泸县一中高2022级高二上期期末考试
英语试题
本试卷共8页，满分120分。考试用时120分钟。
注意事项：
1．答题前填写好自己的姓名、班级、考号等信息2．请将答案正确填写在答题卡上
第I卷（选择题 95分）
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1．What happened to the man
A．He lost his way. B．He was knocked over. C．He got a flat tire.
2．Q: What does the woman mean
A．She hopes he can stop reading.
B．She will turn it off at once.
C．She is reluctant to turn it down.
3．What are the speakers talking about in general
A．An essay. B．Famous people. C．A tutor.
4．What are the speakers talking about
A．The woman’s stay here.
B．The woman’s experience here.
C．The woman’s friends here.
5．What will Michael do for holiday
A．Climb Mount Tai. B．Go to the seaside. C．Go somewhere near.
第二节（共15小题，每小题15分，满分22.5分)
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间，每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段长对话，回答第6、7题。
6．What is the man doing
A．He is making a phone call. B．He’s chairing a meeting. C．He’s hosting a program.
7．What makes Mrs. Johnson worried about her daughter in Africa
A．Lack of medical support. B．Inconvenience of communication. C．Poor transportation system.
听第7段长对话，回答第8至9题。
8．What was wrong with the woman’s computer
A．It had too many files. B．It was infected. C．It was out of date.
9．What does the man advise the woman to do
A．Run a virus scan. B．Buy a new computer. C．Update the software.
听第8段长对话，回答第10至12题。
10．What are the speakers mainly talking about
A．Some cities in Asia. B．The best places to travel to. C．The man’s traveling experience.
11．What is the relationship between the speakers
A．Colleagues. B．Guide and tourist. C．Teacher and student.
12．What did the man often do in Seoul
A．He visited some ancient temples.
B．He went to a all-night market.
C．He tasted delicious food.
听第9段长对话，回答第13至16题。
13．How is the Sony camcorder (便携式摄录机) bought by the man
A．Small. B．Big. C．Heavy.
14．What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers
A．Husband and wife. B．Employer and employee. C．Teacher and student.
15．For what reason are the digital video products popular
A．Decreasing production. B．Inviting functions. C．Creative computers.
16．Which of the following can digital camcorders be connected with
A．A pocket dictionary. B．A home computer. C．A slide show.
听下面一段独白，回答第17至20题。
17．What do bees do when they need to relax
A．Fly all day. B．Make honey. C．Play with balls.
18．How many choices did the bees have in the experiment
A．One. B．Two. C．Three.
19．What kind of treat could the bees get
A．A sugary treat. B．A special treat. C．A flowery treat.
20．What can we infer from what the researcher said
A．Bees are more thoughtful. B．Bees are more hardworking. C．Bees are hard to get along with.
第二部分 阅读（共两节，满分50分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
Rock climbing, one of the fastest growing sports, not only builds physical strength and mental focus, but also leads you to some beautiful places．Here are some climbing spots for climbers．
Acadia National Park, Maine
This popular New England park is one of the few places where you can climb seaside rocks．The granite（花岗岩）is good for climbing．In some areas, you need to start when the sea is at its lowest level．The area has guides, instructors and climbing schools, making it particularly welcoming for beginners．
More information: nps.gov/acad
Red River Gorge, Kentucky
This geological area in Daniel Boone National Forest is prized for its climbing routes and rock scenery．The park, located an hour's drive southeast of Lexington, is well known in the climbing world for both beginner-friendly terrain（地形）and more challenging sections．It's a place where you can find a lot of fellow climbers．
More information: fs.usda.gov/recarea
City of Rocks, Idaho
This national reserve near the Utah border is worth a trip for the scenery alone．Named by gold miners heading to California in 1849, its granite looks like skyscrapers, towering 600 feet above the ground．It's a fascinating area from a geologic and geographic angle．Many visitors come for August's Idaho Mountain Festival, a celebration of climbing with top athletes in attendance．
More information: nps.gov/ciro
Earth Treks Englewood, Colorado
While you can find climbing gyms across the country, this one just south of Denver is worth a special trip．With 53,000 square feet, the massive facility has a special rock climbing area, a group of guides and even extras like childcare and yoga．
More information: /englewood
21．What is special about Acadia National Park
A．It has good climbing routes． B．It's located in a coastal area．
C．It provides a free guided trip． D．It's intended for beginners．
22．What can you do in City of Rocks
A．Meet many gold miners． B．Enjoy the view from a tower．
C．Go to a festival in August． D．Get trained in a climbing gym．
23．Which of the following favors a parent with a child
A．Acadia National Park． B．Red River Gorge．
C．City of Rocks． D．Earth Treks Englewood．
B
Opening the pages of Liuba Draws Beijing takes you on a fascinating visual journey through the heart of China’s busy capital city. Within its lively watercolors, traditional hutong, the grand Summer Palace, and the contemporary charm of Beijing’s Sanlitun and 798Art District all come alive through the artistic lens of Liuba Vladimirova, more famously known as Liuba Draws.
