It takes two to duet (二重唱), and one question for scientists is how these coordinated (协调的) performances arise — in birds. Are they the result of cooperation, a way in which one pair signals to others that they’ve got it together? Or are they the result of conflict, evolving to avoid one partner’s song interfering with the other’s?
A study of duetting in Peruvian warbling antbirds(蚁鸟) suggests that it might be a little of both, and that context is everything. Joseph A. Tobias and Nathalie Seddon of the University of Oxford show in Current Biology that sexual conflict can cause the female of a pair that normally cooperates to “jam” the male’s song by singing over it.
The researchers exposed antbird pairs to recorded songs of other antbirds and monitored the songs the pairs produced. In one experiment, they played the songs of an intruding pair. In this case, the resident pair “both are likely to lose their territory, so both should cooperate,” Dr. Tobias said. And they do. They produce a coordinated duet that in effect tells the intruders to keep away.
But when the researchers played the song of a single female, the pair behaved differently. “You’d expect the resident female to be highly motivated to defend her position in the partnership,” Dr. Tobias said. And that’s what occurs. The male sings its heart out, flirting(调情) with the single female, and the female of the pair does its best to interfere with the song by singing over it, apparently to make her mate less attractive to the other female.
“It’s clear that the male doesn’t like what she’s doing,” Dr. Tobias said. The behavior “breaks up what is otherwise a very cooperative situation into a more complicated signal,” he added.
It’s the first evidence of this kind of signal jamming among pairs, Dr. Tobias said.
And in that it leads the male to alter its song to avoid the female’s interfering notes, it shows that this kind of conflict could, over a long period, drive the evolution of coordinated song.
What is the key factor of antbirds’ duet?
A.Their cooperation. | B.Their conflict. |
C.The context. | D.Their instinct. |
How did the researchers conduct the experiment?
A.They put the antbird pairs back to nature and observe them. |
B.They played different recorded songs of other antbirds. |
C.They put an antbird to the other’s territory and observed. |
D.They played the songs of an intruding pair. |
Why did the female bird sing according to Paragraph 4?
A.It wanted to show its singing talent to the partner. |
B.It aimed at keeping the partnership with the male. |
C.It wanted to frighten the other females. |
D.It wanted to make her mate more attractive. |
Which of the following is the topic of this passage?
A.The special phenomenon about birds pairs. |
B.The conflict of bird pairs. |
C.The cooperation of bird pairs. |
D.The piece of music for bird pairs. |
So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that“ reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable ,what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest(探索)for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children. ”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading.he problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that _______________.
A.it is one of the most difficult school courses |
B.students spend endless hours in reading |
C.reading tasks are assigned with little guidance |
D.too much time is spent in teaching about reading |
.he teaching of reading will be successful if _______________.
A.teachers can improve conditions at school for the students |
B.teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading |
C.teachers can devise the most efficient system for reading |
D.teachers can make their teaching activities observable |
The underlined word“ scrutiny” most probably means“______________”.
A.inquiry | B.observation |
C.control | D.suspicion |
According to the passage, learning to read will no longer be a difficult task when ______________.
A.children become highly motivated |
B.teacher and learner roles are interchangeable |
C.teaching helps children in the search for knowledge |
D.reading enriches children’s experience |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
A.teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read |
B.teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible |
C.reading ability is something acquired rather than taught |
D.reading is more complicated that generally believed |
Honeybees are disappearing for unknown reasons around the United States.Last winter, bees disappeared from 23 percent of American beekeeping businesses.Causes of the phenomenon, however, have remained a mystery.
Now, scientists from several universities and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have a possible explanation for the bee decline(数量下降).It is a little known virus called Israeli acute--paralysis virus (IAPV).The virus kills bees.Researchers in Israel first described it in 2004 , but until now, bee experts hadn’t paid much attention to it.
When trying to find out why the bees were disappearing, a research team at Columbia University studied bee colonies (群体), some with and the others without decline.The research turned up large numbers of two types of fungi (真菌) once suspected of causing the bee decline.The research results, however, showed that the fungi were almost as common in colonies without a decline as they were in colonies with a decline.The researchers concluded that the two fungi probably weren’t the cause.
Studies of the presence of IAPV, however, showed more interesting information.In those studies, done by a team at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, the virus showed up in 83 percent of samples from colonies with symptoms (症状).Only five percent of samples from symptomless colonies had it.
