1 . During the last week of Fu Bao’s public viewing earlier this month, visitors endured waiting for 5—6 hours just to give a glance at the panda for only five minutes, as Everland Panda World restricted viewing time to manage the flood of visitors.
Born to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-born panda. In the days following her birth, Everland’s social media channels offered fans a steady diet of Fu Bao videos, pulling in more than 1.2 million subscribers and, as of February, over 500 million accumulated views. The most recent videos are now filled with warm and sincere messages from viewers.
Thanks to Fu Bao’s widespread popularity, her zookeeper has also found himself in the spotlight, becoming a bit of a social media star himself. Often referred to as her grandpa, Kang Chul-won offered hi own farewell message to Fu Bao, noting that the South Koreans’ special love for her all began with social media videos shared during the pandemic when the zoo was closed. She brought help and happiness to a society in many ways that was having a difficult time due to the virus. He said people visited the social media sites every day so it felt like he was raising her together with them. They cared so much for her and shared the same emotions of raising a baby panda together during such difficult times.
Fu Bao will be transferred to China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province. Everland says that she will be kept alone at Everland Panda World for a month to prepare her to adjust to her new environment before her overseas transfer, which will be carried out in accordance with international rules.
1. What can we learn about Fu Bao from the first two paragraphs?| A．She has a balanced diet. | B．She is five years old. |
| C．She is very popular in South Korea. | D．She came from Sichuan, China. |
| A．She is a live symbol of luck and fortune. |
| B．She is an animal who can resist any virus. |
| C．She is an inspiration to overcome difficulties. |
| D．She is their common possession and business. |
| A．She will go on show in Everland. | B．She will be separated for adjustment. |
| C．She will leave Everland Panda World. | D．She will be moved to a research center. |
| A．On behalf of. | B．In terms of. |
| C．In company with. | D．In agreement with. |
2 . 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. |
3 . 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 (生物) 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. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．It describes animals’ habitats. | B．It talks about migration models. |
| C．It compares different species. | D．It introduces a tracking technology. |
| 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 travel as much as adult birds. | B．They move in a predictable manner. |
| C．They lower the speed for exploration. | D．They look for a course with their parents. |
| A．Man-made changes make migration easier. |
| B．Animals make a safer journey via a fixed track. |
| C．Course exploration contributes to birds’ adaptability. |
| D．A combination of strategies assures migration success. |
4 . The birth of a male white-tailed eagle signals the success of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation (RDWF) and Forestry England project to return these iconic birds to their original widespread locations along the southern coast of England. The last time a white-tailed eagle chick grew in England, Mozart was working on his opera Idomeneo in Germany
For two centuries these amazing birds were missing from most of the UK, having been wiped out by human persecution by the early 20th century.
In 2020, the parents of the landmark bird were translocated from the Outer Hebrides and north-west Sutherland in Scotland to the Isle of Wight. This is an area with plentiful food to sustain them. It is also a location from which the birds could spread out to cliffs, lakes and forests.
Female G405 and male G471 were two of 25 eagles (16 are still alive) released by the RDWF and Forestry England as part of the ongoing project. And they are one of three pairs to have now established breeding territories in the south of England.
The chick hatched earlier this summer at a nest on private land, the exact location of which is being kept a secret to ensure the welfare of the young bird.
“This is a very special moment for everyone who has worked on, supported and followed this ground-breaking project,” Roy Dennis says, founder of the RDWF. “Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal. Seeing the first pair reach this stage is truly incredible.”
The young white-tailed eagle has now been ringed and fitted with a satellite tag (标签) so that its progress can be tracked. A further release of young white-tailed eagles is planned for late summer from the project team’s base on the Isle of Wight.
1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Mozart in paragraph 1?| A．To admire the musician’s great works. |
| B．To celebrate the birth of the white-tailed eagle. |
| C．To compare the situations of England and Germany. |
| D．To emphasize white-tailed eagles’ centuries-long absence. |
| A．Hunt. | B．Exploration. | C．Disturbance. | D．Training. |
| A．For privacy. | B．For safety. | C．For territory. | D．For support. |
| A．A Splendid Bird | B．A Successful Wildlife Project |
| C．Milestone for White-tailed Eagles | D．Restoring a Breeding Population |
5 . In the 1950s and 60s, scientists around the world launched many creatures into space. The idea was to calculate the effects of spaceflight on living creatures in the hopes that humans could follow.
The Soviet Union sent a stray Moscow dog named Laika into space, and subsequently, it was honored as a national hero. Ham the chimpanzee was famously buried at the International Space Hall of Fame in New Mexico following his contributions to the U. S. space program. And then there was France, which sent the first and so far only cat into space. So, who was this hero cat, anyway?
