1 . After an extremely heavy rain flooded the town of Ruthin, 44-year-old farmer Llyr Derwydd encountered an awful scene that Friday afternoon. As Llyr checked on his sheep, he discovered his three ewes (母羊)
Realizing the
Reflecting on the event, Llyr shared, “I know Patsy is a(n)
At the critical moment, Patsy
| A．released | B．trapped | C．stolen | D．tied |
| A．threatening | B．demanding | C．confusing | D．breathtaking |
| A．protect | B．raise | C．rescue | D．distract |
| A．significance | B．satisfaction | C．necessity | D．impossibility |
| A．applied | B．prepared | C．waited | D．signaled |
| A．settled | B．recalled | C．hesitated | D．insisted |
| A．shelter | B．command | C．agreement | D．management |
| A．delightfully | B．unwillingly | C．intentionally | D．fearlessly |
| A．relieved | B．energetic | C．frightened | D．scary |
| A．guidance | B．control | C．authority | D．observation |
| A．confirm | B．escape | C．approach | D．measure |
| A．capable | B．competitive | C．professional | D．inexperienced |
| A．behind | B．within | C．beyond | D．alongside |
| A．rose to | B．ran into | C．turned to | D．put up |
| A．confidence | B．generosity | C．loyalty | D．modesty |
2 . Whales are known for their majestic (雄伟的) songs that travel through the ocean depths, but the reasons behind this behavior have long puzzled scientists. Recent research reveals this mystery, suggesting that whales possess a unique voice box that enables their powerful voice, a feature not found in other animals.
In a study published in the journal Nature, Coen Elemans and his team from the University of Southern Denmark examined the voice boxes. By conducting experiments, the researchers identified the tissues responsible for producing sound.
Whales, whose ancestors were land-dwellers around 50 million years ago, have developed their voice boxes over millions of years to adapt to underwater communication. Unlike humans and many other mammals (哺乳动物) , whales lack vocal cords and instead have a unique U-shaped tissue in their voice boxes. This specialized structure allows them to intake large volumes of air and generate sounds by pushing this tissue against a cushion of fat and muscle, a mechanism essential for their deep-sea sound.
The significance of this research is highlighted by Jeremy Goldbogen, an associate professor at Stanford University, who describes it as the most comprehensive study to date on how whales vocalize. He emphasizes the need for further exploration to these marine giants. For instance, humpback whales are known for their sound that can travel vast distances across oceans, serving as a form of communication within whales.
Joy Reidenberg, a whale expert, says, “More experiments are needed to confirm the study’s conclusions and understand how these creatures use their voice boxes to communicate in the ocean.”
1. What does the research find?| A．Whales may make sound underwater. |
| B．Whales communicate in a special way. |
| C．What brings about whales’ strange behavior. |
| D．What makes whales’ loud sound possible in the ocean. |
| A．Paragraph 3. | B．Paragraph 4. | C．Paragraph 5. | D．Paragraph 2. |
| A．Mysterious. | B．Ineffective. | C．Inadequate. | D．Creative. |
| A．Evolution Of Whale Communication Skills | B．Research On How Whales Make Sounds |
| C．How Whales Communicate Underwater | D．How Scientists Research Whales’ Sound |
