another handy skill: applying medicinal herbs intentionally to an open wound.
A male Sumatran orangutan known as Rakus was observed by the research team with a fresh facial wound in June 2022. Three days later, Rakus was witnessed feeding on the stem and leaves of a plant. Thirteen minutes after Rakus had started feeding on it, he began chewing the leaves without swallowing them, then used his fingers to apply the resulting juice directly on to his facial wound. He repeated this behavior for seven minutes and at last fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. He then continued feeding on the plant for 30 minutes. Over the following days, there were no signs of infection. The wound closed within five days and was healed, with only a faint scar remaining after one month.
It is not the first time wild primate species have been spotted self-medicating: among other examples, Bornean orangutans have been seen rubbing their arms and legs with chewed leaves from a plant used by humans to treat sore muscles, while chimpanzees have been recorded chewing plants known to treat worm infections and applying insects to wounds. However, the new discovery is the first time a wild animal has been observed treating open wounds with a substance known to have medicinal properties. “In the chimpanzee case they used insects and unfortunately it was never found out whether these insects really promote wound healing. Whereas in our case, the orangutan used the plant, and this plant has known medical properties,” said Dr Caroline Schuppli, senior author of the research.
Rakus’s goal-oriented behavior and the medicinal properties of his chosen treatment offer insight into the origins of human wound care-the treatment of which was first mentioned in a medical manuscript dating to 2200BC. “It definitely shows that these basic cognitive capacities that you need to come up with a behaviour like this were present at the time of our last common ancestor most likely,” said Schuppli.
It remains unclear whether Rakus figured the process out for himself or learned it from another orangutan, although it has not been seen in any other individual.
1. How did the team conduct their research?| A．By analyzing previous records. | B．By tracking the research object. |
| C．By quoting others’ findings. | D．By categorizing qualities of primates. |
| A．The primate’s awareness of herb selection. | B．The locations of the wild primates. |
| C．The sizes of the application range. | D．The outcome of the treatment. |
| A．Supporting evidence for the research results. |
| B．Potential significance of the research findings. |
| C．A further explanation of the research summary. |
| D．A reasonable doubt about the research process. |
| A．The origin of Rakus’ intentional self-medication. |
| B．Different medicinal plants used by wild primates. |
| C．Active wound treatment s shared by humans and primates |
| D．The possible influence from Rakus’ family. |
【推荐2】[1] It happens countless times a day. A flower’s bright color and the smell of sweet nectar (花蜜) attract a bee. The bee stops by for a quick taste and small grains of pollen (the powder produced by a flower) stick to its body. The bee then travels to another flower of the same type and leaves the pollen as it has another meal. This is an example of animal pollination (授粉) — a process extremely important to plant reproduction.
[2] It’s not only plants that depend on animal pollination — humans do, too. Worldwide, nearly a thousand plants that we grow for food, spices, clothing fibers, and medicine depend on it. If pollination suddenly stopped, we would have no apples, tomatoes, coffee, and many other goods.
[3] This important process is carried out by more than 200,000 different animal species known as pollinators. Flies and beetles - the original pollinators - date back 130 million years to the first flowering plants. Birds, butterflies, and ants also do their part. Even nonflying mammals help out: monkeys tear open flowers with their hands, accidentally spreading pollen into the air and onto their fur.
[4] Pollinators are therefore important, but they are also at risk. Climate change, habitat loss, and invasive predators (入侵捕食者) all threaten them. The United States, for example, has lost over 50 percent of its honeybees over the past ten years. A serious threat facing bees is colony collapse disorder, when worker bees mysteriously disappear from their colony. Scientists are still trying to identify its cause.
[5] There is a quote attributed to Einstein that if bees ever disappeared, man would only have four years left to live. Whether that’s true or not does not really matter, says wildlife photographer Louie Schwartzberg: the key point is that there is a real danger. “The healthiest food we need to eat,” he says, “would disappear without pollinating plants. It’s pretty serious.”
1. What might be left on flower B, as is shown in the picture?
| A．Nectar. |
| B．Pollen. |
| C．Leaves. |
| D．Fur. |
| A．Pollination means a lot to fruits and grains. |
| B．Nearly a thousand plants depend on pollination. |
| C．Monkeys are the only nonflying mammal pollinators. |
| D．There are more than 20,000 different species of pollinators. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Habitat loss. |
| C．Invasive predators. | D．Colony collapse disorder. |
| A．Bees are disappearing. | B．Humans can only survive 4 years. |
| C．Food shortage is serious. | D．No pollinating plants, no healthy food. |
| A．The Importance of Pollinators | B．The Creator of Nature |
| C．The Wonder of Reproduction | D．The Secret Life of Bees |
【推荐3】The mosquito is a troublesome and sometimes dangerous insect. Their bites itch (发痒) and can carry dangerous diseases, like malaria and yellow fever. However, researchers from Britain and Japan recently discovered how mosquitoes fly. This knowledge, they said, helps find ways to design new flying devices.
