1 . Dogs are capable of understanding the emotions behind an expression on a human face. The study is the latest to reveal just how connected dogs are with people. The research also provides evidence that dogs use different parts of their brains to process human emotions. By living in close contact with humans, dogs have developed specific skills that enable them to interact and communicate efficiently with people. Recent studies have shown that the dogs’ brain can pick up on emotional clues contained in a person’s voice, body smell and posture,and read their faces.
In this study,the authors watched what happened when they presented photographs of the same two adults’ faces(a man and a woman) to 26 feeding dogs. The images were placed strategically to the sides of the animals’ line of sight and the photos showed a human face ex-pressing one of the six basic human emotions: anger,fear,happiness,sadness,surprise,dis-gust or being neutral.
The dogs showed greater response and cardiac(心脏的)activity when shown photo-graphs that expressed arousing emotional states such as anger, fear and happiness. They also took longer to resume feeding after seeing these images. The dogs’ increased heart rate indicated that in these cases they experienced higher levels of stress.
In addition,dogs tended to turn their heads to the left when they saw human faces ex-pressing anger,fear or happiness. The reverse happened when the faces looked surprised, possibly because dogs view it as a non-threatening, relaxed expression.“Clearly arousing, negative emotions seem to be processed by the right side of a dog’s brain,and more positive emotions by the left side,”says Siniscalchi.
The results support that of other studies done on dogs and other mammals. These show that the right side of the brain plays a more important part in regulating the sympathetic out-flow to the heart. This is a fundamental organ for the control of the “fight or flight”Behavioral response necessary for survival.
1. What does the new research show?| A．People’s emotions are exactly revealed in dogs’ brains. |
| B．Dog’s brains are highly affected by people’s emotions. |
| C．Dogs own the natural ability to understand people’s emotions. |
| D．Dogs treat human emotions with different sides of their brains. |
| A．By following certain orders. |
| B．By being treated by their owners. |
| C．By being closely connected with people. |
| D．By recognizing different faces on pictures. |
| A．opposite | B．nervous | C．rewarding | D．similar |
| A．Dogs are living in close contact with people |
| B．Dogs understand what’s written all over your face |
| C．Dogs’ heart rate increases when experiencing stress |
| D．Negative emotions affect dogs’ returning to feeding |
2 . Zebrafish, named for their characteristic stripes (条纹), have been a popular test subject for researchers. Only a few centimeters in length, the fish reproduce easily in captivity (圈养), grow quickly, and their transparent body makes it easy to study their organs. Above all, they possess some surprising “self-healing” power. When part of their heart is removed, they can grow it back in a matter of weeks. When blinded, they can quickly regain the ability to see.
Recent studies show that humans and zebrafish have the same major organs and share 70 percent of the genes. Moreover, 84 percent of human genes associated with disease find a counterpart in zebrafish. Scientists thus hope that understanding the self-healing mystery of the fish may one day allow humans to regenerate (使……再生) such organs as eyes, hearts, and spines.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University are particularly interested in zebrafish retina (视网膜) regeneration. They have learned that damage of retina can cause blindness in zebrafish, yet it only takes about three to four weeks before vision is regained. The structure and cell types of zebrafish reins are almost the same to those of humans. If the process can be copied in humans, it may give rise to new treatments for blindness caused by retinal damage.
In order to know exactly how zebrafsh retina is regenerated, the team looked at the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical messenger in the brain that reduces the activity of neurons. They found that lowering GABA levels in zebrafish can activate retina regeneration, while a high level of GABA concentration will suppress the regeneration process. This suggested that GABA plays an important role in the fish’s ability to regain their sight. The result served as a further proof to scientists previous work.
The team is beginning to test the GABA theory on mice. If that works, human trials will be next on the agenda. If the research proves successful in humans, some of the nearly 40 million blind people worldwide may one day have a tiny, striped fish to thank.