Vladimirova’s journey from the icy Siberian city of Irkutsk to the vital Beijing started during her college years, when she commenced with an academic exchange program connecting her Russian university with Liaoning University in Shenyang, in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province. It was during this transformative period that she first set foot in Beijing. Since then, her affection for the city has been undeniable.
Vladimirova’s path as an artist was far from linear (直线的). Since childhood Vladimirova has developed a love for drawing and painting. However, she pursued a different academic and professional route, studying Chinese and international trade in college and later working in trade relations between Russia and China, none of which was directly connected to the world of art. Yet, Vladimirova’s inner artist remained alive.
In 2015, Vladimirova began crafting a series of illustrations centered around Beijing, properly named “The Beijing Calendar”. What attracts Vladimirova most is Beijing’s historic hutong. These narrow alleyways, rich in history and culture, serve as a wellspring (源泉) of inspiration for her artistry.
Vladimirova’s ability to catch these hidden small differences likely comes from her unique perspective as an “outsider”—someone who didn’t grow up in Beijing. This fresh perspective allowed her to arrive in the city with fresh eyes and an eager heart, ready to embrace a new culture.
24．What do the underlined words “commenced with” mean in paragraph 2
A．Improved. B．Began. C．Resisted. D．Assessed.
25．What do we know about Vladimirova from paragraph 3
A．She gave up her dream. B．She won many art prizes several years ago.
C．She was hardworking over her childhood. D．She delayed her artistic career.
26．Why does the author mention hutong
A．To praise Beijing’s architecture. B．To show the inspiration of Vladimirova’s art making.
C．To state the main contents of an art book. D．To advise tourists to visit Beijing.
27．Which statement best summarizes Vladimirova’s success
A．Curiosity works wonders. B．Hard work pays off in time.
C．The world is diverse and lively. D．Painting has no national boundaries.
C
Choosing the Right Resolution (决定)
Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of losing weight. However, setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake.
To reach our goal of losing weight — the output, we need to control what we eat — the input (输入). That is, we tend to care about the output but not to control the input. This is a bad way to construct goals. The alternative is to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I’ll stop having desert for lunch,” or “I’ll walk every day for 20 minutes.” Creating a goal that focuses on a well-specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.
Recently a new science behind incentives (激励), including in education, has been discussed. For example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others, the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased achievement when based on input but had no effect on output. Fryer’s conclusion was that the intensives for inputs might be more effective because do not know how to do better on exam, aside from general rules like “study harder.” Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a well-set task over which they have much more control.
As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it’s easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.
If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a well-specified action-based goal for which you can measure your success easily. Spending less money isn’t a goal because it’s too general. Similarly, if you want to spend more time with your family, don’t stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable habit that you could adopt and stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.
In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.
28．The writer thinks that setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake because .
A．it is hard to achieve for most Americans B．it is focused too much on the result
C．it is dependent on too many things D．it is based on actionable decisions
29．In Roland Fryer’s research, some students did better than the others because .
A．they obeyed all the general rules B．they paid more attention to exams
C．they were motivated by their classmates D．they were rewarded for reading some books
30．According to the writer, which of the following statements is a good goal
A．“I’ll give up dessert.” B．“I’ll study harder.”
C．“I’ll cut down my expense” D．“I’ll spend more time with my family”
31．The writer strongly believes that we should .
A．develop good habits and focus on the outcome
B．be optimistic about final goals and stick to them
C．pick specific actions that can be turned into good habits
D．set ambitious goals that can balance the input and output
D
It was Monday. Mrs. Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it：“Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently：“Take this to the butcher(屠夫)and he’s going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers(顾客).
But, the dog came again at four o’clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o’clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today ”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!
32．Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite________.
A．cruelly B．fairly C．kindly D．unfriendly
33．It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper Mrs. Smith gave it ________ .
A．might do it much harm B．could do it much good
C．would help the butcher D．was worth many pounds
34．The butcher did not give any meat to the dog ________ .
