C
SAN FRANCISCO--- As skies are filled with millions of migrating birds, Europeans scientists say the seasonal miracle appears to depend on a seeming contradiction: The fatter the bird, the more  efficiently it flies.
The result of their study contradict a central theory of aerodynamics(空气动力学), which predicts that the power needed to fly increases with weight.
For birds, apparently, the cost of flying with heavy fuel loads is considerably smaller than previously thought.
Researchers found that red knot wading birds double their normal body weight of 100 grams before making their twice-a-year, non-stop commute(路程) between the British Isles and the Russian Arctic. Distance: 5,000 kilometers.
Another study in the journal Nature measured the benefits of flying in an aerodynamic V formation, which allows bird to save energy by gliding in the lead bird’s air stream.
Flying in formation, their heart rates were as much as 14.5 percent lower than flying solo, according to Henri Weimerskirch, a French scientist. The findings help explain how birds complete difficult migrations.
Researchers had assumed that thinner, more athletic birds would have the best chance of survival.
The first study suggests that building up fat deposits(存放) to be burned as fuel during the migrating is worth more than the energy it takes to carry the additional weight. In the study, researchers said their team studied the birds flown at different body masses during 28 simulated(模拟) flights. They were injected with a small amount of water containing a radioactive element that enabled the team to measure the amount of energy burned.
63. Researchers used to believe_______.
A. the thinner a bird is, the less energy it needs to fly
B. migratory birds make a journey from the British Isles to the Russian Arctic
C. aerodynamics makes no sense
D. birds eat more before they begin their migrations
64. According to the passage, birds prefer to fly in the V formation rather than fly solo because_____.
A. it is against aerodynamic to fly in the V formation
B. they can save energy while migrating 
C. they won’t get lost with a bird leading the way
D. in this way their heart beat faster so that they can fly faster
65. The researchers didn’t ______ in the study.
A. inject the birds with water containing a radioactive element
B. watch birds of different body masses in simulated flights
C. take the birds’ heart rates   
D. feed the birds to fatten them
66. The best title of the passage should be _______.
A. Birds Fatten up for Journey        B. Migratory Birds in Europe
C. New Findings                 D. Migrating in V formation

Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.
A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and blunt.
But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.
The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency(效率)of is workers.
“Cuting leaves is hard work,”said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team.“Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade(刀片)between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed.”But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony(蚁群)spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.
Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society.“This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,”said Dr.Schofield.
【小题1】The younger and stronger ants do the toughest job because      .

A.they can teansport the leaves effectively
B.they have a sharp blade to cut leaves
C.other members are busy with other work
D.they can finish the job in a better organized way
【小题2】The undrelined word“blunt”in the second paragraph can be replaced by      .
A.quite looseB.less sharp
C.quite fragileD.more dirty
【小题3】What happens to the ants when they become old?
A.They no longer hve work to do.
B.They keep doing the same work.
C.They have to leave and live on themselves.
D.They are given a new worthwhile job.
【小题4】It can be learned from the passage that       .
A.Dr.Schofield is the first to research leaf-cuttre ants
B.older ants are more powerful in carrying leaves
C.large animals can also suffer from some kind of wear
D.leaf-cutter ants are the most lever ants in the world
【小题5】What can be the best title for the passage?
A.The key secret to the success of ants
B.The developed structure of ant colony
C.The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants
D.No V-shaped blade,no success of ants

Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.

A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and blunt.

But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.

The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency(效率)of is workers.

“Cuting leaves is hard work,”said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team.“Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade(刀片)between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed.”But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony(蚁群)spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.

Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society.“This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,”said Dr.Schofield.

1.The younger and stronger ants do the toughest job because      .

A.they can teansport the leaves effectively

B.they have a sharp blade to cut leaves

C.other members are busy with other work

D.they can finish the job in a better organized way

2.The undrelined word“blunt”in the second paragraph can be replaced by      .

A.quite loose

B.less sharp

C.quite fragile

D.more dirty

3.What happens to the ants when they become old?

A.They no longer hve work to do.

B.They keep doing the same work.

C.They have to leave and live on themselves.

D.They are given a new worthwhile job.

4.It can be learned from the passage that       .

A.Dr.Schofield is the first to research leaf-cuttre ants

B.older ants are more powerful in carrying leaves

C.large animals can also suffer from some kind of wear

D.leaf-cutter ants are the most lever ants in the world

5.What can be the best title for the passage?

A.The key secret to the success of ants

B.The developed structure of ant colony

C.The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants

D.No V-shaped blade,no success of ants

 

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