1. What helped Dr. Osborn make her discovery?
| A．That her photograph was unsatisfying. |
| B．That her photograph had special qualities. |
| C．That her photograph showed the strange shape of the fish. |
| A．In making food. | B．In making paint. | C．In making cameras. |
| A．A special light in the ocean. |
| B．A mystery on the blackest fish. |
| C．A new discovery of the super-black materials. |
1. What probably happened around Fountain Hills during last winter?
| A．All animals died off. | B．It didn’t rain much. | C．Many chemicals were used. |
| A．They were eaten by birds. |
| B．They were dying off themselves. |
| C．They were killed by the government. |
| A．To bring bees to the town. |
| B．To tell people the importance of bees. |
| C．To teach farmers how to grow food better. |
5 . Biologists Slagsvold and Wiebe have spent years studying tits, flycatchers, and other birds that lay their eggs into holes in trees, walls and even human-made boxes. “Holes are rare, so there’s great competition,” Wiebe said. Birds will sometimes get into fights. Even after a bird gets a hole, it has to watch out: There’s always a chance that a passerby tries to possess it. Owners don’t have many options to wait for and stop thieves. Some police their nest’s entrance hole, but preparing for parenthood is hungry work, and eventually the birds have to leave to get food. So Slagsvold and Wiebe started to look for alternative home-defense systems the birds might be using.
They noticed feathers, usually helping animals keep warm, but that doesn’t seem to be how these particular birds are using them. Blue tits, for instance, get feathers on top of the nest, rather than putting them in. Some other birds dump feathers into holes before gathering other materials. “They’re white, and often noticeable,” Wiebe said, “as if the birds want to send a message.”
To find out, they built nest boxes — some feathery, some not — in Europe and America, and recorded how tits, flycatchers and swallows reacted. The birds entered feather-free boxes quickly. But they froze at the sight of white feathers, sometimes hesitating outside for an hour. Black feathers scared them less, perhaps because they were harder to see. The feathers didn’t stop the birds as most eventually went inside. But even a brief delay can make a huge difference, Wiebe said. “Even 20 minutes can give the owner enough time to circle back, and fight off their competitors.”
The birds’ behavior shows their high-risk lifestyle. They have to think twice as the holes may be hiding danger. The feathers represent possible violence, showing a predator might be inside.
The experiment reflects the lies animals tell where nest sites are rare. They build a scene so horrible to discourage nest stealers. Birds are terrified of death. And they can exploit that reality to safeguard what’s theirs.
1. What inspired Slagsvold and Wiebe to seek birds’ other possible ways to protect homes?| A．Birds have to fight to get the limited holes. | B．Birds get tired from watching out in nests. |
| C．Birds face many nest stealers on their own. | D．Birds leave their nests unattended sometimes. |
| A．To show a friendly welcome. | B．To help stealers avoid danger. |
| C．To buy time for the nest owners. | D．To confirm this place is occupied. |
| A．Understandable. | B．Confusing. | C．Possible. | D．Worrying. |
| A．Some birds refuse to build their nests | B．It’s important for birds to have feathers |
| C．High risks of life lead birds to turn to lies | D．Birds create a false scene to protect their nests |
6 . I was attacked by a tiger shark in late October 1997. It was near my home on the island of Kauai—a typical fall morning with friends. The waves were really good, so nothing was stopping us.
That is until a large shark came right up under me and sank his teeth into my lower leg. There had been no splashing. no noise, and I felt no pain, only great pressure on my lower body.
Then I followed my instinct: I punched the shark in the face, again and again which happens to be what the expert advice, until the shark released me. As I swam back into shore, I felt my lower right leg spasming(痉挛). When I looked down, I realized it was gone. The shark had bit my lower leg off. My friends rushed to my aid, and rushed me to hospital.
It was another day before the “fog” lifted, at which point I opened my eyes and realized I was in the hospital—a below-the-knee amputee(截肢). For the next few bedridden weeks, I spent time with my family, and considered the future.
As soon as I was given the OK by my doctors, I did what many of us might consider unthinkable: I started riding the waves again. In fact, my first time back was near the site of his attack. I was unshaken and curious—Was it because of the tides? The phase of the moon? I also recalled that the morning of the attack the water had a fishy smell. Was that what attracted the shark?
I was determined to research sharks, and I did learn something that would change my life: Humans are far more dangerous to sharks than the other way around, I tell Reader’s Digest. “I watched a documentary called Sharkwater, and I learned about the demand for shark fin soup and the fact that 70 million sharks a year are killed for their fins alone.”