1. What’s the most amazing for zebrafish?| A．Its beautiful stripes. | B．Its regeneration ability. | C．Its transparent body. | D．Its excellent eyesight. |
| A．Hold back. | B．Add up. | C．Draw up. | D．Get over. |
| A．Humans are currently under trial. | B．The first experimental subject is mice. |
| C．The researchers had unexpected discoveries. | D．The results are in line with previous study findings. |
| A．How Do Zebrafish Heal Themselves? | B．What Is the Mystery of Zebrafish Retina? |
| C．Will Self-healing Power of Zebrafish Be Regained? | D．Could the Tiny Zebrafish Teach Us to Cure Blindness? |
3 . Gorillas (大猩猩) in films such as King Kong and Tarzan are wildly beating their chests when under threat. Researchers have tried to find out what the behavior might mean, and they doubt that the gorillas exhibit this behavior not to start fights, but to prevent themselves — and chest-beating could be used to advertise their body size to other gorillas.
Scientists observed 25 wild male mountain gorillas for over 3,000 hours. The research team used audio (音频) equipment to record the sound frequency, rate, duration, and amount of chest beats. To determine each gorilla’s size, the researchers used cameras to photograph and measure each gorilla’s back.
Although the rate, duration, and amount of beats did not correlate with the size of the gorillas, sound frequency did , the researchers report. The team also noticed that larger gorillas produced deeper-tone chest drumming. Previous research has shown that a gorilla’s larger body size is linked to reproductive success and social rank. The chest-beating could be a way for the gorillas to advertise their size to others and, in turn, avoid fights that could result in serious injury or death.
Though gorillas can obviously observe size just by getting a good look at others, the researchers suggest chest beating is copper-bottomed when trying to communicate through a thick forest. The sounds gorillas created by beating their chests are powerful enough to travel long distance through thick forests and signal others their size and fighting ability.
Animal expert Anna Nekaris says it would be interesting to see if smaller gorillas can imitate the deep tones of larger ones in future studies. Nekaris says, “For now, the researchers will continue to study chest-beating to see if the action can pass on other information, such as dominance rank, sex, and individual identity, to nearby gorillas.”
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about according to the research?| A．Its findings. | B．Its purpose. | C．Its samples. | D．Its method. |
| A．To declare war on other gorillas. | B．To frighten other gorillas away. |
| C．To welcome their companions. | D．To celebrate their victory in a fight. |
| A．If smaller gorillas can make deep-toned chest drumming. |
| B．If gorillas’ chest-beating contains other information. |
| C．If larger gorillas are better at using their body influence. |
| D．If gorillas have other communication skills. |
| A．Health. | B．Entertainment. | C．Science. | D．Sports. |
A new study found that nearly half of bald eagles
Lead is a poisonous substance
Bald eagles are one of America’s most celebrated conservation success stories. The birds
“Lead is available to these birds more than we
The blood samples from live eagles in the new study were taken from birds trapped andstudied
The researchers also found higher levels of lead exposure in fall
5 . A new study warns that more than a fifth of all reptile (爬行动物) species are threatened with extinction, which may have a bad impact on the planet.
The largest ever analysis of the state of the world’s reptiles, published in Nature, has showed that 21% of the reptile species are facing extinction. The study says from lizards to snakes, such a loss could have disastrous impacts on ecosystems around the world.
Although many reptiles live in dry environments such as deserts, most species occur in forests, where they suffer from threats such as logging of land for agriculture.30% of the forest-dwelling reptiles are at risk of extinction, compared with 14% in dry habitats. Hunting is also a major threat to reptiles, especially turtles and crocodiles, many of which are at risk of extinction. Another major contributing factor is the introduction of invasive species.
“If we removed reptiles, it could change ecosystems fundamentally, with unfortunate knock-on effects, such as increases in pest insects,” said Neil Cox, co-leader of the study. “Biodiversity, including reptiles, supports the ecosystem services that provide a healthy environment for people.”