Félicette was one of 14 cats cited to the French space program. Each cat had electrodes implanted into their brain, and all were subjected to many of the same activities included in human astronaut training. French scientists decided to use cats as they already had a lot of neurological data on them. At the conclusion of training, the petite tuxedo Félicette got the green light.
On Oct. 18, 1963, Félicette, was strapped into a Véronique rocket and blasted from Algeria to nearly 100 miles above Earth. She experienced about five minutes of weightlessness followed by the terror of a turbulent, spinning descent via parachute.
Just 15 minutes later, the flight was complete. A helicopter crew dashed to the landing site, threw open the cabin, and found Félicette alive and well.
Two months later, scientists rewarded her heroism with euthanasia (安乐死) — they wanted to examine her body. Then, Félicette was all but forgotten.
So forgotten that in the 90s, when three former French colonies celebrated her story by issuing stamps with the cat’s likeness, they mistakenly turned her into a boy by using the wrong name — Felix.
But thanks to Londoner Matt Guy who came across the tale of Félicette that she wasn’t already properly recognized for her accomplishments, the story’s finally been set straight. His online pleas netted around $57,000 enough to fund a 5-foot tall bronze statue. On Dec. 18, 2019, the statue was finally unveiled at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France.
1. Why did scientists choose Félicette for their space program?| A．Because cats were more readily available than other animals. |
| B．Because cats had well-developed neurological system. |
| C．Because they liked her more than Laika and Ham. |
| D．Because they got rich research data about cats. |
| A．She became a national hero in France. |
| B．She was euthanized for scientific examination. |
| C．She was adopted by one of the scientists involved in the program. |
| D．She was remembered until a Londoner rediscovered her story. |
| A．He helped issue stamps with the cat’s likeness. | B．He built a status for Félicette by himself. |
| C．He raised money online in Félicette’s honor. | D．He discovered Félicette initiatively. |
| A．Félicette the first cat in Space finally got her due. | B．Félicette was forgotten in the history. |
| C．The first and only cat Félicette was sent into space. | D．Félicette was rescued bravely by humans. |
6 . Humans aren’t the only animals that move to music. Parrots have been known to do it. And now rats have been observed bopping their heads in time with the tunes of Mozart, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and others, according to a new paper from the University of Tokyo. What’s more, the rats seems to respond to the same beats that get humans’ feet tapping (轻跺).
The researchers played a sonata by Mozart for lab rats at different variations of the original speed. Wireless sensors on the rats’ bodies tracked their movements. Meanwhile, 20 human participants were involved and listened to the same music through headphones equipped with motion sensors.
It was observed that the rats’ head movements were the most obvious when the music played at its normal speed, which was around 132bpm (beats per minute). The same was true for human participants. The researchers then changed to some pop songs such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”. As with Mozart’s, rats moved their heads along the rhythm of pop songs, similar to how people do, at about 120 to 140bpm.
The study showed that both rats and humans moved their heads along to the beat in a similar rhythm. The level of head bopping from both humans and rats decreased as the music sped up. The study suggests that there is something similar about the way human and rat brains respond to rhythms, but rats do not match their motions to the beat like humans do. Humans can predict the timing of a beat and move predictably to it.
Aniruddh Patel, a psychologist who studies brain response to music, says humans and parrots respond to beats with big, voluntary movements such as head shaking, dancing or foot tapping. Patel also stresses that this study does not show that rats have the same emotional associations with music as humans do. Yet he believes it could help reveal how humans and some other animals developed a sense of rhythm.
1. What is the main discovery of the study?| A．Humans as well as other animals developed a sense of rhythm. |
| B．Rats as well as other animals can distinguish music styles. |
| C．Rats just like human beings can respond to musical rhythms. |
| D．Rats are added to the list of music lover as humans perform. |
| A．By analyzing brains responses. | B．By playing different music. |
| C．By comparing rats’ and humans’ responses. | D．By recording two groups’ music preference. |
| A．Rats were trained to respond to musical rhythms. |
| B．Human and rat brains respond to rhythms similarly. |
| C．Humans respond to rhythms more consciously than rats. |
| D．Rats have the same emotional associations with music as humans do. |
| A．It helps us understand ourselves better. |
| B．It suggests parrots are more related to humans than rats. |
| C．It solves the mystery of the development of musical rhythm. |
| D．It indicates the relationships between humans and other animals. |
7 . Sleep-deprived human parents know the value of a quick nap, but it turns out Chinstrap penguins have us all beat. When nesting, these Antarctic birds take four-second-long “microsleeps,” a strategy that allows parents to keep constant watch over vulnerable eggs and chicks, all while amounting to 11 hours of total sleep a day, according to a new study.