Scientists still don’t know whether IAPIV can single--handedly cause the bee decline.They believe that even if the virus is making colonies sick , it could have a partner in crime.It’s possible, for instance, that insects or chemicals in the environment weaken bees, making them more likely to catch IAPV.
Scientists are still trying to figure out how IAPV came to the United States.The United States currently allows bee products to be imported from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.If it turns out that this trade is spreading disease, the rules might eventually change.
According to the passage ,IAPV is a virus that ______.
A.hasn’t attracted much attention |
B.well-known to doctors and scientist |
C.was first found by Austrian researchers |
D.is dangerous to animals and human beings |
The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph probably means______.
A.the virus could also cause other damages |
B.there must be something that is the real cause |
C.IAPV is not the only cause for the bee decline |
D.the virus may be caused by the polluted environment |
From the third and fourth paragraphs, we know researchers draw their conclusions by means of _______.
A.calculating | B.comparing | C.examining | D.investigating |
What still remains unknown to American scientists according to the passage?
A.How and why to kill IAPV. |
B.How IAPV came to America. |
C.Whether bee products should be imported. |
D.How to change the rules of the bee products trade. |
The best title for this passage would be _____.
A.Bee Disease | B.How to Kill IAPV |
C.A Virus—IAPV | D.Two Types of Fungi |
A classic series of experiments to determine the effects of overpopulation on communities of rats was conducted by a psychologist,John Calhoun.In each experiment,an equal number of male and female adult rats were placed in an enclosure(场地).The rat populations were allowed to increase.Calhoun knew from experience approximately how many rats could live in the enclosures without experiencing stress due to overcrowding.He allowed the population to increase to approximately twice this number Then he fixed the population by removing the children that were not dependent on their mothers.At the end of the experiments,Calhoun was able to conclude that overcrowding causes a breakdown in the normal social relationships among rats,a kind of social disease.The rats in the experiments did not follow the same patterns of behavior as rats would in a community without overcrowding.
The females in the rat population were the most seriously affected by the high population density(密度).For example,mothers sometimes deserted their children,and,without their mothers’care,the children died.The experiments showed that in overpopulated communities,mother rats do not behave normally.Their behavior may be considered diseased and pathological(病理学的).
The leading males in the rat population were the least affected by over population.Each of these strong males claimed an area of the enclosure as his own.Therefore,these individuals did not experience the overcrowding in the same way as the other rats did..However leading males did behave pathologically at times.
Their antisocial(反社会)behavior consisted of attacks on weaker male,female,and immature rats.This unusual behavior showed tha
t even though the leading males had enough living space,they too were affected by the general overcrowding.
Non-leading males in the experimental rat communities also exhibited unusual social behavior.Some withdrew(缩回) completely ,avoiding contact with other rats.Other non-leading males were too active,chasing other rats and fighting each other.
The behavior of the rat population has similarity in human behavior.People in densely(密) populated areas exhibit unusual behavior similar to that of the rats in Calhoun’s experiments.In large urban areas,such as New York City,London,and Cairo,there are deserted children.There are cruel,powerful individuals,both men and women.There are also people who withdraw and people who become too active.Is the major cause of these disorders(混乱)overpopulation?
Calhoun’s experiments suggest that it might be.In any case,social scientists and city planners have been influenced by the results of this series of experiments.Which of the following inferences(推断)can NOT be made from the first paragraph?
A.Overpopulation causes pathological behavior in rat populations. |
B.Calhoun had experimented with rats before. |
C.Calhoun’s experiment is still considered important today |
D.Stress does not occur in rat communities unless there is overcrowding. |
The author implies that the behavior of the leading male rats is sometimes similar to that of
A.people who would like to keep to themselves |
B.people who abandon their children |
C.too active people |
D.cruel,powerful people |
The main point of this passage is that _______________.
A.although rats are affected by overcrowding,people are not |
B.overcrowding may be an important cause of social pathology |
C.the social behavior of rats is seriously affected by overcrowding |
D.Calhoun's experiments have influenced many people |
The world hash’t seen a pandemic(流行疾病)in 4 1 years,when the”Hong Kong”flu crossed the globe and killed about one million people worldwide.If H1N1 flu(甲型流感)reaches pandemic levels,what would happen next?
