When different species of birds flock (聚集) to...

When different species of birds flock (聚集) together, their flight formations are determined by social dynamics both between and within species.

New research from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter reveals for the first time that, contrary to current models used to explain the movement of flocks, the differences between bird species and social relationships between individuals play a critical role in determining the dynamics of mixed-species flocks.

The unified(群集) behaviour of bird flocks has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years. One naturalist from the turn of the century even suggested telepathy(心灵感应)may be involved. There have since been more logical explanations, including mathematical models that show that repeated interactions among individuals following simple rules can generate coordinated (协同的)group movements. However, these models usually rely on the assumption that individuals within groups are identical and interact independently, which may not reflect reality.

Jolle Jolles, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and author of the paper, said：“Spectacular collective behaviour can be found in a large range of animal species, and we now know that often these complex coordinated group movements may be the result of individuals following simple rules. However, rarely are the individual characteristics and social relationships within them taken into account. Our research highlights that these striking displays of group behaviour are much more complex.”

By analysing high-resolution photographs of mixed flocks of rooks and jackdaws (both from the corvid family), the researchers found that rather than individuals interacting in a consistent fashion throughout the flock, interactions depended on social dynamics between the different species as well as relationships within a species.

The researchers discovered that birds prefer to fly close to members of their own species, and that the larger and more dominant rooks take the lead by flying near the front of flocks. Additionally, the lifelong, monogamous(一妻一夫制的)pair bonds that are characteristic of both species seem to be reflected in flight, as birds often fly particularly close to a single, same-species partner.

Dr Alex Thornton, principal investigator of the Cambridge Jackdaw Project, now at the University of Exeter and author of the paper, said: “Together, our findings demonstrate that to understand the structure of groups — such as bird flocks — we need to consider the characteristics and relationships of the individuals within them.”

1.The underlined word “generate” means ______.

A. set down　　　　　　　　 B. take away

C. bring about　　　　　　 D. give up

2.According to Jolle Jolles, what are seldom considered about coordinated group movement?

A. Individual characteristics and social relationship between them

B. Repeated interactions among individuals and social dynamics

C. Telepathy and social relationship between them

D. The structure of groups and the varieties of species

3.Birds may prefer to fly the closest to _____ .

A. the largest one 　　　 B. the most dynamic one

C. the lifelong partner D. the friendly partner

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. How birds interact in simple rules.

B. How birds of different feathers flock together.

C. Why birds show preference to flocking.

D. Why birds display the characteristics.

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Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats, or homelands, are disappearing.

Traditional migration paths take birds through countries that are not protecting locations to stop, rest and feed. The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas.　 The major danger for migratory birds is development in human society. Building and paving has covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another. For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic flying all the way to the southern earth in Australia and New Zealand stopping at Yellow Sea mudflats in China along the way.

One of the scientists who worked on the study says “many of these critical sites have been taken up owing to urban, industrial and agricultural expansion.” The problem, according to researchers, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don’t have a safe place to eat and rest to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds. In addition, many of the sanctuaries(避难所) are not wide enough to cover the paths of migratory birds.

One species that doesn’t exist any longer is the Eskimo curlew. “Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,” one of the scientists says. The researchers say if one country might have preserved safe zones for migratory birds while a neighboring country might not, a bird might die.

One scientist who is not involved in the report says that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes--- like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use--- could make a big difference.

1.Why is development in human society considered as the major danger for migratory birds?

A.Construction activities occupy birds’ paths.

B.Serious industrial pollution damages birds’ habitats.

C.Hunting activities happen more frequently.

D.Airplane flights directly harm birds’ safety.

2.What’s the current situation of protecting migratory birds?

A.Countries in East Asia don’t want to make any changes.

B.The progress still remains at the primary stage.

C.Some of the efforts of humans aren’t working well.

D.Not many countries are involved in the activities.

3.According to the researchers, __________.

A.governments need to work together and provide safe areas

B.safe zones in neighboring countries need to be combined together

C.more bird species will die out if they continue migrating through countries

D.human activities should give way to the birds when the migrating season comes

4.What can we know about the migratory birds according to the passage?

A.They always travel from the north to the south.

B.They need to stop during the migration to correct directions.

C.All of them are endangered because of lacking protection.

D.Some of them take rests or feed in cities.

5.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A.The migration of birds influences society development.

B.Migratory birds are dying from losing their homes.

C.Countries need to work together to protect migratory birds.

D.Protecting migratory birds is very necessary.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats, or homelands, are disappearing.