Mosquitoes’ wings are small and have an uncommon shape. Because of this, it is hard to believe that they are able to fly. So how does their flight make possible? The team of scientists from Britain and Japan solved the puzzle. They used high-speed cameras and computer images to understand the rules of how the insect moves its wings to stay in the air. Researchers at the University of Oxford took images of mosquitoes’ wing movements. They set up eight high-speed cameras that take l0, 000 images each second.
Simon Walker, a researcher at the University of Oxford, said, “Normally to record an insect you need at least two cameras, perfectly more, so you’ve got enough views of an insect because with two camera views you can then take any point on an insect and calculate(计算) its 3D coordinates.” They find mosquitoes fly by moving their wings in several different directions.
The research team believes the mosquitoes’ wing movements could help inventors design new flying devices. Walker said that existing unmanned flying devices or drones do not work very well outside because wind can affect their flight. “Insects, on the other hand, deal really well with even quite windy conditions. So understanding bow they can do this is going to be advantageous to us in the future.”
These researchers said that, more importantly, humans can benefit a lot from understanding how mosquitoes fly.
1. Why is mosquitoes’ flight considered to be a mystery?| A．They have little and unusual wings. | B．They have heavy bodies. |
| C．They have large and strange wings. | D．They’re small in size. |
| A．It flies by the night light. | B．It rises and falls at times. |
| C．It moves its wings in different sides. | D．It shakes its wings non-stop. |
| A．Because it can’t fly everywhere. |
| B．Because it has no man in it. |
| C．Because it can’t move in rainy conditions. |
| D．Because wind can have an effect on their flight. |
| A．The mystery of a drone and the effect on it. |
| B．The mystery of the mosquitoes’ flight and the application. |
| C．The mystery of the high-speed cameras and the images they take. |
| D．The mystery of the dangerous insect and the diseases they carry. |
The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processors（处理器）, or WPS as they are often called. 60% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast.
There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as re-typing letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager’s point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours.
But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units（显示器）. The case of a slow loss of sight among people using word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in England bother to buy them.
Whatever the arguments for and against word processor, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice.
1. Ten years ago, smaller companies did not use large computers because_________.
| A．these companies had not enough money to buy such expensive computers |
| B．these computers could not do the work that small computers can do today |
| C．these computers did not come onto the market |
| D．these companies did not need to use this new technology |
| A．the saving of time and money |
| B．the use of computers in small companies |
| C．the wide use of word processors |
| D．the decreasing number of secretaries |
| A．some secretaries will lose their jobs |
| B．daily jobs can be done automatically outside office hours |
| C．medical problems related to work with a VDU have increased greatly |
| D．the British companies will make less money |
| A．There are both advantages and disadvantages in using a word processor. |
| B．The British companies care much for the health of the people using word processors. |
| C．The technology in the field of computers has been greatly advanced over the last ten years. |
| D．Using word processors, secretaries can get more time to do more interesting work for their bosses. |
| A．safety screens are of poor quality |
| B．working at a VDU for a long time is good for one’s health |
| C．more and more British offices will use word processors |
| D．British companies will need fewer and fewer managers |
【推荐2】How to eat healthfully can be especially complex for working women who often have neither the desire nor the time to cook for themselves (or for anyone else). Registered dietitian (营养学家) Barbara Morrissey suggests that a few simple rules can help.
“Go for nutrient-dense (营养丰富的) foods,” she suggests. “Foods that contain a multiple of nutrients. For example, select whole wheat bread as a breakfast food, rather than coffeecake. Or drink orange juice rather than orange drink, which contains only a small percentage of real juice — the rest is largely colored sugar water. You just can’t compare the value of these foods, the nutrient-dense ones are so excellent,” she emphasizes.
Morrissey believes that variety is not only the spice of life — it’s the foundation of a healthful diet. Diets, which are based on one or two foods, are not only virtually impossible to keep up the strength; they can be very harmful, she says, because nutrients aren’t supplied in sufficient amounts or balance.
According to Morrissey, trying to find a diet that will cure your illness, or make yourself a superwoman is a fruitless search. As women, many of us are too concerned with staying thin, she says, and we believe that vitamins are some kind of magic cure to replace food.
“We need carbohydrates, protein and fat — they are like the wood in the fireplace. The vitamins and minerals are the match, the spark, for the fuel,” she explains. “We need them all, but in a very different proportions (比例). And if the fuel isn’t there, the spark is useless.”