A．until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith.
B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear
C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop
D．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith
35．At the end of the story, you’ll find that ________.
A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper
B．the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more
C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog
D．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal
第二节(共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Have you ever watched a silent television show and tried to predict how the characters were feeling according to their body language The ability to understand people’s body language is a skill that’s almost born inside of us. 36 . This skill develops as we grow older, which is called non-verbal communication.
Body language helps us communicate what we’re feeling without saying much at all. Think about a time when you were very angry. Did you clench (咬紧) your teeth Did your palms get sweaty when you were anxious In most cultures, these cues (线索) that reveal emotional states are quite common. But gestures have specific meanings across different cultures. Take touch for example. 37 . In India, however, the ideal way to greet someone is by touching their feet, not by shaking their hand.
In some places, gestures meaning hellos and goodbyes and touches indicating friendship and love are all the same. But the problem arises because some gestures have vastly different meanings in different cultures. For example, the “OK” symbol is used as a superb symbol in India, but in Turkey, this symbol is considered offensive (冒犯性的). 38 .
So, what should we do Should we not use gestures at all Of course not. 39 . No matter how much we try to stop ourselves, we will end up communicating non-verbally in some way or another.
40 , you’d better make a quick Google search or turn to a comprehensive book to better interact with the locals, and avoid offending them during your stay!
A．It was a very kind and thoughtful gesture.
B．So, the next time you decide to travel to another country
C．When you flash the “OK” sign there, you’re asking for a fight.
D．They also use a system of sounds and body language to communicate.
E．Even the smallest children can figure out when their mothers are mad.
F．Gestures are something that comes with the language of communication.
G．A general way of saying “Hello” in western culture is a brief handshake.
第三部分 语言运用（共两节，满分30分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
In high school, I got my first job at the local hardware (五金制品) store, all thanks to Mr. Anderson, our neighbor. He offered me a chance to 41 there. My parents gave the thumbs (拇指) up, so I 42 the world of part-time jobs.
My daily tasks weren’t too 43 . I tidied up shelves and helped 44 find what they needed. But working in a(n) 45 hardware store during the summer turned out to be more 46 than I thought. I had to manage between helping customers with screws and refilling shelves with goods.
At dinner, I’d 47 tales of my day, admitting that the 48 was proving more difficult than I first thought. My dad, who had his share of hands-on experience fixing cars, would laugh and share 49 from his early mechanic (机械师) days.
He’d say, “Jobs like this teach you more than just about money; they 50 your character.” Back then, I didn’t realize that my summer 51 at the hardware store was turning out to be more than just a way to 52 some extra money.
As the summer went on, I found myself gaining a 53 understanding of responsibility and the essence of hard work. The simple 54 in the store became life lessons, teaching me to appreciate and 55 the people who work hard every day to make everything go smoothly.
41．A．work B．study C．play D．wait
42．A．dealt with B．gave up C．jumped into D．took over
43．A．clear B．complicated C．adventurous D．specific
44．A．parents B．neighbors C．workers D．customers
45．A．strange B．empty C．comfortable D．busy
46．A．challenging B．disappointing C．annoying D．boring
47．A．read B．share C．create D．hear
48．A．lesson B．experiment C．job D．life
49．A．exhibits B．tools C．stories D．books
50．A．shape B．show C．worsen D．accept
51．A．training B．experience C．arrangement D．camp
52．A．waste B．cost C．raise D．earn
53．A．deeper B．poorer C．quicker D．simpler
54．A．methods B．answers C．ideas D．tasks
55．A．help B．respect C．meet D．employ
第II卷（非选择题55分）
第二节（共10小题; 每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式，并将答案转写到答题卡上。
With about half of the vast country covered in wilderness, China is the world’s third most species-rich country. Therefore, China’s 56 (achieve) in biodiversity conservation and wilderness protection are important to the future of global biodiversity conservation.
The vital biodiversity, 57 (combine) with a large population, has led the government to reconsider its protected area system and transform some wilderness areas such as the rainforest in Hainan 58 formal national parks. The new national park system will make it more practical 59 (preserve) habitats and species. The aim is to preserve biodiversity and ensure a 60 (harmony) relation between humans and nature.
The national parks cross China’s vast ecosystems, from the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in the south 61 the Hainan gibbon—a critically endangered species lives, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Wuyi Mountain National Park to the Sanjiangyuan National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Platau— 62 source of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Lancang River. The diversity of species and habitats under protection 63 (reflect) in these parks’ names.
