When put to tests, bees have long proved that they’ve got a lot more to offer than pollinating (授粉), making honey and being loyal to a queen. The hard-working insects can change their behavior when things seem difficult, and now some scientists find there is proof that they also like to play.
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London performed an experiment, in which they set up a container that allowed bees to travel from their nest to a feeding area. But along the way, the bees could choose to pass through a separate section with some small wooden balls. Over 18 days, the scientists watched as the bees “went out of their way to roll wooden balls repeatedly, despite no apparent incentive (刺激) to do so.”
Earlier studies have shown that the black and yellow bugs are willing to learn new tricks in exchange for food or other rewards. In this case, to get rid of external factors, scientists made sure the bees had adapted to their new home and that their environment was stress-free.
The finding suggests that like humans, insects also interact with objects as a form of play. Also similar to people, younger bees seem to be more playful than adult bees. “This research provides a strong indication that insect minds are far more complicated than we imagine. There are lots of animals who play just for the purpose of enjoyment, but most examples come from young mammals and birds,” said Lars Chittka, a professor of sensory and behavioral ecology at Queen Mary University of London, who led the study.
The study’s first author. Samadi Galpay, who is a PhD student at Queen Mary University of London, states that it is more evident that bees may be capable of experiencing feelings. “They may actually experience some kind of positive emotional states, even if basic, like other larger animals do. This finding has effects on our understanding of the sense and welfare of insects, which, consequently, encourages us to respect and protect wildlife on Earth ever more,” she says.
【小题1】What is the new finding about bees?| A．They are fond of having fun. | B．They are faithful to the queen. |
| C．They are adaptable to changes | D．They are skilled at rolling balls. |
| A．By teaching bees new tricks. | B．By rewarding bees with food. |
| C．By making bees feel at home. | D．By building new homes for bees |
| A．The forms of bees’ interaction. | B．The complexity of bees’ minds. |
| C．The examples of mammals’ play. | D．The purpose of mammals’ enjoyment. |
| A．It backs up prior understanding of insects. |
| B．It reveals reasons for bees’ positive feelings. |
| C．It drives research on animals’ emotional state. |
| D．It contributes to wildlife conservation on Earth. |
Grandparents are respected in many human societies. But telling stories about old times and overfeeding grandchildren seem like human qualities. Are these classic grandparent behaviors really limited to humans？
Do any animals know their grandparents the way people do?
For most species on Earth，the answer is certainly “No”. "Usually，there aren't grandparents around anymore when an animal is born，"said Mirkka Lahdenpera，a biologist at the University of Turku in Finland. "Even if an animal's life span does overlap（重叠）with its grandparents'，most species spread out to avoid competing for resources，so the chance of running into a grandparent is slim. "
But there are a few clear exceptions，primarily among mammals（哺乳动物）that live in close social groups. In troops of langur monkeys in India，older females lived together with their daughters and grandchildren. The grandmother langurs defend the group's babies against attacks and even give their own grandchildren special treatment.
Many whale species，too，travel in family groups that include both grandmothers and grandchildren.
Elephant herds are also famously matriarchal. They are led by a grandmother，who can live to around 80 years old，and are generally made up of her daughters and their young. The females in a herd form close bonds and work together to raise their young.
Lahdenper found that the babies of young mothers were eight times more likely to survive if their grandmothers lived near them than if they didn't. When the young mothers were older and more experienced at raising babies，this beneficial grandmother effect disappeared even if the actual grandmothers were still around.
Indeed，most evidence for the benefits of grand parenting comes from mammals. But in 2010，researchers found that in troops of insects called gall-forming aphids，older females defend their relatives after they've stopped reproducing（繁殖）.
And what about grandfathers？Studies of humans in recent decades have shown that a living grandfather can improve a person's mental health and other indicators of well-being. But there's no evidence of that in the animal kingdom. Male animals rarely socialize with their own children，let alone any grandchildren.
【小题1】From what Mirkka Lahdenpera said, we can learn that___________.| A．an animal is not very likely to meet a grandparent |
| B．an animal is taken away from its grandparents at birth |
| C．animals' grandparents move away to avoid responsibility |
| D．animals' grandparents often fail in competition for resources |
| A．elephants have a high level of intelligence |
| B．elephants enjoy an equal and fair social system |
| C．elephants are the largest land animals with a long life |
| D．elephants live in social groups with females in charge |
| A．Insects still able to reproduce will defend their relatives. |
| B．Animals' beneficial grandmother effect will exist forever. |
| C．Animals can be mentally healthier with their grandfathers. |
| D．Male animals seldom spend time with their grandchildren. |
| A．Do any animals know their grandparents? |
| B．Do any animals respect their grandparents? |
| C．How do animals live with their grandparents? |
| D．How do animals socialize with their grandparents? |
Before bringing a dog into your family, it is important to know how to take care of it.
Knowing how to take care of a dog involves proper attention to your dog's diet.
Knowing how to take care of a dog also involves an adequate level of exercise.
Proper veterinary(兽医的) care is extremely important when understanding how to take care of dog. It's best if you bring your dog in for veterinary checkups at least once year.
| A．Dogs are very expensive to keep if you want them happy. |
| B．You need to provide for its needs, both physical and emotional. |
| C．You should know training is very important for a domestic animal. |
| D．Each year, thousands of dogs experience obesity-related health problems. |
| E．Inexpensive low-quality dog food can negatively affect your dog's health. |
| F．Part of knowing how to take care of a dog involves knowing how to train a dog. |
| G．If you're worried about costs, you may want to invest in pet insurance for your dog. |
Meet Boji. He is often seen waiting on train platforms and riding buses around town. He takes commuting so seriously that he has become an international celebrity and a VIP for all commuters in Istanbul. Actually, Boji is a much-loved stray animal with large brown eyes and golden fur.
Boji was first spotted riding the subway in August. He caught people’s attention because he seemed to understand how to use the transport system. “We noticed a dog using our subways and trains. He let passengers get off before jumping onto the train and knew where to get out,” Aylin Erol from Metro Istanbul said.
Vets took Boji in for a check up, placing a GPS tracker on him so they could record his journeys. They soon discovered that this traveling dog covers some 30 kilometers onpublic transport a day, using at least 29 subway stations. So he was nicknamed Boji, theTurkish word for “subway car”.
Stray animals are a regular part of life in Istanbul. As a large city in the world, Istanbul is also home to 150,000 stray dogs and cats. As locals have been known to feed and leave water for these street animals for centuries, stray animals are a regular part of life for the residents of Istanbul.
Yet a traveling dog is new even for Istanbul residents. “You take the train and, suddenly, you see Boji. You just smile and catch the moment. Boji reminds us that we can still enjoy Istanbul as we rush about. This sweet dog sits upright on trains watching the world go by. As he travels, he brings smiles and warmth to tired passengers,” Erol told Reuters.
【小题1】Why did Boji draw people's attention?| A．He had an attractive appearance. | B．He could understand commuters’ orders. |
| C．He had experiences of living on streets. | D．He could ride public transportation by himself. |
| A．To monitor his health. | B．To record the route he takes. |
| C．To discover his favorite destination. | D．To help him find the way home. |
| A．It is the largest city in the world. | B．Its residents live a rather poor life. |
| C．Its location is suitable for raising animals. | D．It has a tradition of caring for stray animals. |
| A．Pitiful. | B．Scared. | C．Inspired. | D．Annoyed. |
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