中小学教育资源及组卷应用平台
2022年高考英语全国甲卷阅读理解真题与变式题
动物类（基础题7篇+巩固题5篇+提升题3篇）（解析版）
2022年全国甲卷原题（难度0.65）
（2022·全国甲卷真题）Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
1．How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment
A．By following instructions. B．By using a tool.
C．By turning the box around. D．By removing the lid.
2．Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text
A．Using a key to unlock a door. B．Telling parrots from other birds.
C．Putting a ball into a round hole. D．Grouping toys of different shapes.
3．What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos
A．How far they are able to see.
B．How they track moving objects.
C．Whether they are smarter than monkeys.
D．Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
4．Which can be a suitable title for the text
A．Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers B．Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C．Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers D．Cockatoos: Skillful Shape-Sorters
【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 4．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一种原产于澳大拉西亚的会识别形状的凤头鹦鹉。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. ”（虽然人们不知道这些鸟在野外会使用工具，但事实证明，它们在关在笼子里时就能熟练地使用工具）根据第二段第三句“In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. ”(在实验中，戈芬的鹦鹉能够在大多数情况下仅通过视觉识别来选择合适的工具。)可知，凤头鹦鹉在实验中用工具从盒子里取坚果。故选B。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age ”(在人类身上，婴儿从一岁左右就可以把一个圆形的物品放进一个圆形的洞里)可知，一岁儿童最有可能完成“将一个球放进一个圆形的洞里”的任务。故选C。
3．细节理解题。根据最后一段“The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues, or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.”(根据研究人员的说法，下一步是尝试弄清楚凤头鹦鹉是完全依靠视觉线索，还是也使用触觉来选择形状)可知，后续测试的目的是了解凤头鹦鹉在测试中是否使用触觉。故选D。
4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Coffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. ”(戈芬的凤头鹦鹉是一种原产于大洋洲的小鹦鹉，它的形状识别能力与两岁的人类相似)可知，文章主要介绍了一种会识别形状的凤头鹦鹉。故选D。
二、变式题汇总
（一）变式题型一：基础类（难度0.85）
（1）
（2022届山西太原高三英语押宝题英语试题）Suy credits his interest in photography to a French journalist he met in 2000. Since 2012. he has used his love of photography for a good cause: protecting wildlife. As more and more animal species began to disappear from Kandal Province, he grew worried. So he created a photo project which he hoped would bring more attention to the loss of natural habitats in Cambodia.
He hopes to educate Cambodians about the importance of bird species and the effect they have on nature. He said, “The biggest issue is the damage to habitats and poaching".Besides that, it is due to the demand from the rich who desire wild meat and who consider wild meat chemical-free.
His photography work has shown “how lack of education and law enforce men” makes the problem worse. Hunting is at the root of Cambodian culture.“Education is very limited,” he said. “And in terms of legal enforcement, only one organization is standing out, and that is the Wildlife Alliance.” He noted that the group had carried out a number of successful crackdowns against hunting. But there were few major campaigns on wildlife hunting.as a whole.
Protected areas within forests have disappeared at the same rate as forests in other parts of the country Poaching and hunting have led to the loss of animal and plant species in Cambodia.
To Chantha Nasak, a wildlife expert, the damage to wildlife habitats is the main reason for the decrease in the number of wild animals.He says the destruction of forests and the use of land for agricultural and other purposes are the biggest threats, as well as the climate change.
However. there are already agreements between some NGOs and the Cambodian government to help wild species. Also. Chantha Nasak says some communities are working together to protect wildlife around the country.
“All Cambodian citizens should join hands in the protection of wildlife, not just the NGOs and the government,” he said. “It should be everyone.”
1．What problem did Suy meet in his photography work
A．Cambodians have a poor knowledge of protecting wildlife
B．Cambodians are lacking their culture of hunting
C．Cambodians like major campaigns on hunting wildlife
D．Cambodians have limited education about hunting.
2．Why do the rich find wild meat in Cambodia
A．It contains high nutrition. B．It is free of chemieals.
C．It tastes delicious and fresh. D．It is a symbol of social positions.
3．What is the main factor in leading to the decrease in wild animals Chantha thinks
A．the climate change B．the wild meat trade
C．the damage to wildlife habitats D．the still-not-prohibited hunting
4．What is the main idea of the text
A．A Cambodian is teaching the hunting culture.
B．A photographer has a good knowledge of wildlife.
C．A photographer is struggling with poachers
D．A Cambodian photographer urges to protect wildlife
【答案】1．A 2．B 3．C 4．D
【导语】本文为说明文。本文主要介绍了一个柬埔寨摄影师利用自己手中的相机反映柬埔寨野生动物的现状，以此来呼吁人们保护野生动物。
1．细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“His photography work has shown “how lack of education and law enforce men” makes the problem worse… “Education is very limited,” he said. (他的摄影作品表明，“缺乏教育和执法人员”使问题变得更糟……“教育非常有限”他说。)”可知，他在保护野生动物的过程中，遇到的困难是柬埔寨人所受的教育落后，文化程度低，不懂得保护野生动物的意义。因此，苏伊在摄影工作中遇到问题是A项“Cambodians have a poor knowledge of protecting wildlife(柬埔寨人对保护野生动物知之甚少) ”符合题意，故选A项。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Besides that, it is due to the demand from the rich who desire wild meat and who consider wild meat chemical-free. (除此之外，这是由于富人的渴望野肉和认为野肉不含化学成分的需求)”可知，柬埔寨的富人们认为野生动物的肉质好，不含化学物质。因此，柬埔寨的富人是找野肉的原因是B项“It is free of chemieals.(它不含化学物质)”符合题意，故选B项。
3．细节理解题。根据第五段“To Chantha Nasak, a wildlife expert, the damage to wildlife habitats is the main reason for the decrease in the number of wild animals. (野生动物专家Chantha Nasak认为，对野生动物栖息地的破坏是野生动物数量减少的主要原因)”可知，栖息地的破坏是野生动物锐减的主要因素。因此，桑塔认为，导致野生动物数量减少的主要因素是C项“the damage to wildlife habitats(对野生动物栖息地的破坏)”符合题意，故选C项。
4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是根据第一段“Suy credits his interest in photography to a French journalist he met in 2000. Since 2012. he has used h love of photography for a good cause: protecting wildlife. (苏将自己对摄影的兴趣归功于2000年遇到的一位法国记者。自2012年起。他把对摄影的热爱用于一个好的事业：保护野生动物)”可知，本文主要介绍了一个柬埔寨摄影师利用自己手中的相机反映柬埔寨野生动物的现状，以此来呼吁人们保护野生动物。因此，课文的主要思想是D项“A Cambodian photographer urges to protect wildlife(柬埔寨摄影师呼吁保护野生动物)”符合题意，故选D项。
（2）
（2022秋·辽宁·高二校联考期中）The climate change in California has caused terrible damage to California’s marine ecosystems. Untold billions of sea stars, or starfish, from at least 20 species disappeared from the entire Pacific coast because of the marine heatwaves. In the absence of sunflower sea stars, a major predator for sea urchins (海胆), the urchin populations exploded. They laid waste to kelp forests (海草林) already weakened by high ocean temperatures.
However, Central California’s kelp ecosystems have done somewhat better than those in Northern California. A new study led by Joshua Smith, an ecologist at the University of California, examines the role sea otter (海獭) populations — a natural predator for urchins — play in preserving existing kelp forests in the Monterey Bay.
The research project spanned three years, during which intensive under-water surveys produced some very interesting data about sea otter behavior. Sea otters have very high metabolisms (新陈代谢) that keep them warm in icy waters and which also make them greedy consumers of shellfish, urchin, and fish — sea otters can eat 25 percent of their body weight in food in a day. At the observed sites, as the urchin population grew, the otter’s diet shifted to become more heavily dependent on urchins. In fact, the otters were eating three times as many urchins as they had been before 2014. As a result, they provided crucial protection from urchins to the kelp forests.
The fact that otters were able to contribute to the health of the surviving kelp forests by keeping urchin populations in check provides Smith with hope for the forests’ continued survival. “The important thing is that the urchins are ultimately reduced,” he says. “The sea otters have maintained patches of kelp forest that can then help refill the barren areas to enhance the recovery of forests.”
1．What influence does climate change have on California’s marine ecosystems
A．A greater diversity of marine species. B．The disappearance of urchins.
C．An explosive growth of sea stars. D．The weakening of kelp forests.
2．What is the study led by Joshua Smith about
A．Urchins’ response to ocean warming.
B．The reproduction of marine animals.
C．Otters’ role in protecting kelp forests.
D．The current condition of marine ecosystems.
3．What is a direct result of the shift in otters’ diet
A．The otters are more likely to stay warm.
B．The shellfish populations have exploded.
C．Urchins’ threat to kelp forests is relieved.
D．The kelp forests have made a full recovery.
4．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A．Sea Otters to the Rescue
B．Marine Species in Danger
C．Urchins Are Destroying Kelp Forests
D．Otters Increase Kelp Forests’ Carbon Storage
【答案】1．D 2．C 3．C 4．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了加州气候变化造成海胆泛滥从而影响到当地的海草林，研究发现海獭对于海胆的猎食对于海草林有一定的保护作用。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段“They laid waste to kelp forests already weakened by high ocean temperatures. (他们糟蹋海草林，海草林已经因海洋高温而变得脆弱)”可知，气候变化引起的高温海水已经影响了海草林。故选D。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段“examines the role sea otter populations — a natural predator for urchins — play in preserving existing kelp forests in the Monterey Bay.(研究海獭种群—海胆的天然捕食者—在保护蒙特利湾现有海带森林中所起的作用)”可知，本次研究主要是去核实海獭对于保护现存海草林方面的作用。故选C。
3．细节理解题。根据第三段“As a result, they provided crucial protection from urchins to the kelp forests. (因此，它们为海草林提供了至关重要的保护，防止海胆入侵)”可知，海獭饮食发生变化，大批的海胆被海獭猎食，海胆对于海草林的影响得到了缓解。故选C。
4．主旨大意题。根据文章第二段“A new study led by Joshua Smith, an ecologist at the University of California, examines the role sea otter populations — a natural predator for urchins — play in preserving existing kelp forests in the Monterey Bay.(加州大学的生态学家约书亚·史密斯领导的一项新研究调查了海獭种群——海胆的天然捕食者——在保护蒙特雷湾现有的海草林所起的作用。)”可知，本文主要是介绍海獭捕食海胆，从而让现存的海草林得到保护。故选A。
（3）
（2021·云南·统考一模）A New Zealand council （市议会）has announced a month-long road closure in order to allow a sea lion and her pup to reach the ocean safely.
John Wilson Ocean Drive in Dunedin will be closed after the New Zealand sea lions made their home at a nearby golf course （球场）and started "regularly crossing the road to get to the beach," according to a Facebook post from Dunedin City Council.
“You can still visit the area on foot or by bicycle, but please give the sea lions lots of space," continued the post.
Locals applauded the decision, and one even called for the closure to be made permanent.
“No dogs should be on the beach, either," wrote Gaylene Smith. "We need to protect our beautiful sea life "
Dogs are known to attack sea lions, and Chisholm Links Golf Course, where the sea lions have made their home, also posted advice to dog walkers in a Facebook update.
