Humans’ invention of zero was vital for modern mathematics and science, but we’re not the only species to consider “nothing” a number. Parrots and monkeys understand the concept of zero, and now bees have joined the club, too.
Honey bees are known to have some numerical skills such as the ability to count to four, which may come in handy when keeping track of landmarks in their environment. To see whether these abilities extended to understanding zero, researchers trained 10 bees to identify the smaller of two numbers. Across a series of trials, they showed the insects two different pictures displaying a few black shapes on a white background. If the bees flew to the picture with the smaller number of shapes, they were given delicious sugar water, but if they flew toward the larger number, they were punished with bitter-tasting food.
Once the bees had learned to consistently make the correct choice, the researchers gave them a new choice: a white background containing no shapes at all. Even though the bees had never seen an empty picture before, 64% of the time they chose it rather than a picture containing two or three shapes, the authors report today in Science. This suggests that the insects understood that “zero” is less than two or three. And they weren’t just going for the empty picture because it was new and interesting. Another group of bees trained to always choose the larger number tended to pick the nonzero image in this test.
In further experiments, the researchers showed that bees’ understanding of zero was even more complex: for example, they were able to distinguish between one and zero-a challenge even for some other members of the zero club. Advanced numerical abilities like this could give animals an evolutionary advantage, helping them keep track of predators（捕食者）and food sources. And if an insect can display such a thorough grasp of the number zero, write the researchers, then this ability may be more common in the animal kingdom than we think.
1. According to the trials, the researchers have found that bees ________.| A．have the same intelligence as parrots and monkeys |
| B．can count many numbers after being trained |
| C．can identify the smaller number quickly |
| D．understand the concept of zero |
| A．confirm the bees are able to identify the smaller number |
| B．find the big difference between the two groups of bees |
| C．prove the bees are interested in new things |
| D．show the bees can be distinguished easily |
| A．Bees should be trained more. |
| B．Numerical abilities could help predators find bees. |
| C．Insects are better at understanding zero than animals. |
| D．Animals may display a thorough grasp of the number zero. |
| A．New Findings About Bees’ Concept of Zero |
| B．Experients on Bees’ Numerical Skills |
| C．Complex Trials About the Zero Club |
| D．A Science Report of the Species of Bees |
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【推荐1】One day, “supercharged plants” may help feed people around the world. Supercharged plants are ones that grow faster than normal plant life. Scientists can speed up the growth by modifying, or changing, the structure of plants' genes. The modifications make them react quickly to changes in light. This all has to do with photosynthesis(光合作用), the process in which plants turn sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into food.
Plants grow fastest in the sun. That is when they make the most food for themselves. But their rate of growth can slow when things like clouds or trees block sunlight. But when the sun returns, it can take many minutes for growth to speed up again.
This can be a problem because it means some of our most important crop plants are not as productive as they could be. Researchers say demand for food is expected to increase up to 70 percent by the middle of the century. They also note rising temperatures on Earth's surface. That is why they are looking for ways to improve photosynthesis and make plants more productive.
Steve Long is a plant biologist at the University of Illinois. He wanted to find a way to help plants get back up to speed quickly after a period of darkness. So he and his team added genes that shortened the recovery time. It also increased the speed at which the plants grew. His modified plants grew up to 20 percent more than untreated ones.
In Long's study, his group used a form of genetic engineering called transgenics (转基因). It means taking genes from one plant, then putting them into another. Now they are experimenting soybeans, rice, cowpeas and cassavas.
1. What is the advantage of supercharged plants?| A．They can grow more quickly. |
| B．They can grow in severe conditions. |
| C．They can offer high-quality grains. |
| D．They can replace normal plants. |
| A．Too hot weather. | B．Old farming methods. |
| C．Lack of sunlight. | D．Too much sunlight. |
| A．To find out what makes plants grow slowly. |
| B．To create a new plant that can grow with weak sunlight. |
| C．To find another way to help plants benefit each other. |
| D．To make plants recover quickly when the sun returns. |
| A．By changing their nature. | B．By adding new genes to them. |
| C．By developing new plants. | D．By supplying more sunlight. |
【推荐2】What is a database? A database is a collection of data or information that is organized, stored, and accessed electronically.
It is relevant (相关的). When searching for information in the database, you should be able to get results relevant to you. There are several ways to search through a database, for example, using keywords, subject headings, terminology (术语)，etc.
It is accessible. First of all, access to the library is either free or bought by supporters so that you can access the information within it at no price.
| A．It is reliable. |
| B．It is reasonable. |
| C．You may have to pay a small amount of money as an independent researcher. |
| D．Google Scholar isn't a database using the above three aspects as a determining factor. |
| E．It is organized so that searching and finding this information is easy and rapid. |
| F．They are all relevant factors to be referred to when searching educational databases. |
| G．So you can limit your search results to a certain source type or date, or you can search by author or title. |
【推荐3】I read somewhere that we spend a full third of our lives waiting. But where are we doing all of this waiting, and what does it mean to an impatient society like ours? To understand the issue, let’s take a look at three types of “waits”.
The very purest form of waiting is the Watched-Pot Wait. It is without doubt the most annoying of all. Take filling up the kitchen sink(洗碗池) as an example. There is absolutely nothing you can do while this is going on but keep both eyes fixed on the sink until it’s full. During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks. This kind of wait makes the waiter helpless and mindless.
A cousin to the Watched-Pot Wait is the Forced Wait. This one requires a bit of discipline. Properly preparing packaged noodle soup required a Forced Wait. Directions are very specific. “Bring three cups of water to boil, add mix, simmer three minutes, remove from heat, let stand five minutes.”I have my doubts that anyone has actually followed the procedures strictly. After all, Forced Waiting requires patience.
Perhaps the most powerful type of waiting is the Lucky-Break Wait. This type of wait is unusual in that it is for the most part voluntary. Unlike the Forced Wait, which is also voluntary, waiting for your lucky break does not necessarily mean that it will happen.
Turning one’s life into a waiting game requires faith and hope, and is strictly for the optimists among us. On the surface it seems as ridiculous as following the directions on soup mixes, but the Lucky-Break Wait well serves those who are willing to do it. As long as one doesn’t come to rely on it, wishing for a few good things to happen never hurts anybody.
We certainly do spend a good deal of our time waiting. The next time you’re standing at the sink waiting for it to fill while cooking noodle soup that you’ll have to eat until a large bag of cash falls out of the sky, don’t be desperate. You’re probably just as busy as the next guy.
1. While doing a Watched-Pot Wait, we tend to ___________.| A．keep ourselves busy |
| B．get absent-minded |
| C．grow anxious |
| D．stay focused |
| A．The Forced Wait requires some self-control. |
| B．The Forced Wait makes people passive. |
| C．The Watched-Pot Wait needs directions. |
| D．The Watched-Pot Wait engages body and brain. |
| A．It is less voluntary than the Forced Wait. |
| B．It doesn’t always bring the desired result. |
| C．It is more fruitful than the Forced Wait. |
| D．It doesn’t give people faith and hope. |
| A．Take it seriously. |
| B．Don’t rely on others. |
| C．Do something else. |
| D．Don’t lose heart. |
| A．exploring various causes of “waits”. |
| B．describing detailed processes of “waits”. |
| C．analyzing different categories of “waits” |
| D．revealing frustrating consequences of “waits” |