My unique situation as a shark survivor empowered me to give sharks a voice. I began working with the Hawaii state legislature to help pass a ban on shark-derived products. I partnered with other like-minded shark attack survivors and marine biologists, and we headed to Washington to urge senators to create a nationwide bill protecting sharks.
1. What is mainly talked about in the first two paragraphs?| A．The missing leg. | B．The shark attack. |
| C．The timely rescue. | D．The expert’s advice. |
| A．To go on with his unshaken hobby. | B．To figure out why he became a target. |
| C．To keep track of the phase of the moon. | D．To explore why the water had a fishy smell. |
| A．Humans tend to ignore the dangers. | B．Humans can’t survive without sharks. |
| C．Sharks pose a greater threat to humans | D．Sharks are in urgent need of protection. |
| A．He is speaking in favor of sharks. | B．He argues against the bill about sharks. |
| C．There is widespread doubt about sharks. | D．People should give sharks a preference. |
1. What does the man say about foxes?
| A．They are dangerous. | B．They also eat plants. | C．They look pretty and small. |
| A．8 hours. | B．4-5hours. | C．48 minutes. |
8 . Parrots consistently top the charts of the world’s smartest animals. A new discovery published by the Royal Society Open Science reveals to us what sets the intelligent individual monk parakeet (和尚鹦鹉) apart in a group.
Previously, it was thought that these birds introduced themselves to others with a sort of “catchphrase” that distinguished their identity. However, after running the vocalizations (发声) collected in this study through a machine learning program, a team led by Simeon Smeele, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark, found that the birds actually had “voiceprints” like humans that identify themselves in the group.
The researchers studied thousands of monk parakeet vocalizations from hundreds of birds in Barcelona across two years and ran these recordings through the program that identifies small differences in their calls.
“The voiceprint is the underlying quality of a voice that you can recognize in humans, and this is the first time that has been shown in another vocal learner,” Smeele said. For example, the voiceprint of your father is how you know it’s his voice, even if he isn’t present. “This is what I think could explain how they recognize each other, because it can be stable over very long periods of time.” he added.
“This shows that these birds also have that sort of information that they might be using in their complicated social interactions,” said Emily Du Val, Ph.D., a behavioral ecologist at Florida State University. “Research into animal communication has the potential to motivate the public into action to conserve animals. Recognizing who each other is and understanding how they interact with one another are important for human life,” she said.
This model can potentially be applied to other animals with vocal recognition like bottlenose dolphins, bat s and elephants. Future research will look into whether these voiceprints are recognized by all parakeets in the community or only a circle of close relatives.
1. What helps the monk parakeets recognize each other?| A．The catchphrase. | B．The intelligence. |
| C．The voiceprint. | D．The communication. |
| A．By combining “catchphrase” with “voiceprints”. |
| B．By keeping track of the monk parakeets’ relatives. |
| C．By collecting vocalizations and identifying their differences. |
| D．By comparing humans’ voiceprints with monk parakeets’. |
| A．The information that voiceprints can express. |
| B．The potential influence that voiceprints can bring. |
| C．The animals among which voiceprints are identified. |
| D．The range where parakeets’ voiceprints are recognized. |
| A．Mon k Parakeets Are Great Vocal Learners |
| B．Mon k Parakeets Resemble Humans in Communication |
| C．“Voiceprints” Are Found in Animals’ Social Interactions |
| D．“Voiceprints” Help Monk Parakeets Identify Themselves |
9 . Some chimpanzees(黑猩猩)are much wilder when it comes to making beats, scientists have discovered. In a Ugandan rainforest, the chimps have developed their own drumming(击鼓)styles on tree roots. Researchers observed their drumming styles range from rock to jazz. One chimpanzee brought back the style of the late John Bonham, a drummer who played a piece of music, Whole Lotta Love, and is ranked as one of the best. “The chimpanzee makes very fast drums with many evenly separated beats. His drumming is so fast that you can hardly see his hands.” said Catherine, leading scientist of the study.
