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 are not so different.
A new study，led by Damien Farine，an ornithologist who studies collective behaviour，shows that the 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 ranks，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 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？ AA
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？ BB
A．The research subjects.
B．The research methods.
C．The research findings.
D．The research equipment.
（3）What can be learned from the passage？ DD
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？ AA
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.
【答案】A；B；D；A
【解答】
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發(fā)布：2024/5/27 14:0:0組卷：12引用：1難度：0.6
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1．Rainforests provide much of the world's oxygen.People have been trying to protect them for years.But another type of forest，the cloud forest，is just as important to humans.
These forests are at the tops of mountains，generally near the equator （赤道）.These wet，wooded mountaintops are mainly in African and Central and South American countries.They are called "cloud forests" because their height allows for the formation of clouds among the trees.The trees in these forests pull water out of the clouds.The water gathers on the leaves and falls into small rivers below，which flow into towns at the bottom of the mountain.The yearly rainfall in these areas is about 180 centimetres.Cloud forests can pull in up to 60 percent of that.The water is important to the plants and the people in the area.It helps them survive.
Cloud forests are also home to countless species of plants that can't be found anywhere else.One small cloud forest has as many types of plants as there are in all of Europe.In fact，there are so many that scientists haven't made a complete list of them yet.
These forests are being destroyed at increasing speed.Trees are being cut down，and roads are being built in their place.Some people have a goal to get government money to protect the forests.But they have had little success so far.Another way is to take the place of the destroyed plants with new ones.That，too，has been difficult because the plants are so special.There's plenty of work to be done，but saving the cloud forests is still possible with creative solutions.
（1）Where can you probably find cloud forests？
A．In North America.
B．Far from the equator.
C．In an African country.
D．At the foot of mountains.
（2）How much rainfall is pulled in by the cloud forests in those areas every year？
A．About 60 cm.
B．About 108 cm.
C．About 180 cm.
D．About 300 cm.
（3）What is the main idea of paragraph 3？
A．Europe is short of plant types.
B．Scientists are working on a list.
C．Cloud forests are getting smaller.
D．Cloud forests house many plants.
（4）What will be discussed in the following part of the text？
A．Ways to protect cloud forests.
B．Goals of cloud forest protectors.
C．Difficulties in planting new trees.
D．Successes of getting wide support.
（5）Where can we probably find the text？
A．In a storybook.
B．In a travel guide.
C．In a chemistry textbook.
D．In a geography magazine.發(fā)布：2025/1/1 18:0:1組卷：7引用：3難度：0.5 -
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（4）In the last paragraph，Jim states that.
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D．he likes to go to places that few people bother to visit發(fā)布：2025/1/1 18:0:1組卷：20引用：3難度：0.7 -
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A．Science fiction．
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D．A science report．發(fā)布：2025/1/1 17:0:1組卷：3引用：3難度：0.5
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