Our hope is that this first-ever assessment of the world’s 10,000-plus reptiles helps put them in the spotlight and goes some way to highlighting this diversity, and just how much we have to lose. As well as controlling rats, mosquitoes and other pests, reptiles deliver many other benefits. “They help spread seeds, especially in island environments,” said researcher Hoffmann. “We’ve also achieved many medical advances from studies of reptiles.”
The results of the study are not all doom and gloom. Scientists have found, surprisingly, that if they set out to protect places where threatened birds, mammals and amphibians (两栖动物) live together, they’ll meanwhile protect many more threatened reptiles.
1. Which is the main concern raised by the new study?| A．The overpopulation of reptiles. | B．The loss of reptiles. |
| C．The sharp increase in reptile species. | D．The disastrous influence of reptiles on nature. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Their benefits. | B．Their habitats. |
| C．Their living habits. | D．Their health problems. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Odd. | C．Satisfactory. | D．Amazing. |
6 . Sharing a bed with a pet at night is a common feature of nighttime routines in the United States. According to a 2021 —2022 survey, 43 percent of pet dogs in the United States and 49 percent of pet cats sleep on their owner’s bed. When it comes to the perks of sharing your bed with your favourite furry friend, however, experts are divided.
First, it’s worth noting that the majority of research on the topic of co-sleeping with pets has focused on dogs rather than cats. Mark Fierstein, an internal medicine specialist at NYULangone Health in New York City, suggests this is because cats may want to play or even purposely wake up their owner. Rabbits or hamsters are also out of the question.
A benefit of sleeping with pets is that the practice may prevent loneliness, Fierstein says. “Often, people who co-sleep with pets report an increased sense of security, companionship, and relaxation,” he notes. “For some people, the dog’s warmth, steady heartbeat, and protective nature can make sleeping with them feel safe and cozy.” This may be especially true of people who are managing trauma (创伤) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). LeslieSinn, a psychologist, says according to a survey, 60% of PTSD suffers feel calm down if they wake up to see the presence of the dog.
Some research suggests co-sleeping with pets may increase mid-night awakenings for people. “If the owner is a light sleeper, he or she may not do well with a dog or cat in the bedroom,”notes Fierstein. For example, he points out that a dog who snores (打呼噜) loudly is not an ideal sleeping mate.
Dogs may also show aggressive (好斗的) behaviour — such as biting. Allowing pets in the bedroom can also expose owners to potential allergens (过敏源), like pet hair, as well as viruses that cause disease.
1. What does the underlined word “perks” mean in the first paragraph?| A．Feelings. | B．Dangers. | C．Plans. | D．Advantages. |
| A．A cat. | B．A dog. | C．A rabbit. | D．A hamster. |
| A．Protecting pets. | B．Avoiding loneliness. |
| C．Saving money. | D．Keeping busy. |
| A．Who Can Sleep with a Pet? | B．Is It Beneficial to Keep a Pet? |
| C．Is Sleeping with a Pet a Good Idea? | D．What Kind of Pet Can we Co-Sleep with? |
7 . Despite heavy illegal hunting of rhinos, South Africa’s Kruger National Park is still a natural paradise. One of the largest remaining lion populations in Africa lives there. Yet there is something the local animals fear even more than the big cats.
Liana Zanette of Western University in Ontario and her colleagues were able to show that animals react most strongly to human voices and flee in response. For their experiment, the team placed camera traps and loudspeakers at water holes in the national park, which allowed the researchers to influence and record the behavior of a total of 19 mammal species. They played the animals sounds of normal conversations of humans in four South African languages, dogs barking, gunshots and lion sounds.
The study group found that animals were twice as likely to flee and yacated an area faster when they heard human voices than when they heard lions or gunshots. This was true for 95 percent of the animal species observed, including giraffes, leopards, hyenas, zebras, kudu, warthogs, impalas and rhinos. Only elephants were significantly more likely to run from lions than from humans.
The same was true of the time that animals spent at water holes: they usually stayed longer when lion sounds were played to them than when human voices were heard. Wild dogs, leopards and buffalo were the only animals who stayed at water holes longer when they heard humans, and the difference was not statistically significant for these species. “There is a notion that animals get used to humans when they are not being hunted. But we’ve shown that’s not the case,” Clinchy says. “Fear of humans is deeply rooted and common, so we need to seriously address it for conservation reasons.”
