1 . If maths is the language of the universe, bees may have just uttered their first words. New research suggests these busybodies of the insect world are capable of addition and subtraction (减法) — using colors in the place of plus and minus symbols.
In the animal kingdom, the ability to count — or at least distinguish between differing quantities — isn’t unusual: It has been seen in frogs, spiders, and even fish. But solving equations (方程式) using symbols is rare, so far only achieved by famously brainy animals such as chimpanzees and African grey parrots.
Building on previous research that says the social insects can count to four and understand the concept of zero, researchers wanted to test the limits of what their tiny brains can do.
Scientists trained 14 bees to link the colors blue and yellow to addition and subtraction, respectively. They placed the bees at the entrance of a Y-shaped maze (迷宫), where they were shown several shapes in either yellow or blue. If the shapes were blue, bees got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one more blue shape (the other end had one less blue shape); if the shapes were yellow, they got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one less yellow shape.
The testing worked the same way: Bees that “subtracted” one shape when they saw yellow, or “added” one shape when they saw blue were considered to have aced the test. The bees got the right answer 63% to 72% of the time, depending on the type of equation and the direction of the right answer — much better than random guesses would allow—the researchers report today in Science Advances.
Though the results came from just 14 bees, researchers say the advance is exciting. If a brain about 20,000 times smaller than ours can perform maths using symbols, it could pave the way to novel approaches in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Just don’t ask the bees to do your homework anytime soon.
1. Why do the scientists conduct the research?| A．To teach them maths. | B．To test the power of tiny brains. |
| C．To explain the meaning of colors. | D．To get access to machine learning. |
| A．Given up. | B．Entered for. |
| C．Got through. | D．Checked over. |
| A．Language acquisition. | B．Arithmetic learning. |
| C．Protection of animals. | D．Development of AI. |
| A．Bees “Like” Counting |
| B．Bees “Tell” Colors Apart |
| C．Bees “Perform” Maths Using Shapes |
| D．Bees “Get” Addition and Subtraction |
2 . My mother died in August 2005. Eight months later, I began to come out of the fog of sadness and depression to find a new purpose for my life.
Like many of my generation, I had lived only for myself —traveling, acquiring possessions, rising to a position of importance and seeking financial rewards. I was “charitable” and “volunteered” for various causes, but really didn’t give of myself.
In the spring after my mom’s death, I found myself waking in the middle of the night with one thought. I felt forced to offer myself as a living kidney donor. My husband Robb had received the gift of life through a kidney transplant(移植)from a dead donor in 1999, so I was familiar with the enormous need for donors and knew several people who were waiting for a lifesaving transplant. I decided to offer myself to be matched with the most compatible(互不排斥的)person on the waiting list at my local transplant center.
I was paired with 71-year-old Dee from New Jerse who had survived for six years on peritoneal dialysis(腹腔透析). At her 70th birthday, her family threw a big party as they did not expect her to live much longer. Dee has become my very good friend. Almost two years after the transplant, I was privileged to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary with her husband, their five children and their extended family.
In donating my kidney, I extended myself in a way far beyond what I ever believed was possible. I did so in honor of my mother who sacrificed so much for me and my sisters, and in memory of my husband’s donor who extended her 1ife through him.
I encourage all who enjoy the gift of good health to share with others, either as a living donor or by appointing organ donation upon death. By extending yourself through organ donation, you will live on through others in an extraordinary way and give comfort to your loved ones.
1. What does the underlined phrase “give of” mean?| A．Relieve. | B．Devote |
| C．Appreciate | D．Forgive |
| A．Dee was the author’s old friend |
| B．The author attended Dee’s birthday party |
| C．Dee treated the author as a family member |
| D．The author’s donation made Dee live six years longer |
| A．An old lady benefited from organ donation |
| B．The memory of my beloved mother |
| C．The deep meaning of love |
| D．Extend yourself |
3 . Nowadays, especially in China, everything seems to favor social intercourse(社交) , such as gatherings of friends, KTV, group travel, dining tighter, playing cards and Mahjong, plus the Chinese-style " street-crossing group. " Back home, discussions can still be boisterously carried on within the " circle of friends" of WeChat.
However, these scenes cannot always ease a sense of loneliness. Zhu Ziqing, a well-known professor of Tsinghua University, signed with emotion: "My loneliness increases as scene becomes much busier. " One popular song today is also called " A lonely man in crowds. " Actually, engaging in social intercourse requires ability, while being alone involves the whole character.
These days, it is not easy to calm down totally and return to one' s true self. Willpower, intellect and discipline are required. Einstein said: "It is not your working time but your spare time that determines the possibility of whether you will be successful or not. " The "spare time" he referred to could be taken as " spending time by yourself. "
Lonely life could be either dull, boring and tasteless or abundant, interesting and colorful, depending on one' s quality, ambition and inspiration.
Just as the body constantly requires energy, the mind and soul also demand never stopping inputs. However,information, processed and integrated (融入) into knowledge, thoughts and feelings, instead of bustle (忙碌) seems to be the right condition. Successful careers m all walks of life worldwide have proved that "the soul grows in peace and talent is nurtured in loneliness". In a sense, it may be reasonable to say that " Happiness tends to be shallow while loneliness involves depth".
Man, in fact, needs loneliness more than happy time, and only abundant loneliness can produce quality happiness.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined the word "boisterously" in paragraph l?| A．surprisingly | B．sadly |
| C．busily | D．peacefully |
| A．Being alone marks people depressed. |
| B．Social intercourse improves our happiness. |
| C．One may feel lonely even when surrounded by people. |
| D．We should attend social intercourse to decrease our loneliness. |
| A．You should be successful if you spend all your time by yourself. |
| B．You should exercise more if you want to keep your minds healthy. |
| C．You will not become successful if you join in more social intercourse. |
| D．You will be more successful if you can make your lonely time meaningful. |
| A．Live on Your Own | B．Happiness and Loneliness |
| C．The Secret of Success | D．Practice Your Social Ability |