It’s hard to sleep in a colony of nesting Chinstrap penguins. The Antarctic summer sun provides 24/7 daylight, illuminating thousands of noisy birds. And then there’s the eye-watering smell of ammonia (氨气) mixed with rotting fish and penguin wastes. “It made me dizzy,” says co-study leader Won Young Lee, a researcher at the Korea Polar Research Institute.
Like other penguins, Chinstrap parents take turns guarding the nest. While one bird protects the chicks—usually two—the partner hunts at sea. Then the penguins trade places. For two months between egg laying and fledging, it’s a series of nonstop demands.
To study how penguins manage to accomplish all this and get the necessary sleep, Lee and his team first stuck biologgers, small battery-powered devices, to the backs of 14 nesting penguins of both sexes. This device functions like a smartwatch, measuring physical activity, pulse, and the ocean depths of hunting birds. Next, the team captured each of the penguins, anesthetizing(麻醉) them to attach the devices and temporarily implant electrodes into their skull to measure brain activity. When an animal is awake, the brain constantly buzzes with activity. During sleep, however, brain waves slow down and stretch out. When Lee started reviewing the data, he was surprised to discover the birds slept in four-second intervals throughout the day and night while caring for their egg or chick.
While the data is convincing, Cirelli, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin who wasn’t involved in the study, notes that the researchers only studied the penguins during nesting periods, making it impossible to tell if the birds microsleep when they’re not parenting. The other challenge is understanding how microsleep impacts the brains and bodies of the penguins. Sleep deprivation in humans causes a range of health problems, and it’s not clear whether penguins experience this, too.
Since Chinstraps sleep in slightly longer stretches while diving for food and after they return to land, Lee says that microsleep may be just a short-term coping strategy for tired moms and dads.
1. What does the underlined word “vulnerable” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Genuine | B．Unprotected | C．Stolen | D．Broken |
| A．The extreme low temperature in the Antarctic. |
| B．Male penguins’ role to hunt for food for chicks. |
| C．Their need to be alert to possible dangers around eggs and chicks. |
| D．Their demands to keep nonstop sleep throughout the day and night. |
| A．They stuck smartwatches to the back of penguins. |
| B．They recorded penguins’ waking and sleep duration. |
| C．They captured the penguins and attached devices into their nests. |
| D．They monitored their physical and brain activity using different devices. |
| A．A short-term strategy to deal with lack of food |
| B．A short-term strategy to cope with extreme weather |
| C．A 4-second nap: penguin parents survive on “microsleeps” |
| D．A 4-second nap: Chinstrap penguins seek to hunt for enough food |
8 . When adult humans meet a baby, many can't help speaking in a higher-pitched (更高音的) and sing-songy voice. This shift, known as parentese, is not unique to humans. It has also been observed in animals like monkeys and gorillas. Now, scientists are adding one more species to that list: bottle-nose dolphins.
Dolphins are intelligent animals that live and hunt in groups. They communicate in a unique way: Every individual produces its own signature sound that acts much like an ID card, usually by its first birthday. But how does each come up with its distinctive whistle? For babies, it might have something to do with listening to Mum. To solve this mystery, researchers examined the sounds mother dolphins make.
Scientists studied 34 years’ worth of recordings of sounds made by 19 female bottle-nose dolphins. When the mother dolphins were near their young, they continued to make their signature sounds, but at a higher frequency. They also used a wider range of frequencies than they did when their babies were not nearby.
This discovery suggests that using these modifications, mother dolphins assist their young in learning how to produce these calls themselves. Since baby dolphins often spend some years with their mothers before living on their own, it makes sense that this adaptation would help them learn to communicate. At the very least, the higher-pitched whistle likely gets the babies' attention. “It's important for a baby to know, ‘Oh, Mum's talking to me now,’ ” says marine biologist Janet Mann.
This kind of research could help us understand how language developed in humans. “It is absolutely essential to have basic knowledge about other species and how they communicate,” says Mann. “I would be really interested to see whether dolphins also change their sounds when interacting with babies of others, which is what happens in humans.”
1. What do the underlined words “this mystery” refer to in paragraph 2?| A．How dolphins develop their unique sounds. |
| B．Why dolphins live and play in groups. |
| C．What aspects of intelligence dolphins possess. |
| D．Whether dolphins can use parentese like humans. |
| A．By recording parent-child interaction frequency. |
| B．By analyzing mother dolphins' sound features. |
| C．By measuring the distance between parents and children. |
| D．By examining the speech organs of mother dolphins. |
| A．To express worry and care. | B．To teach them hunting skills. |
| C．To help them learn to talk. | D．To distract their attention. |
| A．Some new findings about dolphin communication |
| B．The value of studying dolphins' language |
| C．A comparison of the parentese of humans and dolphins |
| D．An introduction to the development of dolphin intelligence |
9 . In Shark Bay, Australia, unrelated bottlenose dolphins have exhibited a remarkable behavior— they have been observed teaching each other a novel way to use a tool. This is a behavior that, until recently, scientists had only witnessed in humans and other great apes. Furthermore, this marks the first known instance of dolphins passing down such knowledge within the same generation, rather than across generations.