The team is now investigating whether its customized sound systems can be used to help endangered species, such as the southern white rhino, away from known poaching(偷猎) areas in South Africa. Initial tests of keeping rhinos away from such areas through the use of human voices have been successful.
1. What can we know about South Africa’s Kruger National Park?| A．Rhinos are effectively protected in the park. |
| B．Lions are the biggest threat for local animals. |
| C．Human voices cause fear in the local wildlife. |
| D．It is a natural paradise without illegal hunting. |
| A．Occupied. | B．Left. | C．Encountered. | D．Filled. |
| A．Elephants are more afraid of humans than lions. |
| B．Giraffes react most strongly to lions or gunshots. |
| C．Rhinos were more likely to run from lions than gunshots |
| D．Wild dogs stayed at water holes longer when hearing humans |
| A．Human Voices: a surprising deep-rooted fear in wildlife |
| B．Lions: the primary source of threat for the local animals |
| C．Lion Sounds: the potential use for wildlife protection |
| D．Humans: the impact on decreasing rhino population |
8 . The giant panda’s special black-and-white fur makes it one of the most recognizable animals on the planet. But why does it have this unique coloring? To hide from natural enemies, both in the snow and in the shadows, study lead author Tim Caro, a professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis, said in a new statement. Moreover, the large black circles around a panda’s eyes may help other pandas recognize it, the researchers said.
Understanding why the giant panda has such noticeable color has been a long-term problem to solve. To find out the answer, Caro and his colleagues looked at photos of pandas and 195 other carnivore(食肉动物) species, including 39 subspecies of bear. Then, they recorded the coloring on each area of those animals’ bodies, and compared them with areas of the panda’s body. “Compared with the previous studies, the breakthrough in this study was treating each part of the body as an independent area,” Caro said.
The research team tried to figure out the purpose of the dark-colored furry areas. After going through many comparisons, the researchers determined that the white parts of the giant panda help it hide in the snow. In contrast, its black arms and legs help it hide in the shadows, they said. The panda’s white-and-black coloring didn’t appear to be related to temperature regulation. Nor did they find evidence that the dark circles around a panda’s eyes helped to make them look cuter.
“This really was a great effort by our team, finding and scoring thousands of images and scoring more than 10 areas per picture from over 20 possible colors,” study co-author Ted Stankowich, an assistant professor of biology at California State University, Long Beach, said in the statement. “Sometimes it takes hundreds of hours of hard work to answer the simplest question: Why is the panda black and white?”
1. What does the new study focus on?| A．How pandas hide from natural enemies successfully. |
| B．Why pandas have unique black-and-white coloring. |
| C．Whether the black circles around a panda’s eyes are useful. ” |
| D．What makes pandas so cute and eye-catching. |
| A．Researching more carnivore species. | B．Using the method of comparison. |
| C．Treating each part of the body separately. | D．Recording the number of photos. |
| A．The giant panda gets used to living in the snow. |
| B．The white-and-black fur can help pandas hide. |
| C．The coloring of pandas is related to temperature. |
| D．The function of the dark-colored areas is unknown. |
| A．Keeping your curiosity can make a difference. |
| B．Hundreds of hours of hard work is annoying. |
| C．Scientists dislike doing research on simple issues. |
| D．It needs efforts to find the why behind what you see. |
9 . Great whites and whale sharks are among the species at risk of extinction over the next century, a new study has found.
Pimiento is the lead author of a study published in Science Advances that looks at how the extinction of large marine species would impact the ecological roles of ocean ecosystems. “The extinction crisis challenges scientists to better measure biodiversity: how will the total variety of life on Earth be affected as human activities lead to the losses of more and more species?” they said. In the oceans, the biggest animals are thought to play crucial ecological roles, and are also facing high levels of threat from human activities such as fisheries and climate change.