"We’re lucky to have sea lions on our coastline and we need to share the space with them, as this is what makes our coastline so unique!" wrote the course on Facebook.
The council went on to explain that New Zealand sea lions are endangered, and are one of the world’s rarest species of sea lion.
There are an estimated 12,000 New Zealand sea lions left, according to the Department of Conservation. Under local law, anyone who kills a sea lion could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to NZ$250,000 (US$178,000).
1．What decision has the Dunedin City Council made
A．Closing an ocean drive for a month.
B．Closing the nearby beach temporarily.
C．Forbidding entry into a golf course.
D．Forbidding walking dogs outside.
2．How did the City Council announce the decision
A．By informing on TV.
B．By posting on Facebook.
C．By advertising in a newspaper.
D．By sending out notices.
3．What is the attitude of the local people toward the closure
A．Doubtful. B．Supportive. C．Uncaring. D．Critical.
4．What can we learn about New Zealand sea lions from the text
A．They are under legal protection.
B．They are a common species.
C．They are afraid of humans.
D．They are being killed by dogs.
【答案】1．A 2．B 3．B 4．A
【分析】这是一篇新闻报道。主要讲述了为保护受到威胁的新西兰海狮，市议会宣布封闭道路长达一个月，以允许海狮及其幼崽安全地到达海洋。
1．细节理解题。 由第一段“A New Zealand council（市议会）has announced a month-long road closure in order to allow a sea lion and her pup to reach the ocean safely. ”可知，新西兰议会（市议会）宣布封闭道路长达一个月，以允许海狮及其幼崽安全地到达海洋。故选A项。
2．细节理解题。第二段John Wilson …according to a Facebook post from Dunedin City Council.可知，据达尼丁市议会在Facebook上发布的帖子称，在新西兰海狮在附近的高尔夫球场（球场）安家并开始“有规律地过马路到达海滩”之后，达尼丁的约翰威尔逊海洋大道将关闭。所以是通过帖子发布的，故选B项。
3．推理判断题。由第四段“Locals applauded the decision, and one even called for the closure to be made permanent.”可知，当地人对这一决定表示赞赏，甚至有人呼吁将关闭永久化。所以他们是很赞成这个决定。故选B项。
4．推理判断题。由文章最后一段“Under local law, anyone who kills a sea lion could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to NZ$250,000 (US$178,000)”可知，根据当地法律，杀死海狮的任何人均可能面临最高两年的监禁或最高25万新西兰元（178,000美元）的罚款。所以海狮处于法律保护中，故选A项。文中倒数第二段“The council went on to explain that New Zealand sea lions are endangered, and are one of the world’s rarest species of sea lion.”可知海狮是稀有物种，所以B项说法不正确。C项文中未提及。第六段“Dogs are known to attack sea lions.”可知狗会攻击海狮。D项“他们被狗杀死”说法不够准确。故选A项。
（4）
（云南省师范大学附属中学2022届高三高考适应性月考卷）There is a cute animal living in the rainforest of Central and South America. Hanging out in the trees is its regular routine. It eats plenty of leaves every day to maintain its body temperature, keeping its organs working. It has three toes and walks slowest. The giant panda is second slowest, and two-toed sloths (树懒) come in third. People are curious about why they walk slowest.
Three-toed sloths rely on leaves merely. They have evolved finely tuned strategies for coping with this restricted diet. Firstly, they get as much energy from their food as possible. Secondly, they have a multi-chamber stomach that takes up a third of their body. Thirdly, they can spend five to seven days, or even weeks, processing a meal.
The other distinguished feature of three-toed sloth is that they use as little energy as possible. They spend most of their time eating, resting or sleeping. They get down from the treetops once a week for a bathroom break. When sloths do move, it is not very fast. It would take a sloth about five minutes to cross an average neighborhood street.
This unhurried approach to life means that sloths don’t need very much muscle. In fact, they have about 30% less muscle mass than other animals of their size. They also use less energy to keep themselves warm because their body temperature can change by about five degrees Celsius, less than a cold-blooded reptile, but more than most mammals. These physical and behavioral adaptations minimize the sloth’s metabolic rate (新陈代谢率). Three-toed sloths have the slowest metabolism of any mammal.
Moving slowly has allowed sloths to grow in their treetQp habitat. But it also made the sloths themselves a great habitat for other organisms, including algae (藻类), which provides a little extra camouflage (保护色) and maybe even a snack.
1．What similarity do sloths and pandas have
A．Walking slowly. B．Living in the rainforest.
C．Having identical appearances. D．Enjoying eating bamboo leaves.
2．What is special about three-toed sloths
A．They frequently get down from trees. B．They have rather small stomachs.
C．They eat a variety of foods. D．They digest food slowly.
3．What can be inferred about sloths in paragraph 4
A．Their physical movement is faster than a cold-blooded animal’s.
B．Their temperature is lower than other mammal’s of their size.
C．Their muscle mass is more than other animals’.
D．Their metabolism is the slowest of reptile’s.
4．What is a suitable title for the text
A．Why do three-toed sloths walk slowly B．Where is the habitat of three-toed sloths
C．What is the eating habit of three-toed sloths D．When will three-toed sloths come down from trees
【答案】1．A 2．D 3．B 4．A
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了热带雨林中一种非常可爱的动物树懒的栖息地、饮食和生活习惯。
1．细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后两句“It has three toes and walks slowest. The giant panda is second slowest, and two-toed sloths (树懒) come in third. People are curious about why they walk slowest.”(它有三个脚趾，走路最慢。大熊猫是第二慢的，二趾树懒（树懒）排在第三。人们很好奇为什么他们走得最慢。)可知，熊猫和树懒走得都很慢。A项“Walking slowly.”(走得慢。)符合原文表述，故选A项。
2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段末句“Thirdly, they can spend five to seven days, or even weeks, processing a meal.”(第三，他们可以花五到七天甚至几周的时间来处理一顿饭。)可知，树懒消化食物的速度很慢。D项“They digest food slowly.”(他们慢慢消化食物。)符合原文表述，故选D项。
3．推理判断题。根据文章第四段第三句“They also use less energy to keep themselves warm because their body temperature can change by about five degrees Celsius, less than a cold-blooded reptile, but more than most mammals.”(它们还使用较少的能量来保持自己的温暖，因为它们的体温可以变化约5摄氏度，低于冷血爬行动物，但超过大多数哺乳动物。)可推测出，和同体积的哺乳动物相比，树懒的体温会较低。B项“Their temperature is lower than other mammal’s of their size.”(它们的体温比其他哺乳动物低。)符合推断，故选B项。
4．主旨大意题。根据文章首段末句“People are curious about why they walk slowest.”(人们好奇为什么它们走得最慢)可知，本文的主要内容是为什么三趾树懒走得慢。A项“Why do three-toed sloths walk slowly ”(为什么三趾树懒走得很慢？)符合文章主旨，故选A项。
（5）
（2021·全国·统考高考真题）I have worked as a keeper at the National Zoo, Paris for 11 years. Spot and Stripe are the first tiger cubs that have ever been born here. Globally, a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don't make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home.
I've got two children—the younger one, Kynan, was extremely happy about the tigers arriving - but all of us really looked forward to being part of their lives and watching them grow. I wasn't worried about bringing them into my home with my wife and kids. These were cubs. They weighed about 2.5 kg and were so small that there was absolutely no risk.
As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they'd get up to mischief. We'd come down in the morning to find they'd turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.
Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired. I was grateful that my family was there to help. We had to have a bit of a production line going, making up “tiger milk”, washing baby bottles, and cleaning the floors.
When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go. It was hard for us to finally part with them. For the first few days, Kynan was always a bit disappointed that the cubs weren't there.
I'm not sad about it. I'm hands-on with them every day at the zoo, and I do look back very fondly on the time that we had them.
1．Why did the author bring the tiger cubs home
A．To ensure their survival. B．To observe their differences.
C．To teach them life skills. D．To let them play with his kids.
2．What do the underlined words “get up to mischief” mean in paragraph 3
A．Behave badly. B．Lose their way. C．Sleep soundly. D．Miss their mom.
3．What did the author think of raising the tiger cubs at home
A．Boring. B．Tiring. C．Costly. D．Risky.
4．Why did the author decide to send Spot and Stripe back to the zoo
A．They frightened the children. B．They became difficult to contain.
C．They annoyed the neighbours. D．They started fighting each other.
【答案】1．A 2．A 3．B 4．B
【分析】这是一篇记叙文。讲述了作者为了保证两只老虎幼崽的存活，决定在家里全天候照顾它们。介绍了老虎在作者家生活的情况以及作者照顾老虎的感受。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Globally, a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don't make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home. (在全球范围内，动物园里三分之一的苏门答腊老虎幼崽活不到成年，所以我决定在家里全天候照顾它们)”可知，作者把老虎幼崽带回家是为了确保他们的存活。故选A。
2．词句猜测题。根据画线词上文“As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they'd ”（随着它们的活动越来越多，我们白天让它们在房子里自由活动，但当我们睡觉时，我们必须把它们关在一个大房间里，否则它们会）以及后文“We'd come down in the morning to find they'd turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.”（我们早上下楼时发现他们把房间弄得乱七八糟，让它看起来像个动物园。）可知，作者不得不把老虎们关在一个大房间里，否则它们就会调皮捣蛋，表现不好。早上下楼时发现他们把房间弄得乱七八糟，看起来像个动物园。故画线词意思是“表现不好”。故选A。
3．推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中“Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired.(由于需要大量的精力来照顾它们，事情很快变得非常紧张。有一段艰难的日子，我只是觉得非常累)”可推知，作者认为在家里养小老虎累人。故选B。
4．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go.(当Spot和Stripe四个月大的时候，他们正在学习如何开门和跳栅栏，我们知道是时候让他们离开了)”可知，作者决定把Spot 和Stripe送回动物园是因为他们变得难以控制。故选B。
（6）
（2022·广东深圳·深圳市光明区高级中学校考模拟预测）When Mexican scientist of the evolution of animal behavior, Laura Cuaya, moved to Hungary for her postdoctoral studies in Budapest, she brought her pet dog, Kun-kun, along for the ride. Cuaya couldn't help noticing how locals warmed to dogs. This prompted her naturally curious scientific mind to start asking questions. “Here people are talking all the time to Kun-kun, but I always wonder if Kun-kun can recognize that people in Budapest speak Hungarian, not Spanish ” So she set out to find an answer through a scientific study.
Cuaya and her colleagues decided to use brain images from MRI scanning to shed light on her hunch. They worked with dogs of various ages that had, until the experiment, only heard their owners speak just one of the two languages, Spanish or Hungarian. Not surprisingly, getting the dogs to happily take part in the experiment took some creative coaxing and animal training! The researchers first needed to teach Kun-kun and her 17 fellow participating dogs including a labradoodle, a golden retriever and Australian shepherds, to lie still in a brain scanner. Their pet parents were always present, and they could leave the scanner at any point.