1. From the first paragraph we know that working women ________.| A．think cooking is especially complicated |
| B．do not share the same views with registered dietitians |
| C．are busy and not interested in cooking |
| D．are likely to eat healthfully |
| A．it contains only a small percentage of real juice |
| B．it is natural, nutritious and prepared from real juice |
| C．it is largely orange-colored sugar water |
| D．it contains nothing but calories |
| A．an effort with no results | B．a search for a diet without fruits |
| C．a research on fruitless diets | D．a diet serving as medicine |
| A．carbohydrates, protein and fat are enough to support a human life |
| B．vitamins and minerals are virtually of no value |
| C．carbohydrates, protein and fat, vitamins and minerals are of no use |
| D．without carbohydrates, protein and fat, vitamins and minerals are of no use |
【推荐3】Have you ever suddenly developed an appetite from a passing glance at a freeway billboard featuring a brightly colored cheeseburger, or decided to step into a candy or ice cream store displaying a window full of lively shades and hues of sweet treats? If so, you are in good company. Unless we are medically restricted or strictly dieting, we are not likely to resist inviting food simply because we recognize the lack of nutritional value.
Devina Wadhera and Elizabeth D. Capaldi- Phillips in “A review of visual cues associated with food on food acceptance and consumption” demonstrated(论证) the impact of sensory cues on food consumption and enjoyment, and the potential they have to promote healthy eating behavior. They cited previous research in providing some interesting examples of the visual impact of different color schemes on taste and food enjoyment. They noted that pink food on a white plate was considered sweeter and more flavorful than the same food on a black plate. Apparently, we consume food with more of our senses than we realize.
So when we’re faced with so many appealing food choices and given the rainbow of colors around us, is there any way to control our tendency to indulge (沉溺)? Thankfully, some research says yes.
Oliver Genschow demonstrated that when it comes to eating less, colors impact consumption. They specifically researched the effect of the color red. They found that people ate fewer pretzels when using a red plate, as opposed to white or blue, and drank less from a red cup than a blue cup. They suggested that the color red reduces food and drink intake by functioning as a stop signal.
But when it comes to healthy eating, instead of putting on a pair of sunglasses to block the inviting hues of food cues, consider the value of discipline. Healthy eating involves intentional choices, not mindless responses to sensory cues. And before you invest in much red tableware to slim down, remember that what goes onto the plates is much more important.
1. What may cause us to refuse eye-catching food?| A．The shortage of nutrition. | B．The rich color of fine food. |
| C．The doctor’s instructions. | D．Advertisements everywhere. |
| A．Benefits of different color schemes. |
| B．Interesting examples of food service. |
| C．The ways to promote food consumption. |
| D．Effects of sensory cues on eating behavior. |
| A．Follow the sensory cues. | B．Make food choices sensibly. |
| C．Wear sunglasses to block colors. | D．Avoid colorful food intentionally. |
| A．How Can People Control Their Appetites? |
| B．How Are People Tricked by Color Schemes? |
| C．How Do Colors Impact Food’s Appeal? |
| D．How Do Bright Colors Make Food More Appealing? |
【推荐1】When micro-plastics end up in farm fields, the pollution can damage plant growth. But two young researchers now report that combining fungi (真菌) with certain farm wastes can partly overcome that problem.
May Shin, 20, and Jiwon Choi, 18, met in a research design class at the Fryeburg Academy, a high school in Maine. May had desired to explore how micro-plastics might affect the ecosystem. Jiwon was crazy about plants and fungi. The young scientists cooperated to test how long-lived plastics might affect farm crops.
Scientists have shown certain fungi can aid root growth and a plant’s nutrient uptake. Those organisms are named arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Certain farm wastes, like straw, can provide nutrients to plants and help stabilize their roots. Such wastes are also known as mushroom substrate (基质) and people often grow mushrooms in them.
May and Jiwon planted over 2,000 scallion (大葱) seeds in pots of soil. Half the seeds got soil polluted with micro-plastics. The rest grew in plastic-free soil. The plants then were further divided into four groups. The young scientists added AMF to the soil in one group. Another group had a top layer of mushroom substrate. A third group got both treatments. The last group got none. For three weeks, the pair tracked how many scallions sprouted (发芽) in each group and measured the plants’ height once each week.
About twice as many scallions sprouted in clean soil compared to that containing plastic bits. But among plants surviving in the polluted soil, a combination of AMF and mushroom substrate helped them out. Those getting both treatments grew 5.4 centimeters per week. That was faster than either of the treatments alone or those getting none.
Jiwon and May then looked at the plant roots with a microscope. Where AMF had been added, it grew into those roots. That increased the scallion roots’ surface area, May said, which should promote their uptake of nutrients. So “I see this project as coming up with a sustainable solution for plant growth in polluted soils,” said May.