The dolphins engage in a practice known as shelling. They chase fish into abandoned giant snail shells lying on the seabed. After that, they bring these shells to the surface and shake them with their noses, removing the water and capturing the fish that escape.
“The fact that shelling is socially transmitted among dolphin peers rather than between mother and child sets an important milestone,” senior study author Michael Krutzen said.
In 2007, Krutzen launched a study of Shark Bay’s dolphins, identifying more than a thousand individual dolphins over 11 years. During this time, scientists observed shelling 42 times among 19 dolphins. Half of these events occurred after a marine heatwave in 2011, which may have caused a die-off among giant sea snails, leading to more shells on the seafloor.
Because of the length of their study, scientists had very detailed knowledge of the individual dolphins’ family histories, ages, sexes and behavior, making it easier for them to study the 19 dolphins that practiced shelling. For instance, they observed that the dolphins that practised shelling hung out with other shellers, so it’s likely that they copied from those they spent time with, says study lead author Sonja Wild.
The team knew that environmental factors- specifically, whether shelling dolphins did so simply because they lived in a shell-rich area-could explain this peer-to-peer transmission. A genetic characteristic among a family group was another possible reason.
So the researchers combined their data on the dolphin sightings, as well as genetic and environmental data, into a computer model that proposed various ways shelling could be transmitted between dolphins. The model that supported horizontal (横向的) transmission was the strongest outcome, according to the study.
1. What can we know about bottlenose dolphins from the paragraph?| A．They learn to use tools from humans. | B．They get knowledge across generations. |
| C．They copy behaviours from great apes. | D．They have the ability to teach each other. |
| A．To explain the natural cycle of sea snail populations. |
| B．To discuss the impact of climate change on marine life. |
| C．To highlight the challenges faced by dolphins in finding food. |
| D．To provide a possible explanation for the increase in shelling behavior. |
| A．usually hunt on their own | B．live around areas rich in shells |
| C．conduct shelling about four times a year | D．acquire shelling skills from other shellers |
| A．to find out genetic factors in shelling transmission |
| B．to further make sure how shelling actually spreads |
| C．to explain why shelling only spreads between peers |
| D．to look for new possible ways for dolphins to spread shelling |
10 . Last week, an owl named Flaco made a daring escape from his cage at New York’s Central Park Zoo when it was broken. This set off a bird-hunt led by local police and park rangers. The zoo officials were concerned about Flaco’s ability to survive in the wild, as he had been living in the cage for 13 years. They attempted to lure (引诱) him back with his favorite treats.
However, Flaco proved to be too clever to be caught so easily. He was spotted soaring above 5th Avenue and the skating rink in Central Park. His escape attracted the attention of many city dwellers and many New Yorkers flocked to the park to catch a glimpse of Flaco, taking photos with excitement.
But this week, zoo officials announced they accepted that Flaco remained in Central Park because they observed him bringing up bones and fur from the park’s community of rats. “He has been very successful at hunting and consuming lots of rats in the park.” zoo officials told the New York Post. “It’s truly remarkable. He’s hunting independently and his flying has improved. It appears that Flaco is quite content with his new life and enjoys his freedom outdoors.”
This incident serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by wildlife in urban environments. Owls, being nocturnal creatures, are active searching for food at night and rest during the day. Yet some residents who are unaware of proper bird-watching behavior reportedly see Flaco sleep in a tree during the day, and begin to make loud noise and shout at him. It interrupts his daytime naps. Flaco can’t try to say “shh, shh” with the traditional New York reply. After all, a bird can’t give someone the bird.
1. Why were the zoo officials worried about Flaco after his escape?| A．He was hunted by local people. | B．He might attack human beings. |
| C．He might be unable to exist in the wild. | D．He was injured and needed medical attention. |
| A．He has adapted to the wild. | B．He still faces great challenges. |
| C．He dislikes the rats in the park. | D．He has found his previous home. |
| A．Scary-looking. | B．Shy and quiet. | C．Sleepy and lazy. | D．Active at night. |
| A．The bad effect of local residents on Flaco’s sleep. |
| B．The potential threat from other animals in the park. |
| C．The difficulty Flaco faces in finding food in the city. |
| D．The risk of Flaco getting injured while flying in the city. |