Traditional migration paths take birds through countries that are not protecting the places for birds to stop, rest and feed. The scientists studied the migration or flight paths of almost 1,500 species. They decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas.

The major danger for migratory birds is development. Buildings and pavements have covered the places where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another. One of the scientists who worked on the study says “Many of these important places have been lost to land reclamation (开垦) because of urban, industrial and agricultural land expansion”.

The problem, according to scientists, is that many of these small birds die along their migration paths because they don’t have a safe place to feed and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time in protecting land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds. One species that doesn’t exist now is the Eskimo curlew. “Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,” one of the scientists says.

The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopping areas for birds that pass through their boundaries. For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.

One scientist who is not connected with the report tells Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds.

He says small changes, like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of the areas birds would be likely to use, could make a big difference.

1.What mainly caused the disappearing of birds’ habitats ?

A.The decrease of awareness to protect birds. B.Natural disasters.

C.Overuse of land by human beings. D.The rising sea level.

2.What may be the main reason for many birds’ death on the way of migration?

A.Exhaustion and hunger. B.Beast attack on the ground.

C.Hunting of humans. D.The long journey.

3.According to the last two paragraphs, how should we protect the migrating birds?

A.By keeping fewer cats or dogs.

B.By restoring their destroyed habitats.

C.By helping change the birds’ migration paths.

D.By preserving the ecological environments on their migration paths.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A.To tell us a huge percentage of bird species are in danger.

B.To analyze the reasons for disappearing of birds’ habitats.

C.To offer some solutions to the problem of birds’ habitats.

D.To call on people to protect the birds’ habitats.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats are disappearing.

The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas. The major danger for migratory birds is development. Building and paving have covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another.

For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic. It flies all the way to Australia and New Zealand. The problem, according to investigators, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don't have a safe place to eat and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. "They simply perish along the way," says one of the scientists.

Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds.

"Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,’’ one of the scientists says.

The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopover areas for birds that pass through their boundaries.

For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.

One scientist who is not involved in the report tells the Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes—like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use—could make a big difference.

1.What’s the major danger for migratory birds according to the passage?

A.They can’t find enough food along the way.

B.They have lost their way because of human development.

C.Human development has occupied their natural habitats.

D.They are sometimes struck by human diseases.

2.What do we know about bar-tailed godwits?

A.They fly from the Arctic south to Australia every year.

B.They can pick out good resting place along the way.

C.They have died out because of human hunting.

D.They have their conserved land in Australia.

3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "perish" in Paragraph 3?

A.Continue. B.Die.

C.Settle. D.Migrate.

4.What suggestion does the scientist say to the Los Angeles Times?

A.Countries working together to protect the sea.

B.Protecting the original habitats for the migrating birds.

C.Reserving some land for the birds to rest along the way.

D.Planting some native plants for the migrating birds to use.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats are disappearing.

The scientists studied the migration, or flight, paths, of almost 1,500 species and decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas. The major danger for migratory birds is development. Building and paving have covered over nature where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another.

For example, a bird called the bar-tailed godwit migrates from its breeding grounds in the Arctic. It flies all the way to Australia and New Zealand. The problem, according to investigators, is that many of these small birds die along their migration because they don't have a safe place to eat and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. "They simply perish along the way," says one of the scientists.

Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time conserving land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds.

"Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,’’ one of the scientists says.

The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopover areas for birds that pass through their boundaries.

For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.

One scientist who is not involved in the report tells the Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds. He says small changes—like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of areas birds would be likely to use—could make a big difference.

1.What’s the major danger for migratory birds according to the passage?

A.They can’t find enough food along the way.

B.They have lost their way because of human development.

C.Human development has occupied their natural habitats.

D.They are sometimes struck by human diseases.

2.What do we know about bar-tailed godwits?

A.They fly from the Arctic south to Australia every year.

B.They can pick out good resting place along the way.

C.They have died out because of human hunting.

D.They have their conserved land in Australia.

3.The countries along the migrating route need to ________.

A.fight the poverty of people to protect the birds

B.work together to conserve safe areas for birds

C.plant more trees to provide safe areas for birds

D.maintain a good relationship with neighboring countries

4.What suggestion does the scientist say to the Los Angeles Times?

A.Countries working together to protect the sea.

B.Protecting the original habitats for the migrating birds.

C.Reserving some land for the birds to rest along the way.

D.Planting some native plants for the migrating birds to use.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Penguins live together，but each pair has a little piece of ground of their own.When a penguin wants to walk through its neighbor’s ground，it must ask permission.If it does not do that，it will have to fight.Most of the time，penguins live on the water.They eat shell fish and look after their children carefully.