The research team played children's book classic The Little Prince in both Spanish and Hungarian while scanning the dogs' brains with an MRI machine. They were looking for evidence that their brains reacted differently to a familiar and unfamiliar language. The researchers also played scrambled versions of the story to find out if dogs could distinguish between speech and non-speech.
The images reveal that dogs' brains show different patterns of activity for an unfamiliar language than for a familiar one — the first time anyone has proved, researchers say, that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages. This means that the sounds and rhythms of a familiar language are accessible to non-humans.
Interestingly, the team also found that the brains of older dogs were more skilled at detecting speech “suggesting a role for the amount of language exposure”. They suggest that dogs have refined their ability to distinguish between human languages over the long process of domestication.
1．What is paragraph 1 mainly about
A．The background of the study. B．The significance of the study.
C．The concern of the researcher. D．The introduction to the researcher.
2．What did Cuaya consider when choosing dogs for study
A．Age limits. B．Brain patterns. C．Language exposure. D．Owners' commands.
3．The results of the study are ________.
A．practical B．contradictory C．compromising D．groundbreaking
4．Which of the following can be the best title
A．Dogs Can Tell Foreign Languages B．Dog Brains Have Different Patterns
C．Old Dogs Know More About Human Speech D．Dogs Can Differ Speech From Non-Speech
【答案】1．A 2．C 3．D 4．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了墨西哥科学家Laura Cuaya经过研究发现，狗可以区分不同的语言。文章介绍了研究开展的过程以及研究的发现。
1．主旨大意题。根据第一段“When Mexican scientist of the evolution of animal behavior, Laura Cuaya, moved to Hungary for her postdoctoral studies in Budapest, she brought her pet dog, Kun-kun, along for the ride. Cuaya couldn't help noticing how locals warmed to dogs. This prompted her naturally curious scientific mind to start asking questions. “Here people are talking all the time to Kun-kun, but I always wonder if Kun-kun can recognize that people in Budapest speak Hungarian, not Spanish ” So she set out to find an answer through a scientific study.(当研究动物行为进化的墨西哥科学家Laura Cuaya去匈牙利布达佩斯做博士后研究时，她带着她的宠物狗昆昆一起去了。Cuaya不禁注意到当地人对狗的热情。这促使她天生好奇的科学头脑开始提出问题。“在这里，人们一直在和昆昆交谈，但我总在想，昆昆能不能认出布达佩斯人说的是匈牙利语，而不是西班牙语？”因此，她开始通过科学研究来寻找答案)”可知，第一段主要讲的是研究开展的背景。故选A。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“They worked with dogs of various ages that had, until the experiment, only heard their owners speak just one of the two languages, Spanish or Hungarian.(在实验之前，他们对不同年龄的狗进行研究，这些狗的主人只会说西班牙语或匈牙利语这两种语言中的一种)”可知，Cuaya在选择研究狗时考虑了语言接触。故选C。
3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中“The images reveal that dogs' brains show different patterns of activity for an unfamiliar language than for a familiar one—the first time anyone has proved, researchers say, that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages.(研究人员说，这些图像显示，狗的大脑对陌生的语言和熟悉的语言表现出不同的活动模式——这是第一次有人证明，非人类的大脑可以区分两种语言)”可推知，研究结果具有突破性。故选D。
4．主旨大意题。根据倒数第二段“The images reveal that dogs' brains show different patterns of activity for an unfamiliar language than for a familiar one—the first time anyone has proved, researchers say, that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages. This means that the sounds and rhythms of a familiar language are accessible to non-humans.(研究人员说，这些图像显示，狗的大脑对陌生的语言和熟悉的语言表现出不同的活动模式——这是第一次有人证明，非人类的大脑可以区分两种语言。这意味着一种熟悉的语言的声音和节奏对非人类来说是可以理解的)”结合文章主要说明了墨西哥科学家Laura Cuaya经过研究发现，狗可以区分不同的语言。文章介绍了研究开展的过程以及研究的发现。可知，A选项“狗能辨别外语”最符合文章标题。故选A。
（7）
（2022·天津·模拟预测）When birds’ habitat is destroyed, some species don’t make it while others survive. But what happens at the very beginning of the process, just as a bird’s habitat starts to change Research in Argentina’s Monte Desert has provided some answers. There are lots of trees, bushes, grasses and flowering plants in the protected parts of the desert. With so many options, most seed-eating birds choose to focus on large grass seeds. The birds can get all the energy and nutrients they need with minimal effort.
But when cattle show up to graze the desert’s natural landscape, birds face changes in food supply. Some birds are happy to change their diets in response. But others, not so much. And it’s the ones set in their ways that are at the highest risk. Understanding how birds react to grazing can help researchers solve the problem of those species.
Ecologists from the Argentine Arid Zones Research Institute compared soil samples from the desert’s Nacunan biosphere reserve to samples from two neighboring cattle farms. It was discovered that grass seeds — the birds’ favorites — were just one-quarter as likely to be found on the farms compared with the reserve. Next, they caught birds to see what they were eating. The Common Diuca-Finch and the Rufous-Collared Sparrow had adjusted their diets, choosing to eat their less preferred options on the farms, even while they still focused on large grass seeds in the reserve.
Meanwhile, the Many-Colored Chaco Finch and the Ringed Warbling-Finch were apparently unable to change their diets. Even on the farms, they worked hard to find the few grass seeds available. If they burn more energy searching for food than they get from the few grass seeds they find, they could starve. At best, their inflexible dietary could limit their ability to reproduce or to care for their young.
Studies like this can help predict which species are at higher risk and help farmers protect these poor species, even while allowing their livestock to graze. For example, the farmers can plant new species for their cattle that will also be more delicious and nutritious for local seed-eating birds. The cows won’t care about the menu change — but the birds sure will.
1．Why can some seed-eating birds easily get their food in the protected parts of the desert
A．Because of plant diversity. B．Because there are fewer birds.
C．Because there are many small grass seeds. D．Because of their long-distance flying ability.
2．Researchers study how birds react to grazing so as to ________.
A．make birds and cattle live in peace B．help birds change their diets
C．make cattle leave the desert D．help birds most in danger
3．What did ecologists from the research institute find
A．Birds only ate large grass seeds on the farms.
B．Some birds changed their diets in the reserve.
C．There were more birds’ favorite seeds on the farms than in the reserve.
D．Some birds chose their favorites in the reserve but other food on the farms.
4．It can be inferred that grazing cattle can __________.
A．drive most birds off the farms B．change the menu of some birds
C．make birds like other seeds best D．have little effect on birds’ food chains
5．Which proverb can best describe the method of farmers’ planting new species
A．Every coin has two sides. B．Kill two birds with one stone.
C．Birds of a feather flock together. D．There is no garden without weeds.
【答案】1．A 2．D 3．D 4．B 5．B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了科学家通过研究放牛对鸟类的影响，来保护濒危的鸟类。介绍了研究开展的过程以及这一研究的意义。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“There are lots of trees, bushes, grasses and flowering plants in the protected parts of the desert. With so many options, most seed-eating birds choose to focus on large grass seeds.(在沙漠保护区有很多树木、灌木、草和开花植物。有这么多的选择，大多数以种子为食的鸟类都会选择大的草籽)”可知，一些以种子为食的鸟类能很容易地在沙漠受保护的地区得到食物是因为植物多样性。故选A。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段“But when cattle show up to graze the desert’s natural landscape, birds face changes in food supply. Some birds are happy to change their diets in response. But others, not so much. And it’s the ones set in their ways that are at the highest risk. Understanding how birds react to grazing can help researchers solve the problem of those species.(但当牛群出现在沙漠的自然景观上吃草时，鸟类面临着食物供应的变化。一些鸟类很乐意改变它们的饮食作为回应。但其他鸟，就没这么乐意了。而那些固执己见的鸟面临的风险最大。了解鸟类对放牧的反应可以帮助研究人员解决这些物种的问题)”以及最后一段中“Studies like this can help predict which species are at higher risk and help farmers protect these poor species, even while allowing their livestock to graze.(这样的研究可以帮助预测哪些物种面临更高的风险，并帮助农民保护这些可怜的物种，即使是在允许他们的牲畜吃草的同时)”可知，研究人员研究鸟类对放牧的反应，以便保护濒危的鸟类。故选D。
3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“Meanwhile, the Many-Colored Chaco Finch and the Ringed Warbling-Finch were apparently unable to change their diets. Even on the farms, they worked hard to find the few grass seeds available. (与此同时，多色查科雀和环翅雀显然无法改变它们的饮食。即使在农场里，他们也在努力寻找为数不多的草籽)”可知，研究所的生态学家发现一些鸟选择了他们在保护区最喜欢的食物，而不是农场上的其他食物。故选D。
4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“For example, the farmers can plant new species for their cattle that will also be more delicious and nutritious for local seed-eating birds. The cows won’t care about the menu change — but the birds sure will.(例如，农民可以为他们的牛种新物种，这些新物种对当地以种子为食的鸟类来说也更美味、更有营养。牛不会在意菜单的变化，但鸟肯定会)”可推知，放牛可以改变一些鸟的菜单。故选B。
5．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“For example, the farmers can plant new species for their cattle that will also be more delicious and nutritious for local seed-eating birds. The cows won’t care about the menu change — but the birds sure will.(例如，农民可以为他们的牛种新物种，这些新物种对当地以种子为食的鸟类来说也更美味、更有营养。牛不会在意菜单的变化，但鸟肯定会)”可推知，B选项“一石二鸟”最能描述农民种植新物种的方法。故选B。
变式题型二：巩固类（难度0.65）
（1）
（2022·福建三明·三明一中校考模拟预测）In 2009, biologist Charles Anderson put forward an assumption that globe skimmer dragonflies (蜻蜓) on the Maldives had flown in from what he assumed was India. When they flew off again, it was towards East Africa. 12 years later, a group of researchers decided to investigate his claim.
Globe skimmer dragonflies are too small to be fitted with electronic devices. Instead, the researchers examined its physical aspects and calculated how long a globe skimmer dragonfly could stay in the air using the energy that can be stored in its body. In addition, the researchers used wind models to determine if there are winds that facilitate the migration in both directions.
“Our study shows that this migration from India to East Africa is actually possible. However, the globe skimmer dragonfly can’t manage it using only the fat in its body. It also requires favorable winds and these are present during certain periods of the year,” says Johanna Hedlund, a biology researcher at Lund University. According to the migration experiments using wind models, about 15 percent of the dragonflies could manage the migration from India to Africa in the spring. In the autumn, 40 percent could make the same journey in the opposite direction.
Johanna Hedlund and her colleagues consider it impressive that dragonflies can do this at all. Even more impressive is the fact that the globe skimmer dragonfly migration across the Indian Ocean is the longest in the animal kingdom in relation to an animal’s size.
Other animals also rely on favorable wind conditions when they migrate. Two examples are the amur falcon and the Jacobin cuckoo, which also fly across the Indian Ocean. The researchers warn that climate change may affect the chances of these birds and the globe skimmer dragonfly in the future. There is a risk that wind patterns will change when the water surface gets warmer.
1．How do the researchers mainly prove their assumption
A．By fitting electronic devices. B．By giving examples.
C．By performing experiments. D．By making comparisons.
2．What can we learn from Paragraph 3
A．The dragonfly flies using the fat in its body.
