Most sun bears have short, black hair, though some are more reddish or grayer in color. Most of these bears have a V-shaped area of light hair under their necks, which is different in color from cream to yellowish-brown. These bears don’t get their name because they love to work with this color of hair. Nor are they called sun bears because of their sunny disposition (性情). Instead, their name comes from the V-shaped part under their necks, which is commonly yellowish in color. The part looks a bit like a rising sun.

Of all the kinds of bears, sun bears are the smallest. They are just 47 to 59 inches long. Though small, they have a very long tongue (舌头). The tongue is 8 to 10 inches long. Why such a long tongue? Long tongues are really useful when they are trying to reach the food deep down in a piece of wood or catching other insects (昆虫), or when they are trying to clean every bit of honey they have found.

Sun bears are very dependent upon feeding on bees and honey. Insects make up a large part of their diet, and they commonly feed on ants and young insects. Fruits and nuts also make up a part of some meals, and they like figs (a soft sweet fruit) very much. In some areas, fruits make up nearly half of the bears’ diet. When given the chance, they will also find birds, turtles, eggs, and deer for food.

Unlike some other kinds of bears, sun bears are active all year round. Food can be found all the time in rain forests, so they don’t need to fall into a deep sleep to spend the whole winter. Sadly, today people cut down rain forests for wood, or to make room for agricultural (农业的) development, making the number of living places suitable for sun bears less. At the same time, some people catch the bears to sell their coats and other body parts on the black market.

【小题1】Why were sun bears given such a name?

A．They are friendly and lovely.

B．They love doing something in the sun.

C．Some of their hair feels as warm as the sun.

D．Part of their hair looks like the sun in color and shape.

【小题2】What can be learned about the tongue of sun bears?

A．It’s mainly used to break down food.

B．It is the smallest of all kinds of bears’.

C．It greatly helps them search for food.

D．It reaches half of their body in length.

【小题3】What can we know about sun bears from the last paragraph?

A．Humans often fail to find them in winter.

B．They are less seen on the black market now.

C．They are good at storing food for the winter.

D．Human activities have become a big danger to them.

【小题4】What’s probably the writer’s main purpose in writing the text?

A．To tell some facts about sun bears.

B．To call on people to protect natural resources.

C．To list the reasons for sun bears’ disappearance.

D．To show the relationship between humans and animals.