All penguins are good parents—the male penguins are perhaps the best parents in the world. They walk in the sea in the middle of the dark Antarctic water. They choose their wives in the dark.They can only hear them—not see them.Then the female penguins lay their eggs and go away for about two months.The males take care of the eggs.If the eggs get cold，there will be no chicks.There is no food.The snow falls heavily and the wind blows strongly—sometimes at 150 kilometers an hour.The penguins do not move.When the females return from the sea，they will not remember their husbands.It does not matter.Only one thing matters—the eggs.Male penguins never fight—unless a penguin leaves a chick for a minute.They then fight because they all want it.They are strange and wonderful birds.

1.It seems interesting and unusual that the male penguins choose their wives ______.

2.Male penguins fight when ______.

3.From the passage we know that ______.

4.The penguins choose their wives in the dark. We can infer that ______.

5.Which of the following is NOT true?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When many people see birds cleaning their feathers, they attribute it to vanity on the part of the bird. But, in reality, what they are doing is maintaining their wings, the instruments that they depend on for safe flight. If a bird’s wings are not in perfect condition, the bird either won’t be able to fly or won’t be able to control its flight. That is why after a long flight and even throughout the day, you will see them cleaning their feathers.

Most birds, if they get a chance, will take a bath at least once a day. They do this to get rid of the dust that has accumulated in their feathers throughout their flight s during the day. In dry or desert areas, birds will not always be able to find water in which to bath, but they still need to clean their feathers. What many birds will do is to take dust baths. They will roll around in dust until it covers their feathers. They will stand up, shaking the dust out, and then clean their feathers with their beaks (鸟嘴) as usual.

Baths are important for another reason. During the course of the day and night, many parasites (寄生虫) are attracted to birds. Bugs, mites, fleas and so on will try to reach birds and suck from their blood. Daily baths help to keep the parasites to a minimum.

Some birds, especially those that spend a lot of time in or around water, have skin glands (皮肤腺) that produce oil. After bathing, these birds will squeeze the glands to spread the oil over their wings to keep them free of water.

If you are a bird lover and have bird houses in your yard, it can be good to go to the extra step, providing a bird bath. Once the birds in your neighborhood discover it, you will be surprised at how popular it becomes as they periodically stop by to take their daily bath.

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

2.What does the underlined part in Para 1 probably mean?

3.According to Para 3, birds’ feather cleaning _____.

4.In the last paragraph, the author further reminds us that _____ .

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Atlantic puffins (海雀) spend most of their life at sea. When it's time to lay eggs, the birds gather on seaside cliffs. They dig into the ground to build nests. After a chick was born, it spends six weeks in the nest, feasting on fish supplied by its parents. Then the young bird must look after itself. It leaves the nest and flies to the sea.

But on Heimaey, an island off the coast of Iceland, human-made objects have disrupted the chicks’ trip to the ocean. Luckily, they are getting help from the children of Heimaey.

Instinct tells chicks to follow the light of the moon to the sea, but they are confused by Heimaey’s bright lights. Each year, a large number of them end up lost, or worse. Often, the birds are hit by cars or caught and eaten by cats.

Each breeding season, the children of Heimaey form search parties. They carry flashlights and cardboard boxes. “When you see a bird, you try to corner it and herd it into the box,” said Eldur Hansen. Eldur is 14 and he has caught several puffins this way. Each year, they rescue thousands of chicks. Children take rescued birds home. The next morning, they take them to the beach for release.

Before releasing the chicks, the children make a stop at the local aquarium, where the birds are weighed and tagged for tracking purposes. This helps scientists learn more about puffins.

Atlantic puffins are now listed as a rare species. That means they are likely to become endangered. The main reason is that the ocean’s supply of small fish is diminishing. This is tied to overfishing and rising ocean temperatures.

Erpur Hansen, Eldur Hansen’s dad, is with the South Iceland Nature Research Center. He said the children’s action was more important than ever. Thanks to data gathered with the children’s help, researchers have learned that chicks now weigh less than in previous years. That means they have a lower chance of survival. Researchers worry that puffins will die out if ocean temperatures continue to rise, but the children’s rescue inspires them.

1.What will a mother puffin do after a chick was born?

A.Catch fish to feed the chick. B.Stay in the nest for six weeks.

C.Leave the nest and fly to the sea alone. D.Lead the chick back to the sea at once.

2.What may disturb the chicks’ sense of direction on their way to the sea?

A.The cars. B.The children. C.The animals. D.The lights.