The national parks are open to all. Visitors can make reservations online in advance 64 book on the spot. They should acquire a little local knowledge to get 65 (they) ready for the amazing trip and maximize their enjoyment.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
66．你校将组织全校师生参加“见义勇为事迹报告会(Heroes’ Lecture)”，请你代表学生会写一则通知，刊登在校英文报上。内容包括：
1. 报告时间及地点；2. 注意事项。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Notice
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Students’ Union
第二节（满分25分）读后续写
67．阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
I was a shy 13-year-old boy that year, afraid to speak before people and poor at communicating with others. My parents were worried so they introduced a part-time job in a restaurant tome during the summer vacation, hoping it would make a difference to me. Although I hated it and didn’t believe it would bring any change to me, I had to accept it. The part-time job fell on Monday of each week.
On the first Monday, I simply dared not look at people in the restaurant. And when I was speaking with them, my face turned red and my voice was low. On my way back home, I felt so bad. But when I reached home, my bad feelings disappeared. I found my parents had brought home a pet cat, which I had expected to get for a long period of time. The cat was so lovely.
However, one Thursday, he secretly ran out and disappeared. We looked for him everywhere the whole day but found nothing. We lived in the city, close to a high-traffic road, and this cat didn’t have “street smarts”. I guessed he would probably die and wouldn’t be home again. And after three days of looking for the cat with no sign of him, I quite believed he wouldn’t be home again. My parents told me “A miracle (奇迹) may happen as long as you don’t give up.” However, I quite doubted it.
On the morning of the following Monday, I left for work 45 minutes earlier and started walking to the bus stop a block away. While waiting for the bus there, I thought about the work and felt upset. It wouldn’t be helpful to me and it was tiring! How much I wanted to quit the job! And thinking of the cat, I felt even worse.
Since it was still early, I suddenly wanted to spare some time to look for the cat again though I had little hope. I told myself, “If I still fail to find him this time, I won’t look for him again.” Then, I decided to walk to the next bus stop to look for him around. Minutes later, suddenly, a dirty and weak cat sitting by a tree caught my eye.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My eyes widened, and I was surprised to find it was just our cat.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Encouraged, I rushed to the bus stop and decided not to give up the part-time job.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________泸县一中高2022级高二上期期末考试
英语试题参考答案
一．听力部分
1．C 2．C 3．A 4．C 5．B 6．C 7．B 8．B 9．C 10．A 11．A 12．B
13．A 14．A 15．B 16．B 17．C 18．B 19．A 20．A
二．阅读部分
21．B 22．C 23．D 24．B 25．D 26．B 27．A 28.B 29．D 30．A
31．C 32．C 33．B 34．D 35．D 36．E 37．G 38．C 39．F 40．B
三．完形填空
41．A 42．C 43．B 44．D 45．D 46．A 47．B 48．C 49．C 50．A 51．B 52．D 53．A 54．D 55．B
四．语法填空
56．achievements 57．combined 58．into 59．to preserve 60．harmonious 61．where 62．the 63．is reflected 64．or 65．themselves
五．书面表达
66． In order to promote heroes’ virtue and spread the positive energy, our school is scheduled to organize a heroes’ lecture in the school conference hall at 9:00 a.m this Saturday, when a number of heroes in our city will be invited to deliver speeches about heroic actions. All teachers and students are supposed to take part in the meeting on time, listen carefully, and write your impressions and thoughts on the heroic deeds after the lecture.
I am sure you will benefit a lot and feel inspired to learn from them as well as work harder in future. Looking forward to your arrival.
The Students’ Union
67．One possible version:
My eyes widened, and I was surprised to find it was just our cat. Excited, I walked right up to him. While I carried him in my arms, he pushed his dirty face into mine. I wept with joy because I had found my cat. I turned around and took him to rush home. Seeing me carrying our cat, my mother was surprised. When I showed him to her, she said, “Just as I told you, a miracle may happen as long as you don’t give up.” This time, I nodded and smiled.
Encouraged, I rushed to the bus stop and decided not to give up the part-time job. “Maybe it’ll indeed change me if I stick to it.” I told myself while heading towards the restaurant. Still feeling a little tired and afraid while I was working that day, I was better than before. And I continued doing the job. Eventually, I miraculously found I dared to look directly at the customers and communicate with them with a confident smile. My parents were happy about my changes. When my job ended that summer, I wrote a sentence in my journal: “Don’t give up before a miracle happens.”
