New Holland honeyeaters are experts at sounding the alarm when there's danger, according to new research from biologists at the Australian National University(ANU)and the University of Cambridge.
Study authors, Dr. Jessica McLachlan and Professor Rob Magrath, found honeyeaters can spread the word in the blink of an eye, using a two-stage alarm.
It's particularly effective when they are threatened by fast-moving birds of prey.
＂When a hawk is swooping down, its target has only a second to flee to cover-a split second can make the difference between life and death," Dr. McLachlan said.
＂But animals often signal urgent danger using repeated notes, which makes sure others hear the warning but it takes a long time to deliver."
＂So there's a problem. How to send a lightning-fast message in a long call?”
New Holland honeyeaters solve this problem elegantly. They "front-load" information about urgency into the first note of their alarm call, so other honeyeaters can respond quickly.
The clever honeyeaters follow this up with more notes to reinforce the message and signal how long to remain hidden.
＂They use a long call, with lots of notes, to make sure the message is heard," Professor Magrath said." And the more notes, the more urgent the danger."
＂But they also modify the first note to indicate if it's necessary to take immediate cover. So it's a two-part message that is quick, reliable and informative."
The technique is so effective the authors expect to see other species adopt it.
＂Many other species modify alarm calls as the threat increases, but there is surprisingly little known about how fast they convey the message," Professor Magrath said.
The researchers conducted their study in Canberra's National Botanic Gardens over a period of several years.
＂These birds live in the Gardens and are used to having people around. This helped us to record natural interactions with their predators(捕猎者)，such as sparrow hawks and currawongs, and to video the honeyeaters' responses to different alarm calls," Professor Magrath said.
1.According to Dr. Jessica McLachlan,______
A.speed counts when it comes to honeyeaters' life or death
B.the second-part message in a honeyeater's call is more reliable
C.the message about where to take cover is conveyed very fast
D.the urgency degree relies on the first note in a honeyeater's call
2.What does"they"in Paragraph 12 refer to?
A.alarm calls B.modified notes
C.other species D.clever honeyeaters
3.The researchers' findings are mainly based on
A.the comparison between honeyeaters and other birds
B.the analysis of length of alarm calls made by honeyeaters
C.the record of the honeyeaters' response and signal transmission
D.the observation of birds in Canberra's National Botanic Gardens
Since 1952,we've gathered three expert judges,who consider every illustrated children's book published that year in the United States.In 2017,we began partnering with the New York Public Library to administer the honor now called The New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Books Award.
Here are some of the winners in 2019.
Small in the City
Sydney Smith knows that children are the best observers.In"Small in the City,"he shows us how a young child explores a city-it's unmistakably Toronto－with deep knowledge of all its aspects.If we can find them and are lucky,there is shelter,kindness and hope.Smith presents an elegant urban winterscape precisely,yet with an astonishing looseness.
Neal Porter/Holiday House,$17.95;ages 4 to 8.
Another
In a world without words,Christian Robinson 's"Another"provides the perfect balance of color,shape and texture to take the heroine and her cat companion on a determined and thoughtful voyage from her bed to a funhouse of possibility.The warmth of the color palette and her optimistic expression encourage young readers through a mysterious adventure to an alternate universe of light-filled passages.This is a science fiction picture book classic.
Simon&Schuster;$17.99;ages 4 to 8.
The Farmer
XimoAbadia has filled the pages of“The Farmer”with color.Rows and dots of red slash against yellow,blue drips and fills,while water vessels mirror the village topography.The farmer's red balloon pants and animal friends add playfulness to the seriousness of his task and the power of the landscape.We chose this book for how hard work,glaring sun and the search for water are presented through space designs that boldly stretch across the pages,reflecting and encouraging self-reliance and determination.
Holiday House,$17.99;ages 3 to 6.
Just Because
Isabellc Arsenault's richly graphic illustrations for"Just Because"perfectly mix the fanciful and the literal-just the way a child's imagination does.the judges felt.To paraphrase an old movie ad:After spending time with this beautifully designed book,you will believe that fish sing the blues and trees set their leaves on fire.
Candlewick,S17.99;ages 4 to 8.
1.If a child lacks independence,you can recommend_______
A.Small in the City B.Another
C.The Farmer D.Just Because
2.From the passage we can know,_______
A.the New York Public Library is a winner of 2019
B.Small in the City introduces the country life in a cautious way
C.Just Because by Isabelle Arsenault has been adapted into a movie
D.Christian Robinson encourages children to learn about the unknown world
I come from a broken family that many would consider dysfunctional(失衡）at the very least: marriage, divorce,etc.After we grew up，my three siblings and I could go years_______speaking. And that is where this story _______
My sister Jeanne and I were born only 14 months_______.but by the time we were teenagers We had lost _______. By age 19,I had moved away from our home in Wisconsin to live on my father's horse farm in Virginia.We lived separate and our connection somehow ended.
Fast-forward about five years,I was 24 and on _______ with my fiance(未婚天）to New York City,a place I had never been to.
During a day of sightseeing,we were crossing a very _______ street loaded with people.I had laughed at something my fiance said,and I _______ heard my name yelled from somewhere around me:"Cheryl! "I _______ in my steps in the middle of the road.Tears_______ in my eyes.I knew without a ____________that it was my sister Jeanne.I yelled back before even turning to look."Jeanne? It was her.
I later asked how she'd known it was me---she ____________ saw me!She said it was my ____________I wouldn't say my laugh is all that ____________,but I guess to a family member it's infectious.It ____________your heart and resonates(共鸣）in your mind.
Since that time,my sister and I have never been____________.We both moved back to Wisconsin. We____________daily.Many years have passed,and we are now in our 50s.But our meeting ____________wasn't just a sign.I see it as more of a ____________ , a reminder not to lose touch with loved ones.It is too easy to remain ____________.After our sister-to-sister ____________,I don't plan to let that happen again.
1.A.by B.after C.without D.beyond
2.A.ends B.begins C.twists D.spreads
3.A.ago B.away C.ahead D.apart
4.A.heart B.home C.touch D.interest
5.A.team B.trip C.date D.picnic
6.A.busy B.dark C.empty D.quiet
7.A.readily B.finally C.suddenly D.naturally
8.A.fell B.froze C.struggled D.hesitated
9.A.came about B.welled up C.ran away D.streamed back
10.A.word B.break C.care D.doubt
11.A.never B.often C.seldom D.already
12.A.shape B.clothing C.look D.laugh
13.A.clear B.pleasant C.bright D.unusual
14.A.hits B.lifts C.breaks D.cures
15.A.separated B.bothered C.suspected D.united
16.A.work B.travel C.play D.talk
17.A.by mistake B.by chance C.on schedule D.on purpose
18.A.change B.result C.lesson D.coincidence
19.A.lost B.touched C.broken D.loved
20.A.circle B.theory C.miracle D.move
Unfortunately,____________we should expect gratitude,we often find the opposite.
A.what B.that C.how D.where
— Do you like your new place?
— Yes,I do.But it's a little far from my college,and the traffic____________me.
A.killed B.has killed C.had killed D.is killing
— Can you tell me how to keep my appetite_____________?
— Dividing one heavy meal into two smaller ones is helpful.
A.at ease B.at peace C.in check D.in secret