3.What does the underlined word “diminishing” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A.Changing. B.Decreasing. C.Accumulating. D.Abandoning.

4.How do the researchers compare the chicks’ weight?

A.Getting information from the library. B.Researching the colors of the chicks.

C.Studying the data collected by the children. D.Weighing the chicks adopted at the local aquarium.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When it comes to social behaviour，mammals are in a league of their own.Some birds may form pairs，or even cooperate to hunt，but the complexity (复杂性) of their relationships can hardly compare to those within a school of dolphins，a herd of elephants or a group of humans.What makes mammalian social groups different from a flock of starlings or a shoal of fish，is that in many cases the individuals could recognize each other.Although we may think that　 all elephants look pretty much the same，we can easily tell individuals of our own species apart and it has become clear through studies that the same is true of other species.Dolphins have their own signature whistles that act like “names”，and elephants can recognize and greet other individuals they have known but not seen for many years.This is something that only a few species of birds appear to be able to do.

Mammals in complex social groups not only recognize each other as individuals，but also they remember a lot of information about that individual.Social groups often rely on this memory—such as knowing who is dominant to whom，who is related to whom，and who has done what to whom in the past.It’s like remembering who you have lent money to or done a favour for，and who hasn’t repaid that money or has talked about you behind your back.You have to learn who to trust，who your friends are，and who to watch out for.

All this remembering goes on in a particular part of the brain called the neocortex (大脑皮层)．If you compare the size of a mammal’s social group with the size of this part of the brain，you will find they are remarkably closely related.This area seems to take a long time to develop fully and animals in which it is very large take a very　 long time to grow up to adulthood.During this time，the youngster has to learn all the rules of social behaviour in their group and to piece together all　 the relationships between the group members：Knowledge that will be needed to avoid getting into trouble.

1.What is special about a mammalian social group according to the passage?

A．All the individuals cooperate to hunt.

B．The individuals can communicate with each other.

C．The individuals can recognize each other.

D．The individuals form closer relationship.

2.The passage suggests that elephants________.

A．are cleverer than dolphins

B．can recognize other species

C．may mistake a member for another

D．have good memories

3. Animals whose area of the neocortex is large________.

A．will have a long period of time before they become adults

B．will spend a shorter time learning the necessary knowledge

C．will learn the necessary knowledge much more easily

D．will have more difficulty in growing up as adults

4. If the neocortex is larger，the animals________.

A．can live a longer life

B．have a smaller social group

C．have a larger social group

D．have a greater body size

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Last summer, bird-watchers confirmed the discovery of a new species of bird in Cambodia（柬埔寨）: the Combodian tailorbird. It was not an event of particular biological significance but it was striking for one reason: This species of tailorbird was discovered not in an unspoiled rain forest but within the limits of Combodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

We don’t typically think of the city as a likely habitat for natural life except rats and pigeons（鸽子）, let alone as a hiding place for an undiscovered species of bird. But a new paper, published last week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, proves it incorrect. A team of 24 researchers has studied birds and plants in 147 cities, and found that cities much more closely resemble their native habitats than they resemble each other.

It’s also true that in the world of birds and plants, as in human society, there is such thing as a world species who feels equally at home in Francisco, Milan and Beijing. Four birds appear in more than 80 percent of the cities studied, and 11 plants in more than 90 percent of the cities. On the plant side, those include meadow grass, shepherd’s purse, weeds. In the air, it’s the usual species: the pigeon, the house sparrow and the European starling（惊鸟）. They all have become completely adapted to urban life.

However, not all cities are equal protectors of plants and animals, though. City design plays an important role in greening a city. In fact, the amount of green space is a stronger predictor of the biodiversity than a city’s size.

In a world where architecture, food, language, fashion and commerce are increasingly globalized, a city’s native plants and animals are considered as a kind of city identity. Cities tend to become similar, but their natural environments stand differently apart.

1.What does the author think of the discovery of the Cambodian tailorbird?

A.It is just an exception.

B.It is a wonder for the Cambodians.

C.It is an amazing biological event.

D.It is very common in the world.

2.Weeds and sparrows are found in many cities. This seems to be a result of ________.

A.complete adaption

B.natural selection

C.good urban design

D.rapid globalization

3.We can learn that while cities tend to become similar, their natural environments ________.

A.are becoming worse

B.remain diverse

C.are expanding in size

D.stay unchanged

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.The Discovery of New Species of Bird in Cambodia

B.The Similarity of the Habitats in Different Cities

C.City’s Native Plants and Animals—A Kind of City Identity

D.City—Protector of Native Plants and Animals

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析