B．15 percent of the dragonflies left Africa for Africa.
C．The dragonfly flies the longest in the animal world.
D．Charles Anderson spotted dragonflies flying to India.
3．Why are two examples mentioned in the last paragraph
A．To illustrate how the animals fly.
B．To warn people of the climate change.
C．To evidence that water surface gets warmer.
D．To show the influence of wind on the migration.
4．What’s main idea of the text
A．Wind conditions are crucial to dragonflies.
B．Climate change may affect animals’ migration.
C．Dragonflies can migrate across the Indian Ocean.
D．Johanna and her colleagues investigate dragonflies.
【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一项研究，研究表明蜻蜓可以利用风完成跨越印度洋的迁徙。
1．细节理解题。根据第三段中“According to the migration experiments using wind models, about 15 percent of the dragonflies could manage the migration from India to Africa in the spring. (根据利用风模型进行的迁徙实验，大约15%的蜻蜓能够在春天完成从印度到非洲的迁徙。)”可知，研究人员主要是通过实验来证明他们的假设的。故选C项。
2．推理判断题。根据第三段中“However, the globe skimmer dragonfly can’t manage it using only the fat in its body. It also requires favorable winds and these are present during certain periods of the year.(然而，全球掠食蜻蜓无法仅靠体内的脂肪来解决这个问题。它还需要有利的风，而这种风在一年中的某些时候会出现。)”可知，这种蜻蜓在飞行中会依靠体内的脂肪来完成迁徙。故选A项。
3．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Other animals also rely on favorable wind conditions when they migrate. Two examples are the amur falcon and the Jacobin cuckoo, which also fly across the Indian Ocean. (其他动物在迁徙时也依赖有利的风力条件。两个例子是阿穆尔猎鹰和雅各宾杜鹃，它们也飞越印度洋。)”可知，本段提到了两个例子是为了展示风对迁徙的影响。故选D项。
4．主旨大意题。通读全文，根据第三段中“Our study shows that this migration from India to East Africa is actually possible. (我们的研究表明，这种从印度到东非的迁徙实际上是可能的。)”和“According to the migration experiments using wind models, about 15 percent of the dragonflies could manage the migration from India to Africa in the spring. (根据利用风模型进行的迁徙实验，大约15%的蜻蜓能够在春天完成从印度到非洲的迁徙。)”以及第四段中“Even more impressive is the fact that the globe skimmer dragonfly migration across the Indian Ocean is the longest in the animal kingdom in relation to an animal’s size. (更令人印象深刻的事实是，全球蜻蜓跨越印度洋的迁徙是动物王国中最长的，相对于动物的大小。)”可知，本文主要介绍了一项研究，研究表明蜻蜓可以利用风完成跨越印度洋的迁徙。故选C项。
（2）
（2022春·辽宁·高二校联考阶段练习）Light weight and complicated tracking devices have made it possible to study the behavior of birds in all kinds of useful ways, for example, helping keep them safe from ships or monito-ring their changing migration patterns in a warming world. For a research team in Australia, however these efforts haven't quite gone to plan, with a group of tagged magpies (喜鹊) promptly removing each other’s tracking devices.
The research was led by animal ecologists from the University of the Sunshine Coast, who were looking to studying the movement and social dynamics of Australian magpies. To do so, the team actually designed a new type of tagging solution in which a belt was used to secure the tracking device to the bird, allowing them to use one with a large enough battery and storage capacity, despite the relatively small size of the animal.
The tracking devices weighed less than a gram (0.03 oz) and were successfully fitted to five magpies, with the scientists excited to learn the answers to questions such as how far the magpies were traveling, and what their movement patterns and schedules looked like. But before long, the plans of the researchers were thwarted.
Within 10 minutes of fitting the final tracker, the team watched on as an adult female used her bill to remove the belt from a younger bird in the group. A few hours on, most of the other trackers had been removed. By day three, they were all gone. It’s unclear whether one bird was helping out all the others, or if they shared the unfastening responsibilities between the group, but this is the first instance the scientists know of where birds have cooperated to remove tracking devices, and the first example of altruism (利他主义) in magpies. It appears that the magpies see the trackers as a form of parasite (寄生虫) that needs to be removed. This very rare behavior is known as “rescuing”, and the scientists say the only similar example they have found in literature is a group of birds-Seychelles warblers-freeing one another from a pile of sticky seeds.
1．Why were tracking devices often used to help birds according to the text？
A．To search the ships for food.
B．To warn them of the warming world.
C．To help them avoid being injured by other animals.
D．To monitor their travelling according to the season.
2．What does paragraph 2 mainly introduce？
A．The process of the experiment.
B．The background of the experiment.
C．The new objects of the experiment.
D．The special device of the experiment.
3．Which can best replace the underlined word “thwarted” in paragraph 3？
A．followed B．prevented C．discovered D．questioned
4．What can we learn about the rescuing behaviour？
A．It’s rare for the birds.
B．It was first observed by researchers.
C．It disappointed the researchers very much.
D．It shows that the birds are behaving similarly.
【答案】1．D 2．D 3．B 4．A
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。本文介绍了澳大利亚的一个研究小组发现了喜鹊们非常罕见的救援行为：它们迅速拆除了彼此的追踪装置。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段“for example, helping keep them safe from ships or monito-ring their changing migration patterns in a warming world.”（例如，帮助它们远离船只或监测它们在全球变暖中不断变化的迁徙模式）可知该追踪装置可以帮助鸟类远离船只或监测它们不断变化的迁徙模式。故选D项。
2．主旨大意题。根据第二段“To do so, the team actually designed a new type of tagging solution in which a belt was used to secure the tracking device to the bird, allowing them to use one with a large enough battery and storage capacity, despite the relatively small size of the animal.”（为了做到这一点，研究小组实际上设计了一种新型的标记解决方案，其中使用了一条皮带将跟踪装置固定到鸟身上，使它们能够使用一个电池和存储容量足够大的装置，尽管动物的体型相对较小）可知本段主要介绍了研究所使用的特殊装置。故选D项。
3．词义猜测题。根据倒数第一段“A few hours on, most of the other trackers had been removed.”（几个小时后，大多数其他追踪器都被移除了）可推断倒数第二段划线词语所在的句子“But before long, the plans of the researchers were thwarted.”（但不久，研究人员的计划遭到了阻挠）可知此处thwarted意为“阻扰”，与prevented同义。故选B项。
4．细节理解题。根据最后一段“It appears that the magpies see the trackers as a form of parasite(寄生虫) that needs to be removed. This very rare behavior is known as “rescuing”, and the scientists say the only similar example they have found in literature is a group of birds-Seychelles warblers-freeing one another from a pile of sticky seeds.”（喜鹊似乎将追踪者视为一种需要清除的寄生虫。这种非常罕见的行为被称为“拯救”，科学家们说，他们在文献中发现的唯一类似的例子是一群塞舌尔莺从一堆粘性种子中相互释放）可知鸟类的这种“救援”行为非常罕见。故选A项。
（3）
（2022年全国模拟预测）We humans often navigate (导航) using road signs and GPS. But what about elephants Connie Allen, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Exeter in the U.K., said “the elephants navigate over long distances using their unbelievable memories”, which makes others consider that an elephant will never forget. But it’s also been suggested here and there that maybe olfaction is extremely important for these long-distance movements.
Allen and her colleagues checked that idea by testing African elephants’ ability to identify a very special smell: the smell of pee (尿). You see, an elephant pees a lot — some 12 to 15 gallons a day — and that pee can contain a series of chemical signals.
But first, they needed some pee. So they headed for a spot along Botswana’s Boteti River and waited. They waited for elephants to pee and, within 20 minutes, went and collected these fresh pee samples. Then they set up cameras on seven paths which the elephants usually walked along. After observing the elephants’ natural behaviour on the paths, they noticed that the majority of the elephants checked smells along the paths — especially elephants travelling alone, which is an indication, the researchers said, that smells may serve as signposts along the paths.
Next, they placed those pee samples along the paths. And they found that for at least two days, passing elephants trained their trunks on the samples, especially samples from mature adults, which is another indication that smells might be an effective navigational signal. Their findings appeared in the journal Animal Behaviour.
Based on these results, they hope conservationists might be able to use elephant pee as a decoy (诱饵). If we can trick elephants into thinking other elephants are going this way, maybe we can redirect them away from where they are coming into conflict with humans at the moment.
1．What does the underlined word “olfaction” in paragraph 1 mean
A．The roadside signpost. B．The sense of smell.
C．The long-term memory. D．The sense of direction.
2．How did researchers get their conclusions
A．By doing field research. B．By analyzing causes and effects.
C．By making comparisons. D．By doing laboratory experiments.
3．What might be a potential benefit of the findings according to the text
A．Helping elephants to find other companions.
B．Inspiring new research directions in elephants.
C．Raising public awareness of elephant protection.
D．Making elephants and humans coexist peacefully.
4．Which of the following could be the best title for the text
A．African Elephants Show Personality-based Movements
B．Elephants Are Born With Excellent Ability to Navigate
C．African Elephants May Use Pee as a Road Sign
D．Elephants Have a Good Memory for Roads
【答案】1．B 2．A 3．D 4．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。行为生态学家Connie Allen认为大象凭借惊人的记忆力进行远距离导航，但也有人提出，大象在进行远距离活动时嗅觉尤为重要。为了验证这一观点，Connie Allen和她的同事们开展了研究，证明确实如此。
【详解】1. 词义猜测题。根据下文“Allen and her colleagues checked that idea by testing African elephants’ ability to identify a very special smell: the smell of pee (尿). You see, an elephant pees a lot — some 12 to 15 gallons a day — and that pee can contain a series of chemical signals.(艾伦和她的同事通过测试非洲象识别一种非常特殊的气味的能力来验证这一想法：尿的气味。你看，大象尿得很多——大约每天12到15加仑——这些尿可以包含一系列化学信号。)”以及这个实验过程可知，Connie Allen和同事们通过测试大象对路边大象尿液的感知能力来进行研究，最终发现，大象可以利用尿液的气味进行远距离活动，由此可知，嗅觉对大象的远距离活动尤为重要。画线词olfaction的含义应为“嗅觉”。故选B。
2. 推理判断题。根据第三段的“They waited for elephants to pee and, within 20 minutes, went and collected these fresh pee samples.Then they set up cameras on seven paths which the elephants usually walked along. (他们等大象尿尿，20分钟后去收集这些新鲜的尿样本。然后，他们在大象通常会走的七条道路上设置了摄像机。)”和第四段的“Next, they placed those pee samples along the paths. (接下来，他们将这些尿液样本沿着小路放置。)”可知，研究人员在野外收集大象尿液样本，在七条大象常走的道路上安装摄像机来观察大象的行为，并把尿液样本放在路边来了解嗅觉对大象的影响。由此可推知，研究人员是通过野外研究的方式得出结论的。故选A。
3. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Based on these results, they hope conservationists might be able to use elephant pee as a decoy (诱饵). If we can trick elephants into thinking other elephants are going this way, maybe we can redirect them away from where they are coming into conflict with humans at the moment.(基于这些结果，他们希望环保人士可以用大象的尿液作为诱饵。如果我们能哄骗大象，让它们以为其他大象正朝这条路走，也许我们就能引导它们离开与人类发生冲突的地方。)”可知，如果人类可以利用大象的尿液作为诱饵骗过大象，引导大象改变行进方向，就能避免与人类发生冲突。因此推断研究结果的潜在益处是使人类和大象能够和平共处。故选D。
4. 主旨大意题。综观全文，尤其是第三段中的“especially elephants travelling alone, which is an indication, the researchers said, that smells may serve as signposts along the paths.(特别是大象独自旅行，研究人员说，这是一个迹象，气味可能是道路上的路标。)”及第四段中的“And they found that for at least two days, passing elephants trained their trunks on the samples, especially samples from mature adults, which is another indication that smells might be an effective navigational signal. （他们发现，在至少两天的时间里，经过的大象用它们的鼻子来训练样本，特别是来自成年大象的样本，这是另一个迹象，表明气味可能是一种有效的导航信号。）”可知，本文主要讲述的是行为生态学家Connie Allen和同事们通过研究发现非洲象根据尿液的气味进行远距离活动。故选C。
（4）
（2022·山东德州·统考三模）While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it's now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It's shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve's sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve's administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1．What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2
A．Solve. B．Pose. C．Attach. D．Detect.
