Question

【題目】 A group of blue-faced birds step through the grass shoulder to shoulder, red eyes looking around. They look like middle schoolers seeking a cafeteria table at lunchtime. Perhaps they’re not so different.

A new study, led by Damien Farine, an ornithologist who studies collective behaviour, shows that the vulturine guineafowl of eastern Africa, like humans, have multilevel societies. In the past, scientists assumed such social structures required a lot of brainpower. But the pea-brained guineafowl are revealing the faults in that assumption.

These large birds wander across the landscape in packs, often walking so closely that their bodies touch. They may fight each other to maintain their strict hierarchies (等級制度), but at other times they engage in friendly behaviours like sharing food.

Suspecting the guineafowl might have a social structure, Dr. Farine and his colleagues began a thorough study of their society. For a whole year, they made daily observations of 441 birds. Coloured leg bands in unique combinations let researchers tell the black-and-blue birds apart. They also attached GPS devices to the backs of 58 birds, which let them see exactly where every group went, 24 hours a day.

The findings of the research suggest that the vulturine guineafowl have a multilevel society. There are groups within groups within the population as a whole. There even seem to be groups of friends within the small groups. This is the first time anyone has observed such a society in a bird.

And Dr. Farine emphasizes this particular bird’s tiny brain size: “They don’t only have small brains relative to mammals (哺乳動物), they also have quite small brains relative to other birds,” he said.

According to him, living in this kind of society might actually make it easier to keep track of the social order. For example, if groups are stable and a bird can identify just one or two individuals within a group, it knows which group it’s looking at — no need for a brain that can recognize every single animal. Multilevel societies also let animals adjust their group sizes based on whatever challenges they’re facing. Depending on what enemies or resources are around, it might make sense to travel in a combined group rather than a smaller one.

“Having a multilevel structure may not require having a large brain,” Dr. Farine said. There may be more birds and other animals out there that, although small-brained, have societies as many-leveled as our own.

【1】According to the passage, what inspired Dr. Farine to carry out the study?

A.The guineafowl’s social behaviour.

B.Previous assumptions about birds.

C.His interest in animal brainpower.

D.The faults in earlier research.

【2】What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A.The research subjects.B.The research methods.

C.The research findings.D.The research equipment.

【3】What can be learned from the passage?

A.Complex social systems can be a disadvantage to the guineafowl.

B.The guineafowl are good at recognizing individuals in a group.

C.Birds maintain social order by travelling in combined groups.

D.Small-brained animals can form multilevel societies.

【4】What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.To present the findings of a study of the guineafowl.

B.To explain the interaction patterns in multilevel societies.

C.To introduce a new approach to observing the guineafowl.

D.To uncover clues about how complex societies are formed.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】B

【3】D

【4】A

【解析】

這是一篇說明文。文章主要講了鳥類學家Damien Farine團隊在非洲東部的一項新的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)：小腦動物珍珠雞也有社會結(jié)構(gòu)。

【1】推理判斷題。由第四段中的Suspecting the guineafowl might have a social structure, Dr. Farine and his colleagues began a thorough study of their society.可知，由于懷疑珍珠雞可能有社會結(jié)構(gòu)，Farine博士和他的同事們開始對它們的社會進行徹底的研究。由此可知，珍珠雞的社會行為和社會結(jié)構(gòu)讓Farine博士和他的同事們有所懷疑，所以他們才進行了徹底的研究。故選A項。

【2】主旨大意題。由第四段中的For a whole year, they made daily observations of 441 birds. Coloured leg bands in unique combinations let researchers tell the black-and-blue birds apart. They also attached GPS devices to the backs of 58 birds, which let them see exactly where every group went, 24 hours a day.可知，一整年，他們每天觀察441只鳥。獨特組合的彩色腿帶讓研究人員區(qū)分了黑藍色的鳥類。他們還在58只鳥的背上安裝了GPS設備，讓它們一天24小時準確地看到每一組鳥的去向。由此可知，這段主要是講述他們團隊如何研究觀察的，即他們的研究方法。故選B項。

【3】推理判斷題。由第五段中的The findings of the research suggest that the vulturine guineafowl have a multilevel society.和第六段中的And Dr. Farine emphasizes this particular bird’s tiny brain size: “They don’t only have small brains relative to mammals (哺乳動物), they also have quite small brains relative to other birds,” he said.可知，研究結(jié)果表明，禿鷹珍珠雞具有多層次的社會結(jié)構(gòu)。Farine博士還強調(diào)了這種鳥的大腦很�。骸八鼈儾粌H與哺乳動物相比，大腦很小，而且與其他鳥類相比，它們的大腦也很小。”由此推知，大腦很小的珍珠雞也有社會結(jié)構(gòu)。故選D項。

【4】推理判斷題。結(jié)合文章大意，這篇文章主要介紹了Farine博士團隊的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)：大腦很小的珍珠雞也有社會結(jié)構(gòu)。所以文章的目的是向我們展示對于珍珠雞的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)。故選A項。