The team was looking to move beyond traditional species extinctions, to find out more about the functional diversity, the range of roles that these species perform, and how biodiversity might respond under different extinction scenarios. They ran two different extinction scenarios. In one, researchers looked at extinction probability based on their current IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status. In the second, they assumed all species listed as threatened, around 40 percent, had gone extinct.
Sharks were found to be one of the worst affected groups. “We already knew that sharks are one of the most threatened groups in the ocean,” they said. “They are also very vulnerable due to their large size and low reproductive rate. Our results show that future extinctions would be selective against the most functionally unique and specialized shark species, resulting in greater projected losses.” They also said the biggest threats to marine megafauna are fishing, either through accidentally getting caught up or directly targeted, and climate change. Mitigating these threats could be the best way to protect these species.
The good news is that the study identifies key species that can be targeted and protected. Sometimes ocean conservation can be a triage game. The science helps us know which species really need our help and which species we really cannot afford to lose.
1. What is Pimiento’s study about?| A．The possible threats of large marine animals. |
| B．The main cause of the extinction crisis in the sea. |
| C．The ecological role of large animals in the ocean. |
| D．The best way of balancing biodiversity with human acts. |
| A．By checking current data. | B．By predicting extinction rates. |
| C．By measuring marine biodiversity. | D．By analyzing traditional experiments. |
| A．The risk of sharks reproducing in the ocean. | B．The solution to animals’ protection in the sea. |
| C．The influence of sharks’ extinction on the ocean. | D．The reason for sharks being hit hardest in the sea. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Positive. | C．Skeptical. | D．Negative. |
10 . In habitats across the planet, animals periodically drop everything to walk, fly or swim to a new place. Wildlife such as whales and geese learn migration paths by following their parents. Others, including small songbirds, gain the distance and direction of their migration within their genetic code. And some animals use a combination of genetics and culture to guide their migration.
Another group of migrators does not quite fit either model, and researchers have only recently started to figure out how they find their way. Take the Cory’s shearwater, an oceangoing sea bird that migrates over the Atlantic every year. The young do not migrate with their parents, so culture cannot explain their journeys. And the exact paths vary wildly from individual to individual, making genetics equally unlikely.
Cory’s shearwaters are long-lived, rarely producing young successfully before age nine. This leaves an opening for learning and practice to develop their migration patterns. Researchers call this the “exploration-refinement”, and until now it has been hypothetical (假设的) because of difficulties in tracking migratory animals’ movements.
But a team of researchers has done that by attaching small geolocators to more than 150 of the birds aged four to nine. They found that younger birds traveled longer distances, for longer periods, and had more diverse paths than older birds. “We finally have evidence of the ‘exploration-refinement’ for migratory birds,” says Letizia Campioni, who led the study. Younger Cory’s shearwaters are able to fly just as fast as the adults—but they do not, suggesting that the young do more exploring, which gradually fades as they mature and settle into a preferred course.
Although it may seem less efficient than other strategies, “exploration refinement could be beneficial to birds and other organisms in a rapidly changing world due to unpredictable man-made changes,” says Barbara Frei. “It might be safer to repeat a behavior that was recently successful than to rely on patterns that were perfected long ago but might no longer be safe.”
1. Why does the author mention different migration models in Paragraph 1?| A．To give an example. | B．To lead in the topic. |
| C．To make a comparison. | D．To support an idea. |
| A．The opening for learning and practice. |
| B．The unique living habit of Cory’s shearwaters. |
| C．The way Cory’s shearwaters form their migration patterns. |
| D．The process scientists track Cory’s shearwaters’ movements. |
| A．They lower the speed for exploration. | B．They move in a predictable manner. |
| C．They travel as much as adult birds. | D．They look for a course with their parents. |
| A．Fixed Tracks: Safer Migration Model |
| B．Migration Models: Important Ways to Deal With Changes |
| C．A Combination of Strategies: A Wise Choice for Migration |
| D．Exploration Refinement: Migration Model With Better Adaptability |