2．What can be inferred about the new technology from the study
A．It precisely recognizes any species. B．It makes panda population rise rapidly.
C．It contributes to species data collection. D．It understands pandas' facial appearance.
3．What is Liu Xingming's attitude to the facial recognition monitoring system
A．Critical. B．Objective.
C．Ambiguous. D．Conservative.
4．Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A．Panda Facial Recognition Using Database
B．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology
C．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection
D．A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System
【答案】1．D 2．C 3．B 4．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了人脸识别技术对保护大熊猫的作用和前景。
1．词句猜测题。根据第二段划线词前半句“it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve(实现了保护区的实时监测)”可知，对保护区的实时监测可以帮助发现野生动物面临的威胁，所以discern是“发现”的意思。故选D。
2．推理判断题。根据第三段“A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors.(最近的一项研究发现，面部识别系统可以自动识别红外摄像机捕捉到的各种野生动物，让研究人员在室内收集大熊猫的数据。)”可知，从这项研究中可以推断出关于这项新技术有助于物种数据收集。故选C。
3．推理判断题。根据最后一段““The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”( 他补充说：“该监测系统使野生动物得到了系统、科学和智能的保护。”“不过，预计在不久的将来，它会得到进一步的改进和优化。”)”可知，他对这项技术的赞许和期望。可推断，刘兴明对人脸识别监测系统的态度是客观的。故选B。
4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it's now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.(据新华社2022年1月6日报道，在人脸识别技术继续促进人类生活的许多方面的同时，它现在正被用于帮助保护大熊猫。)”及全文可知，文章主要讲述了人脸识别技术对保护大熊猫的作用和前景。所以“AI Technology for Better Panda Protection(人工智能技术更好地保护熊猫)”作为文章标题最为合适。故选C。
（5）
（2022·河南安阳·统考模拟预测）Horses have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.
A small fleet of 10 rechargeable e-carts now take visitors through the rose-colored road leading to the famed capital of the Nabateans, which dates back to the first century BC．“There is no pollution or smoke and the change has reduced the cases of animal mistreatment,” said Suleiman Farajat, head of the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority. “The golf carriage-style vehicles have less impact because sometimes the carriage wheels hit the sides of the road…the horse waste caused a bad smell in the place, and cleaning it was not easy.”
Animal rights group PETA, which had criticized the use of the often overworked animals, has described the project as a “major first step to protect working animals”. They highly praised the “game-changing vehicles” and hope to work with officials toward the day when there will be only animal-free transportation at Petra. For now, the Petra authority says it will keep some of the horses to preserve the character of the place, as it is a world heritage site. The change has however also been praised for another reason — helping to make the UNESCO World Heritage Site far more accessible to elderly and disabled visitors. Austrian tourist Rudy, 43, who uses a wheelchair, said he had repeatedly postponed a visit because of the pandemic, and was now very happy to have made the trip. “Disabled people but also people who have difficulty walking for a long distance…now have a chance to see this amazing place,” he said.
The move to replace 12 horse-drawn carriages with 10 e-carts was agreed with the horse owners’ association.
Foreign tourists pay 25 dinars ($35) and Jordanians 15 dinars for the round trip from the visitor center to the archaeological site. The association receives 75 percent of the income, while 25 percent goes to the authority, said Farajat.
1．What is the shortcoming of horse-drawn carriages in Petra
A．It is very hard to clean the horses and carriages.
B．The speed of horse-drawn carriages is too low.
C．The horses consume a lot of food to keep strong.
D．The carriage wheels damage the sides of the road.
2．What can we infer from Paragraph 3
A．Tourist Rudy prefers horse-drawn carriages to e-carriages.
B．Horse-drawn carriages will entirely be banned in the future.
C．PETA feels happy to see the progress of animal protection.
D．Disabled people have their wheel-chairs updated for traveling.
3．How much will the authority get if the total income is $20, 000
A．$3, 000. B．$5, 000. C．$15, 000. D．$20, 000.
4．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．E-carriages Replace Horse-drawn Carriages in Petra
B．Animal Rights Group Sing High Praise for E-carriages
C．Updated Traffic Transportation Makes for Petra’s Tourism
D．Government of Petra Takes Steps to Protect Heritage Sites
【答案】1．A 2．C 3．B 4．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了在约旦古城佩特拉，开始用电动汽车取代马匹。
1．细节理解题。由文章第二段“The golf carriage-style vehicles have less impact because sometimes the carriage wheels hit the sides of the road…the horse waste caused a bad smell in the place, and cleaning it was not easy.(高尔夫马车式的车辆影响较小，因为有时车轮会撞到路边……马粪会产生难闻的气味，清洗起来不容易。)”可知马粪会产生难闻的气味，清洗起来不容易。故选A项。
2．推理判断题。由文章第三段“They highly praised the game-changing vehicles and hope to work with officials toward the day when there will be only animal-free transportation at Petra.( 他们高度赞扬了改变游戏规则的交通工具。)”可推断出善待动物组织很高兴看到动物保护的进展。故选C项。
3．细节理解题。由文章最后一段“The association receives 75 percent of the income, while 25 percent goes to the authority.(协会获得了75%的收入，而25%归管理局所有。)”可知，收入的25%归管理局所有，如果总收入为20000美元，管理局将获得20000×0.25=5000美元。故选B项。
4．主旨大意题。由文章第一段“Horses have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.( 在约旦古城佩特拉，马匹长期以来都是游客乘坐的马车，但出于动物权利的考虑，一个项目开始用电动汽车取代马匹。)”可知本篇文章主要讲用电动汽车取代马匹。故选A项。
变式题型二：提升类（难度0.4）
（1）
（2022·云南昆明·统考一模）Pandas are famously picky eaters. They only consume bamboo — a poor quality diet low in fat. But the creatures appear to have evolved to get the most out of what they do eat, according to a new study.
Their gut (肠道) bacteria change in late spring and early summer when bamboo is at its most nutritious — while protein-rich green shoots are coming out. The bacteria make the panda gain more weight and store more fat, which researchers said may compensate for a lack of nutrients later in the year, when bamboo plants have only fibrous leaves to chew.
“We’ve known these pandas have a different set of gut microbiota during the shoot-eating season for a long time, and it’s very obvious that they are chubbier during this time of the year,” said lead study author Guangping Huang, a researcher for the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
To investigate how the gut bacteria could affect a panda’s digestion, the team first collected the wastes of eight wild giant pandas in China’s Qinling Mountains during both leaf eating season and shoot-eating season and then examined how the waste samples differed. They found a bacterium called Clostridium butyricum was more abundant in the pandas’ guts during the season when they enjoy the fresh bamboo shoots.
To understand whether this bacterium helps the pandas gain and store weight, the researchers put the panda wastes they collected into lab mice. Then they fed the mice for three weeks with a bamboo-based diet that simulated (模仿) what pandas eat. Researchers found the mice which were transplanted with panda wastes collected during shoot-eating season gained significantly more weight than the ones which were not, despite consuming same amount of food.
“The gut bacteria were the only variable (变量) in this research,” Wei explained. However, Felix Sommer at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, noted the number of pandas studied was small and that the experiment had only been performed once. Sommer also stressed the researchers had found a link, not a causal relationship between the bacteria and weight gain.
1．When do pandas get more weight with the change of their gut bacteria
A．In late spring. B．In late summer. C．In early autumn. D．In early winter.
2．What does the underlined word “chubbier” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Smaller. B．Slimmer. C．Taller. D．Fatter.
3．What can we learn from the experiment on mice
A．The experiment lasted for less than three weeks. B．Researchers collected bacteria from the lab mice.
C．Panda wastes have a vital effect on mice’s weight. D．Different amounts of food led to an increase in weight.
4．What is the best title for the text
A．Studies on Eating Habits of Pandas B．Functions of Pandas’ Gut Bacteria
C．Characteristics of Pandas’ Daily Diet D．Arguments over Pandas’ Digestion System
【答案】1．A 2．D 3．C 4．B
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述大熊猫的肠道细菌可以帮助他们吸收竹子中的营养。
1．细节理解题。根据第二段“Their gut (肠道) bacteria change in late spring and early summer when bamboo is at its most nutritious — while protein-rich green shoots are coming out. The bacteria make the panda gain more weight(它们的肠道细菌会在春末夏初发生变化，此时正是竹子最富营养的时候——富含蛋白质的嫩芽正在长出来。这种细菌使熊猫增加更多体重)”可知，大熊猫在春末和夏初的时候会增加更多体重。故选A。
2．词句猜测题。根据第三段“We’ve known these pandas have a different set of gut microbiota during the shoot-eating season for a long time, and it’s very obvious that they are chubbier during this time of the year(我们已经知道，这些大熊猫在食笋季节有不同的肠道微生物群，很明显，它们在每年的这个时候都是chubbier)”可知，chubbier是形容词，用来描述大熊猫在食笋季节的一个特点。根据第二段“Their gut (肠道) bacteria change in late spring and early summer when bamboo is at its most nutritious — while protein-rich green shoots are coming out. The bacteria make the panda gain more weight(它们的肠道细菌会在春末夏初发生变化，此时正是竹子最富营养的时候——富含蛋白质的嫩芽正在长出来。这种细菌使熊猫增加更多体重)”可知，大熊猫在春末和夏初的时候会吃很多的笋，体重会增加更多，所以chubbier应该是“更胖的”意思。故选D。
3．推理判断题。根据第五段“Researchers found the mice which were transplanted with panda wastes collected during shoot-eating season gained significantly more weight than the ones which were not, despite consuming same amount of food.(研究人员发现，尽管摄入了相同数量的食物，但是在吃笋季节收集到的熊猫粪便移植到小鼠身上的小鼠比没有移植的小鼠体重增加明显的多)”可知，熊猫粪便对小鼠的体重有很大的影响。故选C。
4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Pandas are famously pick中小学教育资源及组卷应用平台
2022年高考英语全国甲卷阅读理解真题与变式题
动物类（基础题7篇+巩固题5篇+提升题3篇）（原卷版）
2022年全国甲卷原题（难度0.65）
（2022·全国甲卷真题）Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
1．How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment
A．By following instructions. B．By using a tool.