听力原材料
Text1：
W: Hey, watch where you’re going!
M: Oh, no! Are you all right
W: Well, nothing serious.
M: I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to knock you over. My tire just exploded, and I lost control of my bike.
Text2：
M: Linda, turn down the stereo a bit, I’m trying to read.
W: That’s my new record, Dad. Don’t you like it
Text3：
W: My tutor asked me to talk about at least four famous people in the last two centuries in my essay.
M: Did you make it
W: No. I only named two, Queen Victoria and Diana.
M: Well, you can add Edison and Einstein.
Text4：
M: Lucy, who is the woman over there Is that Mary
W: Yes. She’s been a close friend of mine for years.
M: Oh, I didn’t know that. You must have made a lot of friends since you settled here in 2010.
W: Oh, yeah, they’re very fine.
Text5：
W: Michael, have you decided what you are doing for holiday
M: It depends. I’d like to climb Mount Tai, but my parents prefer spending it at the seaside.
W: Since we only have a three-day holiday, I suggest going somewhere near.
M: Well, I’ll follow my parents’ advice.
Text6：
M: Thank you, Mrs. Johnson, for what you’ve shared with our listeners. Now, please tell us, do you sometimes feel worried about your daughter, now that she’s grown up
W: Oh, I worry about her like all parents do. After she graduated from medical school, she went to volunteer medical service in Africa.
M: Wow.
W: That’s okay if communication was fine. But if there was no Internet or telephone connection, we could sometimes go two weeks without getting in touch with each other. That often worries me.
Text7：
W: Oh, this stupid computer froze again! Hey Samuel, can you come and take a look at my PC
M: Let me see... I’ll run a virus scan on your computer.
W: OK. Thank you.
M: See You have a lot of infected files.
W: Oh, no. How to recover them
M: We can click here to begin the repair.
W: You are so nice. But how can I avoid such a problem
M: Well, you have to make sure that your anti-virus software is updated regularly; yours wasn’t up to date. That’s probably what caused your problems.
Text8：
W: Dave, I’m going to work in Asia from the New York office.
M: Right. And they’re letting you choose which city, aren’t they
W: Yeah. The only problem is that I don’t know much about Asia. You’ve worked in all our offices in Asia. Can you give me some advice
M: Sure. Well, I think I started out in Bangkok.
W. What was that like
M: Really interesting. There were amazing temples there. It’s not expensive to live there, too.
W: What about Seoul You worked there too, right
M: Uh-huh. Seoul’s a rather big city, but I always felt safe there, even late at night. I often went to this all-night market called Namdaemun.
W: And Singapore
M: Well, Singapore isn’t very big but it’s very convenient to get round And the food there is great.
W: Hmm... It’s not going to be easy to decide. They all sound great.
Text9：
W: Honey, the new Sony camcorder you’ve bought is only the size of a pocket dictionary.
M: Yeah, dear, it’s neither big nor heavy. It is the latest and smallest digital video camera.
W: I can see digital video products are quickly becoming popular with their decreasing price.
M: In fact, getting cheaper is not the reason for their popularity. They come with a lot of inviting functions.
W: Such as
M: They offer clearer and sharper images. The most important thing is that it speaks digital.
W: What does this mean
M: This means you can connect your digital camcorder with a digital TV or computer.
W: Can I move my home video from my camcorder to my computer for editing
M: Sure! And without any loss of quality! You quickly find, cut, and record videos and create slide shows.
W: That’s great!
Text10：
Everyone knows that bees are busy. There is even a saying in English that one can be “as busy as a bee”. However, little is known about how bees play. Scientists have discovered one way that bees could relax after a busy day making honey—they play with balls. The scientists are from Queen Mary University of London. They did different tests on bees “playing” with different things. The insects particularly liked playing with small, wooden balls. The researchers said the way bees played was a little like how humans play. Younger bees rolled more balls than older bees, while adult males spent longer playing with balls than adult females. The ball-rolling bees are the first known insects to “play”.
The researchers experimented on 45 bees in a specially designed test area. The bees were given two options. The first choice was to fly or walk directly to get a sugary treat. The second choice was to get to the treat by going around different coloured wooden balls. Most of the bees decided to play with the balls and then get their treat. A researcher said the experiments showed that bees are more thoughtful than people believed. She said: “Bees are a million miles from the mindless, unfeeling creatures they are traditionally believed to be. ” She added that: “This research provides a strong indication that insect minds are far more complex than we might imagine. ”