The outbreak of SARS in 2003 rang alarm bells as potential pandemics.Although it jumped the”animal-to·human”barrier,neither disease changed enough to enable human-to.Human infection.Strictly speaking,SARS did not become pandemics because it was too good at killing their hosts.For a pandemic,it needs to be able to maintain human-to.human contact without killing its host off.
”H1N1 flu is already a man-to-man disease,which makes it much more difficult to manage.
And H1N1 flu appears much more infectious than SARS.
But the WHO warns,it cannot say whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic.According to experts,here’s what the world might see if there is another pandemic,based on past experience.
The disease would skip from city to city over an 18-to-24 month period,infecting more than a third of the population.World health Organization officials believe as many as 1.5 billion people around the globe would seek medical care and nearly 30 million would seek hospitalization.Based on the last pandemic and current world population,as many as 7 million people could die.Hospitals will become overcrowded;scho
ols will close;businesses will close;airports will be empty.Business will become very bad,as people avoid as much social contact as possible.
Health facilities will become overrun with patients and there would be less-than-adequate staffing,as medical health professionals fall ill themselves and that would result in higher deaths.
The very young and very old will likely be the most susceptible(易受感染的)to the illness.Experts warn,much is still unknown about the current H1N1 flu virus and its severity and it is too early to say whether it will lead to a pandemic.Right now,the focus is on finding answers and controlling the spread.How many kinds of disease is mentioned in the passage?
A.Two | B.Three | C.Four | D.Five |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.SARS didn’t change enough to enable sustained(持续的)human-to—human infection. |
B.SARS was very good at killing its carriers. |
C.A man with H1N1 flu can not infect another man easily. |
D.Comparing SARS and H 1N 1 flu,SARS is not as infectious. |
What can we know about the “Hong Kong” flu from the passage?
A.It spread all around the globe and killed lots of people. |
B.It killed about millions of people. |
C.It killed about one million people in Hong Kong. |
D.Not the old but the young were susceptible to it and got killed. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The H1N1 flu will skip from city to city over an 18一to一24 month period. |
B.Doctors and nurs![]() |
C.Every country is taking measures to stop the H1N1 flu from leading to a pandemic. |
D.The WHO and experts have known much about the current H1N1 flu virus. |
If I were writing a history of my family, some of the darkest moments recorded would be those surrounding Christmas trees.One would certainly think otherwise;selecting and puRing up our trees have always been filled with risk.For example,one afternoon dangerously close to Christmas Eve my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain,a glorious tree that was so full and tall that we could hardly get it into the house.Once we did,my father immediately realized that we would have to hire a carpenter to build a stand for it.Another December perhaps the very next one,we bought a tree earlier than we ever had before.We were happy with its shape and delighted that its size was manageable.We easily placed it in a stand,decorated it from top to bottom,and then self satisfiedly sat back by the fire in its soft light.Two or three days passed and the truth could not be hidden;we had bought a tree cut so long ago that its needles were coming off.There was nothing to do but undecorate it,take it down,and begin tree shopping again.Our most recent Christmas tree offered still another difficult task.When we brought it home,once again it seemed larger than it was in the great outdoors.I persu
aded two young neighbors to stop playing basketball and to help us get the tree into the house and set it correctly in the stand.Unfortunately,no one noticed the mud on our helpers’shoes,so only after removing several r
eddish brown spots from the carpet were we able to discuss the question of where the lights and ornaments(装饰)
were stored.Perhaps those who cut their own trees have tales more painful than these.I don’t care to hear them,as my family’s experiences are enough to cause me to make the following suggestion:”Let’s forget the tree next Christmas.Let’s simply hang some flowers on the front door and over the mirror in the hall.”
The darkest moments in the writer’s family were with the fact that ______.
A.the family bought big Christmas trees |
B.they had problems decorating their Christmas trees |
C.they had problems picking suitable Christmas trees |
D.they had problems finding carpenters for putting up Christmas trees |
We can learn from the passage that the writer would like to ______.
A.forget about Christmas stories |
B.get the neighbors to put up their trees |
C.buy a better tree to celebrate Christmas |
D.make other decorations rather than Christmas trees |
When the writer said”my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain”,he means____.
A.she bought the tree at a low price |
B.she didn’t really want to buy it |
C.she had to bargain hard with the salesman |
D.she couldn’t afford a more expensive one |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?
A.How to Select a Christmas Tree | B.No More Christmas Trees for Us |
C.Dark Moments of Life | D.Christmas Without Trees |