C．By turning the box around. D．By removing the lid.
2．Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text
A．Using a key to unlock a door. B．Telling parrots from other birds.
C．Putting a ball into a round hole. D．Grouping toys of different shapes.
3．What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos
A．How far they are able to see.
B．How they track moving objects.
C．Whether they are smarter than monkeys.
D．Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
4．Which can be a suitable title for the text
A．Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers B．Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C．Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers D．Cockatoos: Skillful Shape-Sorters
二、变式题汇总
（一）变式题型一：基础类（难度0.85）
（1）
（2022届山西太原高三英语押宝题英语试题）Suy credits his interest in photography to a French journalist he met in 2000. Since 2012. he has used his love of photography for a good cause: protecting wildlife. As more and more animal species began to disappear from Kandal Province, he grew worried. So he created a photo project which he hoped would bring more attention to the loss of natural habitats in Cambodia.
He hopes to educate Cambodians about the importance of bird species and the effect they have on nature. He said, “The biggest issue is the damage to habitats and poaching".Besides that, it is due to the demand from the rich who desire wild meat and who consider wild meat chemical-free.
His photography work has shown “how lack of education and law enforce men” makes the problem worse. Hunting is at the root of Cambodian culture.“Education is very limited,” he said. “And in terms of legal enforcement, only one organization is standing out, and that is the Wildlife Alliance.” He noted that the group had carried out a number of successful crackdowns against hunting. But there were few major campaigns on wildlife hunting.as a whole.
Protected areas within forests have disappeared at the same rate as forests in other parts of the country Poaching and hunting have led to the loss of animal and plant species in Cambodia.
To Chantha Nasak, a wildlife expert, the damage to wildlife habitats is the main reason for the decrease in the number of wild animals.He says the destruction of forests and the use of land for agricultural and other purposes are the biggest threats, as well as the climate change.
However. there are already agreements between some NGOs and the Cambodian government to help wild species. Also. Chantha Nasak says some communities are working together to protect wildlife around the country.
“All Cambodian citizens should join hands in the protection of wildlife, not just the NGOs and the government,” he said. “It should be everyone.”
1．What problem did Suy meet in his photography work
A．Cambodians have a poor knowledge of protecting wildlife
B．Cambodians are lacking their culture of hunting
C．Cambodians like major campaigns on hunting wildlife
D．Cambodians have limited education about hunting.
2．Why do the rich find wild meat in Cambodia
A．It contains high nutrition. B．It is free of chemieals.
C．It tastes delicious and fresh. D．It is a symbol of social positions.
3．What is the main factor in leading to the decrease in wild animals Chantha thinks
A．the climate change B．the wild meat trade
C．the damage to wildlife habitats D．the still-not-prohibited hunting
4．What is the main idea of the text
A．A Cambodian is teaching the hunting culture.
B．A photographer has a good knowledge of wildlife.
C．A photographer is struggling with poachers
D．A Cambodian photographer urges to protect wildlife
（2）
（2022秋·辽宁·高二校联考期中）The climate change in California has caused terrible damage to California’s marine ecosystems. Untold billions of sea stars, or starfish, from at least 20 species disappeared from the entire Pacific coast because of the marine heatwaves. In the absence of sunflower sea stars, a major predator for sea urchins (海胆), the urchin populations exploded. They laid waste to kelp forests (海草林) already weakened by high ocean temperatures.
However, Central California’s kelp ecosystems have done somewhat better than those in Northern California. A new study led by Joshua Smith, an ecologist at the University of California, examines the role sea otter (海獭) populations — a natural predator for urchins — play in preserving existing kelp forests in the Monterey Bay.
The research project spanned three years, during which intensive under-water surveys produced some very interesting data about sea otter behavior. Sea otters have very high metabolisms (新陈代谢) that keep them warm in icy waters and which also make them greedy consumers of shellfish, urchin, and fish — sea otters can eat 25 percent of their body weight in food in a day. At the observed sites, as the urchin population grew, the otter’s diet shifted to become more heavily dependent on urchins. In fact, the otters were eating three times as many urchins as they had been before 2014. As a result, they provided crucial protection from urchins to the kelp forests.
The fact that otters were able to contribute to the health of the surviving kelp forests by keeping urchin populations in check provides Smith with hope for the forests’ continued survival. “The important thing is that the urchins are ultimately reduced,” he says. “The sea otters have maintained patches of kelp forest that can then help refill the barren areas to enhance the recovery of forests.”
1．What influence does climate change have on California’s marine ecosystems
A．A greater diversity of marine species. B．The disappearance of urchins.
C．An explosive growth of sea stars. D．The weakening of kelp forests.
2．What is the study led by Joshua Smith about
A．Urchins’ response to ocean warming.
B．The reproduction of marine animals.
C．Otters’ role in protecting kelp forests.
D．The current condition of marine ecosystems.
3．What is a direct result of the shift in otters’ diet
A．The otters are more likely to stay warm.
B．The shellfish populations have exploded.
C．Urchins’ threat to kelp forests is relieved.
D．The kelp forests have made a full recovery.
4．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A．Sea Otters to the Rescue
B．Marine Species in Danger
C．Urchins Are Destroying Kelp Forests
D．Otters Increase Kelp Forests’ Carbon Storage
（3）
（2021·云南·统考一模）A New Zealand council （市议会）has announced a month-long road closure in order to allow a sea lion and her pup to reach the ocean safely.
John Wilson Ocean Drive in Dunedin will be closed after the New Zealand sea lions made their home at a nearby golf course （球场）and started "regularly crossing the road to get to the beach," according to a Facebook post from Dunedin City Council.
“You can still visit the area on foot or by bicycle, but please give the sea lions lots of space," continued the post.
Locals applauded the decision, and one even called for the closure to be made permanent.
“No dogs should be on the beach, either," wrote Gaylene Smith. "We need to protect our beautiful sea life "
Dogs are known to attack sea lions, and Chisholm Links Golf Course, where the sea lions have made their home, also posted advice to dog walkers in a Facebook update.
"We’re lucky to have sea lions on our coastline and we need to share the space with them, as this is what makes our coastline so unique!" wrote the course on Facebook.
The council went on to explain that New Zealand sea lions are endangered, and are one of the world’s rarest species of sea lion.
There are an estimated 12,000 New Zealand sea lions left, according to the Department of Conservation. Under local law, anyone who kills a sea lion could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to NZ$250,000 (US$178,000).
1．What decision has the Dunedin City Council made
A．Closing an ocean drive for a month.
B．Closing the nearby beach temporarily.
C．Forbidding entry into a golf course.
D．Forbidding walking dogs outside.
2．How did the City Council announce the decision
A．By informing on TV.
B．By posting on Facebook.
C．By advertising in a newspaper.
D．By sending out notices.
3．What is the attitude of the local people toward the closure
A．Doubtful. B．Supportive. C．Uncaring. D．Critical.
4．What can we learn about New Zealand sea lions from the text
A．They are under legal protection.
B．They are a common species.
C．They are afraid of humans.
D．They are being killed by dogs.
（4）
（云南省师范大学附属中学2022届高三高考适应性月考卷）There is a cute animal living in the rainforest of Central and South America. Hanging out in the trees is its regular routine. It eats plenty of leaves every day to maintain its body temperature, keeping its organs working. It has three toes and walks slowest. The giant panda is second slowest, and two-toed sloths (树懒) come in third. People are curious about why they walk slowest.
Three-toed sloths rely on leaves merely. They have evolved finely tuned strategies for coping with this restricted diet. Firstly, they get as much energy from their food as possible. Secondly, they have a multi-chamber stomach that takes up a third of their body. Thirdly, they can spend five to seven days, or even weeks, processing a meal.
The other distinguished feature of three-toed sloth is that they use as little energy as possible. They spend most of their time eating, resting or sleeping. They get down from the treetops once a week for a bathroom break. When sloths do move, it is not very fast. It would take a sloth about five minutes to cross an average neighborhood street.
This unhurried approach to life means that sloths don’t need very much muscle. In fact, they have about 30% less muscle mass than other animals of their size. They also use less energy to keep themselves warm because their body temperature can change by about five degrees Celsius, less than a cold-blooded reptile, but more than most mammals. These physical and behavioral adaptations minimize the sloth’s metabolic rate (新陈代谢率). Three-toed sloths have the slowest metabolism of any mammal.
Moving slowly has allowed sloths to grow in their treetQp habitat. But it also made the sloths themselves a great habitat for other organisms, including algae (藻类), which provides a little extra camouflage (保护色) and maybe even a snack.
1．What similarity do sloths and pandas have
A．Walking slowly. B．Living in the rainforest.
C．Having identical appearances. D．Enjoying eating bamboo leaves.
2．What is special about three-toed sloths
A．They frequently get down from trees. B．They have rather small stomachs.
C．They eat a variety of foods. D．They digest food slowly.
3．What can be inferred about sloths in paragraph 4
A．Their physical movement is faster than a cold-blooded animal’s.
B．Their temperature is lower than other mammal’s of their size.
C．Their muscle mass is more than other animals’.
D．Their metabolism is the slowest of reptile’s.
4．What is a suitable title for the text
A．Why do three-toed sloths walk slowly B．Where is the habitat of three-toed sloths
C．What is the eating habit of three-toed sloths D．When will three-toed sloths come down from trees
（5）
（2021·全国·统考高考真题）I have worked as a keeper at the National Zoo, Paris for 11 years. Spot and Stripe are the first tiger cubs that have ever been born here. Globally, a third of Sumatran cubs in zoos don't make it to adulthood, so I decided to give them round-the-clock care at home.
I've got two children—the younger one, Kynan, was extremely happy about the tigers arriving - but all of us really looked forward to being part of their lives and watching them grow. I wasn't worried about bringing them into my home with my wife and kids. These were cubs. They weighed about 2.5 kg and were so small that there was absolutely no risk.
As they grew more mobile, we let them move freely around the house during the day, but when we were asleep we had to contain them in a large room, otherwise they'd get up to mischief. We'd come down in the morning to find they'd turned the room upside down, and left it looking like a zoo.
Things quickly got very intense due to the huge amount of energy required to look after them. There were some tough times and I just felt extremely tired. I was grateful that my family was there to help. We had to have a bit of a production line going, making up “tiger milk”, washing baby bottles, and cleaning the floors.
When Spot and Stripe were four months old, they were learning how to open doors and jump fences, and we knew it really was time for them to go. It was hard for us to finally part with them. For the first few days, Kynan was always a bit disappointed that the cubs weren't there.
I'm not sad about it. I'm hands-on with them every day at the zoo, and I do look back very fondly on the time that we had them.
1．Why did the author bring the tiger cubs home
A．To ensure their survival. B．To observe their differences.
C．To teach them life skills. D．To let them play with his kids.
2．What do the underlined words “get up to mischief” mean in paragraph 3
A．Behave badly. B．Lose their way. C．Sleep soundly. D．Miss their mom.