1. Why did May and Jiwon work together?| A．To see the effects of long-lived plastics on farm crops. |
| B．To find the relationship between plants and fungi. |
| C．To design a research on the growth of plants. |
| D．To explore the way that the ecosystem works. |
| A．To prove the existence of micro-plastics. | B．To compare fungi with farm wastes. |
| C．To tell the advantages of farm wastes. | D．To provide some related information. |
| A．Its purpose. | B．Its design. | C．Its findings. | D．Its reasons. |
| A．By keeping the plants more resistant to pollution. | B．By allowing the plants’ deep area more freedom. |
| C．By making nutrients more available to the plants. | D．By exposing the roots to a larger surface area. |
【推荐2】The widespread use of Internet technology has made our lives easier but causes a big challenge to senior citizens(长者), who are not always comfortable with smartphones and so many new apps.
Only a few senior citizens are able to enjoy the benefits that new technologies offer. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of people aged 60 and above was 253.88 million in 2019, about 18.1% of China's population. But only 23%of the senior citizens were able to use the Internet. That means more than three-fourths of the elderly are deprived (剥夺) of the digital benefits.
Many senior citizens who can't use smartphones are facing difficulties during this pandemic (流行病). Even with a smartphone in hand and Internet available, many of them still feel helpless. They don't know how to call a taxi through the apps. There have been reports of many shops turning away elders who don't know how to pay using smartphones, instead of letting them pay with cash. Worse still, as they don't know how to get the Internet-based health code (健康码), they are refused to enter many public places. Presenting individual health code is part of the epidemic prevention (防疫) and control measures.
New technologies become popular because they are often of great use in our daily lives. But many senior citizens, especially those living in the country-side or those whose grown-up children don't live with them, are not able to use the Internet or smart-phones, either because of financial (经济的) problems or because they cannot learn new things beyond a certain point. The digital gap between the elderly and the young is becoming more obvious.
However, the senior citizens should not become a silent group deprived of digital benefits. It is our responsibility to help them bridge the digital gap, and be patient with them when they face difficulties catching up.
1. What do the statistics show in Paragraph 2?| A．There are a small number of senior citizens in China. |
| B．Only 23% of the senior citizens can use the computer. |
| C．Three fourths of the eldly are unwilling to use smartphones. |
| D．Many elders fail to enjoy the convenience of the digital devices. |
| A．Cash is no longer accepted in most shops. | B．It's a must for everyone to have a health code. |
| C．Most elders need guidance on how to use the apps. | D．Many shops now refuse to offer service to the elderly. |
| A．their living areas | B．their financial conditions |
| C．their relationship with children | D．their difficulty in learning new things |
| A．They should not use modern technology. | B．They should keep silent using digital products. |
| C．The young should help them patiently. | D．The young should persuade them to pay with cash. |
【推荐3】There is good reason to believe that emerging digital technologies can improve the functioning of agriculture markets at a very low cost per farmer.
Mobile phones, particularly GPS-enabled smartphones, make the provision of tailored information much easier than before. Recommendations for agrochemical inputs that address specific soil conditions can improve yields while reducing environmentally harmful and wasteful use. Farmers can tailor their investment decisions to expected weather patterns and benefit from improvements in weather forecasting. As smartphone use continues to expand, farmers will increasingly have the means to watch videos demonstrating new agricultural techniques or take pictures of pests affecting their crops and either request automatic identification and recommendations or raise questions with agronomists. Finally, digital agricultural services can improve the functioning of agricultural supply chains. For example, these services could make it easier for farmers to check and compare input or output prices ; and facilitate coordination among farmers in an area and with traders.
However, despite the potential of digital agriculture, reasons for skepticism remain. Overcoming informational restrictions may not result in substantially increased agricultural productivity, given the existence of other barriers such as input shortages at local markets, and missing insurance markets. Informational barriers are also important, and mobile phone messages may not overcome them: some farmers ignore messages, especially from unknown sources. Some farmers are illiterate and have difficulty using voice menus. Senders may design obscure and confusing messages or may provide messages designed to target objectives at odds with farmer interests. Effective communication may require pictures or video. Smartphones are thus required to receive these messages, but few farmers currently have access to this technology in the poorest countries. Finally, farmers may begin to ignore reminders they are repeated too often, or they may be annoyed by unwanted messages, which could lead to reduced trust in the messaging system.
1. According to Para 2, what can farmers do in digital agriculture?| A．They can use agrochemical to handle environmental problems. |
| B．They can adjust investment decisions based on weather forecasts. |
| C．They can identify pests on their crops by watching videos. |
| D．They can compete with others in prices in an efficient way. |
| A．In disagreement with. | B．By means of. |
| C．In line with. | D．Apart from. |
| A．Shortages of input in local markets and lack of insurance markets. |
| B．No access to digital technology in poorest countries. |
| C．Failure to read or use the voice menu on mobile phones. |
| D．Loss of interest and ignorance of the intended messages. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