Drumming with feet and hands with their special calls is used to exchange messages through thick forests, even with miles between them. Ben the Alpha’s call was a close two quick beats and a distant third, sometimes fourth.
Catherine also said. “We could often recognize which chimpanzee was drumming, and it was a fantastic way to find the different ones we were looking for. So if we could recognize, we were sure they could.”
The team was surprised to note the chimpanzees only used their personalized drumming styles when on the move, showing that the chimpanzees could decide whether to be recognized or not. The research could also settle a problem about why these chimpanzees greet each other when they meet but are not observed to say goodbye when they part in the forest. “The chimpanzees don’t need to say goodbye because they’re effectively able to keep in touch.” Catherine said. These long-distance signals give the chimpanzees a way to recognize with each other.
The researchers’ next study will be to explore whether different drumming styles can lead to different drumming cultures among the different chimpanzee populations.
1. What do we know about the chimpanzees in the first paragraph?| A．Their drumming styles are too fast to discover. |
| B．Their own drumming styles have been formed. |
| C．Their wild drumming styles are ranked as the best. |
| D．Their drumming styles are in various music forms. |
| A．By performing different styles of calling. |
| B．By beating the drum quickly on tree roots. |
| C．By combining drumming and special calls. |
| D．By using their personalized drumming styles. |
| A．Because they don’t want to be recognized. |
| B．Because they don’t want to see each other. |
| C．Because they are on the move all the time. |
| D．Because they have their own way to contact. |
| A．The Chimps—singers in their special voices |
| B．The Chimps—drummers in personalized styles |
| C．The Chimps interested in making musical beats |
| D．The Chimps delighted in performing with hands |
10 . What makes people so special? Tool use, self-consciousness, language, and culture are high on the list, but in fact all of these characteristics can be found elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Humans and apes are close relatives, so it is perhaps not surprising that chimpanzees use tools or that gorillas (大猩猩) have a sense of fair play, even rejecting carrots (which they normally accept) when they see their neighbors getting grapes. But the qualities that we often think of as uniquely human exist not just on land, but in the ocean as well.
Among the invertebrates, octopuses (八爪鱼) are known for their intelligence, even exhibiting evidence of playfulness, tool use, and personality. But these skilled predators live alone and consequently lack culture. Dolphins, on the other hand, are large-brained, long-living, social- group-based predators, and it is here that we find the greatest similarity to human-like culture and awareness.
Culture depends on the ability of animals to pass on things they have learned to others. Many animals have culture in this sense, but what sets dolphins apart is what they pass on. Some bottlenose dolphins hold sponges in their mouths that they use as tools to sweep for fish hiding on the ocean floor. This ability is handed down through generations (especially in females), with some families — grandmother, mother, and daughter — all feeding in this highly specialized way.
Another characteristic that dolphins share with humans is their ability to recognize themselves in a mirror. When facing a mirror, most animals behave as though they are interacting with another individual. Even in humans, the ability to recognize that the image in a mirror is oneself does not occur before the age of 18 months. Dolphins not only recognize themselves, but if a black mark is put on the body of a dolphin, it will spend extra time at the mirror to look at the mark.
1. The example of gorillas rejecting carrots shows they ________.| A．are not easy to fool | B．prefer fruit to vegetables |
| C．have a special taste for food | D．have an awareness of equality |
| A．Cooperation. | B．Intelligence. |
| C．Tool using ability. | D．Fun-loving spirits. |
| A．They tend to hunt in groups. |
| B．Their hunting skills are passed down. |
| C．Their learning environment is favourable. |
| D．Their families are typically female-controlled. |
| A．Dolphins enjoy looking at their own reflection in the mirror. |
| B．Dolphins are as intelligent as a typical 18-month-old human baby. |
| C．Dolphins are generally regarded as the most advanced non-human species. |
| D．Dolphins’ ability to recognize their own reflection is a higher-order mental skill. |