3．What did the author think of raising the tiger cubs at home
A．Boring. B．Tiring. C．Costly. D．Risky.
4．Why did the author decide to send Spot and Stripe back to the zoo
A．They frightened the children. B．They became difficult to contain.
C．They annoyed the neighbours. D．They started fighting each other.
（6）
（2022·广东深圳·深圳市光明区高级中学校考模拟预测）When Mexican scientist of the evolution of animal behavior, Laura Cuaya, moved to Hungary for her postdoctoral studies in Budapest, she brought her pet dog, Kun-kun, along for the ride. Cuaya couldn't help noticing how locals warmed to dogs. This prompted her naturally curious scientific mind to start asking questions. “Here people are talking all the time to Kun-kun, but I always wonder if Kun-kun can recognize that people in Budapest speak Hungarian, not Spanish ” So she set out to find an answer through a scientific study.
Cuaya and her colleagues decided to use brain images from MRI scanning to shed light on her hunch. They worked with dogs of various ages that had, until the experiment, only heard their owners speak just one of the two languages, Spanish or Hungarian. Not surprisingly, getting the dogs to happily take part in the experiment took some creative coaxing and animal training! The researchers first needed to teach Kun-kun and her 17 fellow participating dogs including a labradoodle, a golden retriever and Australian shepherds, to lie still in a brain scanner. Their pet parents were always present, and they could leave the scanner at any point.
The research team played children's book classic The Little Prince in both Spanish and Hungarian while scanning the dogs' brains with an MRI machine. They were looking for evidence that their brains reacted differently to a familiar and unfamiliar language. The researchers also played scrambled versions of the story to find out if dogs could distinguish between speech and non-speech.
The images reveal that dogs' brains show different patterns of activity for an unfamiliar language than for a familiar one — the first time anyone has proved, researchers say, that a non-human brain can distinguish between two languages. This means that the sounds and rhythms of a familiar language are accessible to non-humans.
Interestingly, the team also found that the brains of older dogs were more skilled at detecting speech “suggesting a role for the amount of language exposure”. They suggest that dogs have refined their ability to distinguish between human languages over the long process of domestication.
1．What is paragraph 1 mainly about
A．The background of the study. B．The significance of the study.
C．The concern of the researcher. D．The introduction to the researcher.
2．What did Cuaya consider when choosing dogs for study
A．Age limits. B．Brain patterns. C．Language exposure. D．Owners' commands.
3．The results of the study are ________.
A．practical B．contradictory C．compromising D．groundbreaking
4．Which of the following can be the best title
A．Dogs Can Tell Foreign Languages B．Dog Brains Have Different Patterns
C．Old Dogs Know More About Human Speech D．Dogs Can Differ Speech From Non-Speech
（7）
（2022·天津·模拟预测）When birds’ habitat is destroyed, some species don’t make it while others survive. But what happens at the very beginning of the process, just as a bird’s habitat starts to change Research in Argentina’s Monte Desert has provided some answers. There are lots of trees, bushes, grasses and flowering plants in the protected parts of the desert. With so many options, most seed-eating birds choose to focus on large grass seeds. The birds can get all the energy and nutrients they need with minimal effort.
But when cattle show up to graze the desert’s natural landscape, birds face changes in food supply. Some birds are happy to change their diets in response. But others, not so much. And it’s the ones set in their ways that are at the highest risk. Understanding how birds react to grazing can help researchers solve the problem of those species.
Ecologists from the Argentine Arid Zones Research Institute compared soil samples from the desert’s Nacunan biosphere reserve to samples from two neighboring cattle farms. It was discovered that grass seeds — the birds’ favorites — were just one-quarter as likely to be found on the farms compared with the reserve. Next, they caught birds to see what they were eating. The Common Diuca-Finch and the Rufous-Collared Sparrow had adjusted their diets, choosing to eat their less preferred options on the farms, even while they still focused on large grass seeds in the reserve.
Meanwhile, the Many-Colored Chaco Finch and the Ringed Warbling-Finch were apparently unable to change their diets. Even on the farms, they worked hard to find the few grass seeds available. If they burn more energy searching for food than they get from the few grass seeds they find, they could starve. At best, their inflexible dietary could limit their ability to reproduce or to care for their young.
Studies like this can help predict which species are at higher risk and help farmers protect these poor species, even while allowing their livestock to graze. For example, the farmers can plant new species for their cattle that will also be more delicious and nutritious for local seed-eating birds. The cows won’t care about the menu change — but the birds sure will.
1．Why can some seed-eating birds easily get their food in the protected parts of the desert
A．Because of plant diversity. B．Because there are fewer birds.
C．Because there are many small grass seeds. D．Because of their long-distance flying ability.
2．Researchers study how birds react to grazing so as to ________.
A．make birds and cattle live in peace B．help birds change their diets
C．make cattle leave the desert D．help birds most in danger
3．What did ecologists from the research institute find
A．Birds only ate large grass seeds on the farms.
B．Some birds changed their diets in the reserve.
C．There were more birds’ favorite seeds on the farms than in the reserve.
D．Some birds chose their favorites in the reserve but other food on the farms.
4．It can be inferred that grazing cattle can __________.
A．drive most birds off the farms B．change the menu of some birds
C．make birds like other seeds best D．have little effect on birds’ food chains
5．Which proverb can best describe the method of farmers’ planting new species
A．Every coin has two sides. B．Kill two birds with one stone.
C．Birds of a feather flock together. D．There is no garden without weeds.
变式题型二：巩固类（难度0.65）
（1）
（2022·福建三明·三明一中校考模拟预测）In 2009, biologist Charles Anderson put forward an assumption that globe skimmer dragonflies (蜻蜓) on the Maldives had flown in from what he assumed was India. When they flew off again, it was towards East Africa. 12 years later, a group of researchers decided to investigate his claim.
Globe skimmer dragonflies are too small to be fitted with electronic devices. Instead, the researchers examined its physical aspects and calculated how long a globe skimmer dragonfly could stay in the air using the energy that can be stored in its body. In addition, the researchers used wind models to determine if there are winds that facilitate the migration in both directions.
“Our study shows that this migration from India to East Africa is actually possible. However, the globe skimmer dragonfly can’t manage it using only the fat in its body. It also requires favorable winds and these are present during certain periods of the year,” says Johanna Hedlund, a biology researcher at Lund University. According to the migration experiments using wind models, about 15 percent of the dragonflies could manage the migration from India to Africa in the spring. In the autumn, 40 percent could make the same journey in the opposite direction.
Johanna Hedlund and her colleagues consider it impressive that dragonflies can do this at all. Even more impressive is the fact that the globe skimmer dragonfly migration across the Indian Ocean is the longest in the animal kingdom in relation to an animal’s size.
Other animals also rely on favorable wind conditions when they migrate. Two examples are the amur falcon and the Jacobin cuckoo, which also fly across the Indian Ocean. The researchers warn that climate change may affect the chances of these birds and the globe skimmer dragonfly in the future. There is a risk that wind patterns will change when the water surface gets warmer.
1．How do the researchers mainly prove their assumption
A．By fitting electronic devices. B．By giving examples.
C．By performing experiments. D．By making comparisons.
2．What can we learn from Paragraph 3
A．The dragonfly flies using the fat in its body.
B．15 percent of the dragonflies left Africa for Africa.
C．The dragonfly flies the longest in the animal world.
D．Charles Anderson spotted dragonflies flying to India.
3．Why are two examples mentioned in the last paragraph
A．To illustrate how the animals fly.
B．To warn people of the climate change.
C．To evidence that water surface gets warmer.
D．To show the influence of wind on the migration.
4．What’s main idea of the text
A．Wind conditions are crucial to dragonflies.
B．Climate change may affect animals’ migration.
C．Dragonflies can migrate across the Indian Ocean.
D．Johanna and her colleagues investigate dragonflies.
（2）
（2022春·辽宁·高二校联考阶段练习）Light weight and complicated tracking devices have made it possible to study the behavior of birds in all kinds of useful ways, for example, helping keep them safe from ships or monito-ring their changing migration patterns in a warming world. For a research team in Australia, however these efforts haven't quite gone to plan, with a group of tagged magpies (喜鹊) promptly removing each other’s tracking devices.
The research was led by animal ecologists from the University of the Sunshine Coast, who were looking to studying the movement and social dynamics of Australian magpies. To do so, the team actually designed a new type of tagging solution in which a belt was used to secure the tracking device to the bird, allowing them to use one with a large enough battery and storage capacity, despite the relatively small size of the animal.
The tracking devices weighed less than a gram (0.03 oz) and were successfully fitted to five magpies, with the scientists excited to learn the answers to questions such as how far the magpies were traveling, and what their movement patterns and schedules looked like. But before long, the plans of the researchers were thwarted.
Within 10 minutes of fitting the final tracker, the team watched on as an adult female used her bill to remove the belt from a younger bird in the group. A few hours on, most of the other trackers had been removed. By day three, they were all gone. It’s unclear whether one bird was helping out all the others, or if they shared the unfastening responsibilities between the group, but this is the first instance the scientists know of where birds have cooperated to remove tracking devices, and the first example of altruism (利他主义) in magpies. It appears that the magpies see the trackers as a form of parasite (寄生虫) that needs to be removed. This very rare behavior is known as “rescuing”, and the scientists say the only similar example they have found in literature is a group of birds-Seychelles warblers-freeing one another from a pile of sticky seeds.
1．Why were tracking devices often used to help birds according to the text？
A．To search the ships for food.
B．To warn them of the warming world.
C．To help them avoid being injured by other animals.
D．To monitor their travelling according to the season.
2．What does paragraph 2 mainly introduce？
A．The process of the experiment.
B．The background of the experiment.
C．The new objects of the experiment.
D．The special device of the experiment.
3．Which can best replace the underlined word “thwarted” in paragraph 3？
A．followed B．prevented C．discovered D．questioned
4．What can we learn about the rescuing behaviour？
A．It’s rare for the birds.
B．It was first observed by researchers.
C．It disappointed the researchers very much.
D．It shows that the birds are behaving similarly.
（3）
（2022年全国模拟预测）We humans often navigate (导航) using road signs and GPS. But what about elephants Connie Allen, a behavioural ecologist at the University of Exeter in the U.K., said “the elephants navigate over long distances using their unbelievable memories”, which makes others consider that an elephant will never forget. But it’s also been suggested here and there that maybe olfaction is extremely important for these long-distance movements.
Allen and her colleagues checked that idea by testing African elephants’ ability to identify a very special smell: the smell of pee (尿). You see, an elephant pees a lot — some 12 to 15 gallons a day — and that pee can contain a series of chemical signals.
But first, they needed some pee. So they headed for a spot along Botswana’s Boteti River and waited. They waited for elephants to pee and, within 20 minutes, went and collected these fresh pee samples. Then they set up cameras on seven paths which the elephants usually walked along. After observing the elephants’ natural behaviour on the paths, they noticed that the majority of the elephants checked smells along the paths — especially elephants travelling alone, which is an indication, the researchers said, that smells may serve as signposts along the paths.
Next, they placed those pee samples along the paths. And they found that for at least two days, passing elephants trained their trunks on the samples, especially samples from mature adults, which is another indication that smells might be an effective navigational signal. Their findings appeared in the journal Animal Behaviour.
Based on these results, they hope conservationists might be able to use elephant pee as a decoy (诱饵). If we can trick elephants into thinking other elephants are going this way, maybe we can redirect them away from where they are coming into conflict with humans at the moment.
1．What does the underlined word “olfaction” in paragraph 1 mean
A．The roadside signpost. B．The sense of smell.
C．The long-term memory. D．The sense of direction.
2．How did researchers get their conclusions
A．By doing field research. B．By analyzing causes and effects.
C．By making comparisons. D．By doing laboratory experiments.
3．What might be a potential benefit of the findings according to the text
A．Helping elephants to find other companions.
B．Inspiring new research directions in elephants.
C．Raising public awareness of elephant protection.
D．Making elephants and humans coexist peacefully.
4．Which of the following could be the best title for the text
A．African Elephants Show Personality-based Movements
B．Elephants Are Born With Excellent Ability to Navigate
C．African Elephants May Use Pee as a Road Sign
D．Elephants Have a Good Memory for Roads
（4）
（2022·山东德州·统考三模）While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it's now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It's shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve's sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve's administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
1．What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2
A．Solve. B．Pose. C．Attach. D．Detect.
2．What can be inferred about the new technology from the study
A．It precisely recognizes any species. B．It makes panda population rise rapidly.
C．It contributes to species data collection. D．It understands pandas' facial appearance.
3．What is Liu Xingming's attitude to the facial recognition monitoring system
A．Critical. B．Objective.
C．Ambiguous. D．Conservative.
4．Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A．Panda Facial Recognition Using Database
B．Functions of Facial Recognition Technology
C．AI Technology for Better Panda Protection
D．A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System
（5）
（2022·河南安阳·统考模拟预测）Horses have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.
A small fleet of 10 rechargeable e-carts now take visitors through the rose-colored road leading to the famed capital of the Nabateans, which dates back to the first century BC．“There is no pollution or smoke and the change has reduced the cases of animal mistreatment,” said Suleiman Farajat, head of the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority. “The golf carriage-style vehicles have less impact because sometimes the carriage wheels hit the sides of the road…the horse waste caused a bad smell in the place, and cleaning it was not easy.”
Animal rights group PETA, which had criticized the use of the often overworked animals, has described the project as a “major first step to protect working animals”. They highly praised the “game-changing vehicles” and hope to work with officials toward the day when there will be only animal-free transportation at Petra. For now, the Petra authority says it will keep some of the horses to preserve the character of the place, as it is a world heritage site. The change has however also been praised for another reason — helping to make the UNESCO World Heritage Site far more accessible to elderly and disabled visitors. Austrian tourist Rudy, 43, who uses a wheelchair, said he had repeatedly postponed a visit because of the pandemic, and was now very happy to have made the trip. “Disabled people but also people who have difficulty walking for a long distance…now have a chance to see this amazing place,” he said.
The move to replace 12 horse-drawn carriages with 10 e-carts was agreed with the horse owners’ association.
Foreign tourists pay 25 dinars ($35) and Jordanians 15 dinars for the round trip from the visitor center to the archaeological site. The association receives 75 percent of the income, while 25 percent goes to the authority, said Farajat.
1．What is the shortcoming of horse-drawn carriages in Petra
A．It is very hard to clean the horses and carriages.
B．The speed of horse-drawn carriages is too low.
C．The horses consume a lot of food to keep strong.
D．The carriage wheels damage the sides of the road.
2．What can we infer from Paragraph 3
A．Tourist Rudy prefers horse-drawn carriages to e-carriages.
B．Horse-drawn carriages will entirely be banned in the future.
C．PETA feels happy to see the progress of animal protection.
D．Disabled people have their wheel-chairs updated for traveling.
3．How much will the authority get if the total income is $20, 000
A．$3, 000. B．$5, 000. C．$15, 000. D．$20, 000.
4．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．E-carriages Replace Horse-drawn Carriages in Petra
B．Animal Rights Group Sing High Praise for E-carriages
C．Updated Traffic Transportation Makes for Petra’s Tourism
D．Government of Petra Takes Steps to Protect Heritage Sites
变式题型二：提升类（难度0.4）
（1）
（2022·云南昆明·统考一模）Pandas are famously picky eaters. They only consume bamboo — a poor quality diet low in fat. But the creatures appear to have evolved to get the most out of what they do eat, according to a new study.
Their gut (肠道) bacteria change in late spring and early summer when bamboo is at its most nutritious — while protein-rich green shoots are coming out. The bacteria make the panda gain more weight and store more fat, which researchers said may compensate for a lack of nutrients later in the year, when bamboo plants have only fibrous leaves to chew.
“We’ve known these pandas have a different set of gut microbiota during the shoot-eating season for a long time, and it’s very obvious that they are chubbier during this time of the year,” said lead study author Guangping Huang, a researcher for the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
To investigate how the gut bacteria could affect a panda’s digestion, the team first collected the wastes of eight wild giant pandas in China’s Qinling Mountains during both leaf eating season and shoot-eating season and then examined how the waste samples differed. They found a bacterium called Clostridium butyricum was more abundant in the pandas’ guts during the season when they enjoy the fresh bamboo shoots.
To understand whether this bacterium helps the pandas gain and store weight, the researchers put the panda wastes they collected into lab mice. Then they fed the mice for three weeks with a bamboo-based diet that simulated (模仿) what pandas eat. Researchers found the mice which were transplanted with panda wastes collected during shoot-eating season gained significantly more weight than the ones which were not, despite consuming same amount of food.
“The gut bacteria were the only variable (变量) in this research,” Wei explained. However, Felix Sommer at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, noted the number of pandas studied was small and that the experiment had only been performed once. Sommer also stressed the researchers had found a link, not a causal relationship between the bacteria and weight gain.
1．When do pandas get more weight with the change of their gut bacteria
A．In late spring. B．In late summer. C．In early autumn. D．In early winter.
2．What does the underlined word “chubbier” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Smaller. B．Slimmer. C．Taller. D．Fatter.
3．What can we learn from the experiment on mice
A．The experiment lasted for less than three weeks. B．Researchers collected bacteria from the lab mice.
C．Panda wastes have a vital effect on mice’s weight. D．Different amounts of food led to an increase in weight.
4．What is the best title for the text
A．Studies on Eating Habits of Pandas B．Functions of Pandas’ Gut Bacteria
C．Characteristics of Pandas’ Daily Diet D．Arguments over Pandas’ Digestion System
（2）
（2022·江苏南通·统考模拟预测）Dogs may appear to have selective hearing when it comes to commands (指令) but research suggests they are paying attention to human chitchat.
Researchers, who arranged for headphone-wearing dogs to listen to excerpts (节录) from the novel The Little Prince, revealed their brains can tell the difference between speech and non-speech when listening to human voices, and show different responses to speech in an unfamiliar language.
The research involved 18 dogs of various ages and breeds (品种) that were trained to lie in an MRI scanner with headphones on. They were then played recordings either of humans reading excerpts from The Little Prince or those same recordings cut up into small pieces and put back together in a different order so it sounded unnatural.
The results, published in the journal NeuroImage, revealed the dogs’ brains showed a different activity pattern in the primary auditory cortex (听觉皮层) for speech compared with non-speech, with the findings similar regardless of whether the language used — Hungarian or Spanish — was familiar. Curiously, the longer the dog’s head was, the better their brain could distinguish speech from non-speech.
The team also found the activity pattern was stronger for non-speech.In humans, we typically see stronger response to speech.
The research also revealed familiar and unfamiliar languages gave rise to different responses in the secondary auditory cortex —but only for speech. That was important, said Andics, senior author of the study at E tv s Loránd University in Hungary, as it suggested the ability to distinguish between languages was not simply down to the speakers being different.
Instead, the team said, the differences seen between languages for speech are probably down to exposure to the familiar language and a sensitivity to language-specific regularities.
“This is also supported by the observation that older dogs show the stronger discrimination between the two languages,” said Andics.
1．What did the researchers find
A．Dogs respond to commands selectively.
B．Dogs have a preference for children’s novels.
C．Dogs can understand recorded human voices.
D．Dogs can distinguish between speech patterns.
2．What’s Paragraph 3 mainly about
A．The purpose of the research.
B．The process of the research.
C．The subject of the research.
D．The outcome of the research.
3．On what basis did the researchers get their findings
A．How old dogs are.
B．How long dogs’ heads are.
C．How dogs’ brains react to different speeches.
D．How dogs get familiar with the languages used.
4．Why could older dogs have stronger discrimination
A．They have met more different speakers.
B．They have been exposed to stricter training.
C．They possess a better sense of commitment.
D．They share the speakers’ environment longer.
（3）
（2021·浙江·统考高考真题）Researchers say they have translated the meaning of gestures that wild chimpanzees (黑猩猩) use to communicate. They say wild chimps communicate 19 specific messages to one another with a “vocabulary” of 66 gestures. The scientists discovered this by following and filming groups of chimps in Uganda, and examining more than 5,000 incidents of these meaningful exchanges.
Dr Catherine Hobaiter, who led the research, said that this was the only form of intentional communication to be recorded in the animal kingdom. Only humans and chimps, she said, had a system of communication where they deliberately sent a message to another group member.
“That’s what’s so amazing about chimp gestures,” she said. “They’re the only thing that looks like human language in that respect.”
Although previous research has shown that apes and monkeys can understand complex information from another animal’s call, the animals do not appear to use their voices intentionally to communicate messages. This was a significant difference between calls and gestures, Dr Hobaiter said.
Chimps will check to see if they have the attention of the animal with which they wish to communicate. In one case, a mother presents her foot to her crying baby, signaling: “Climb on me.” The youngster immediately jumps on to its mothers back and they travel off together. “The big message from this study is that there is another species (物种) out there. that is meaningful in its communication, so that’s not unique to humans,” said Dr Hobaiter.
Dr Susanne Shultz, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Manchester, said the study was praiseworthy in seeking to enrich our knowledge of the evolution of human language. But, she added, the results were “a little disappointing”.
“The vagueness of the gesture meanings suggests either that the chimps have little to communicate, or we are still missing a lot of the information contained in their gestures and actions,” she said. “Moreover, the meanings seem to not go beyond what other animal convey with non-verbal communication. So, it seems the gulf remains. ”
1．What do chimps and humans have in common according to Dr Hobaiter
A．Memorizing specific words. B．Understanding complex information.
C．Using voices to communicate. D．Communicating messages on purpose.
2．What did Dr Shultz think of the study
A．It was well designed but poorly conducted.
B．It was a good try but the findings were limited.
C．It was inspiring but the evidence was unreliable.
D．It was a failure but the methods deserved praise.
3．What does the underlined word “gulf” in the last paragraph mean
A．Difference. B．Conflict. C．Balance. D．Connection.
4．Which of the following is the best title for the text
A．Chimpanzee behaviour study achieved a breakthrough
B．Chimpanzees developed specific communication skills
C．Chimpanzees: the smartest species in the animal kingdom
D．Chimpanzee language: communication gestures translated
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