Question

    Fireflies flash not just for mating (交配), but survival, a new study suggests. Scientists wanted to find out if there’s more to the lightning bug’s signature blinking glow (一闪一闪的亮光) than finding a mate. Some experts had assumed it was a glaring signal to predators (捕食者), like bats, that fireflies taste bad.

To test out whether the glow acted like that, researchers at Boise State University in Idaho put bats and fireflies in front of high-speed cameras. They published their results in Wednesday’s journal Science Advances.

The painstaking experiment required researchers to introduce western bats, which had never seen lightning bugs before, to the insects. Later, they hand-painted firefly bellies black, turning off their night lights but avoiding the holes the insects breathe through. When the bats first saw the unfamiliar lit-up fireflies, they acted excitedly and ate a lot of the bugs, only to get a bad taste in their mouths.“They shake their heads and spit and generally hate their caretakers for giving them such a rude meal,” said study author Jesse Barber, a Boise State biology professor and author of the study. After a few tries, the bats then avoided the glowing fireflies. Despite the popular misconception, bats aren’t blind, a study author noted.

Once the fireflies essentially taught bats that they taste bad, Barber and his colleagues introduced the darkened fireflies. About 40 percent of the painted ones were eaten, while none of the normal fireflies were eaten. Researchers also think the way lightning bugs fly signals what they are. To test that they put fireflies on fishing lines and the bats went after them, despite already knowing that fireflies don’t taste good. The results make sense and are valuable, said Nick Dowdy, a Purdue University researcher in Indiana, who was not involved in the study.

Scientists already knew that fireflies have distinctive flash patterns that tell others who they are and where they are. And some females prefer males that flash at higher rates, according to study co-author Marc Branham of University of Florida. Barber noted that even in their larval (幼虫) stage, the bugs glow and don’t get eaten. So he theorized that when it comes to evolution, fireflies’ glowing trait (特点) may have developed first as protection from predators and later became a mating signal.

So, Barber said, “Bats may have invented fireflies.”

1.The purpose of the researchers’ study is to see________

A.whether fireflies flash to warn their predators away

B.how fireflies react to high-speed cameras

C.how fireflies flash to attract a mate

D.when fireflies make a bright light

2.Why did the researchers put fireflies on fishing lines?

A.To hide their flashes.

B.To make them fly faster.

C.To make them more energetic.

D.To change their flying patterns.

3.What does Barber mean in the last paragraph?

A.Bats have influenced fireflies’ evolution.

B.Bats and fireflies depend on each other.

C.Bats have similar traits to fireflies.

D.Bats tend to avoid larval fireflies.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.A

【解析】

这是一篇科普说明文，介绍了科学家通过实验研究，得出结论：萤火虫这类发光的虫子，之所以发光，不仅仅是为了交配，更多的是为了生存：以发光的方式告诉捕食者它们并不是很美味。

1.细节理解题。由第一段“Some experts had assumed it was a glaring signal to predators (捕食者), like bats, that fireflies taste bad.”可知，一些专家认为，发光是一种信号，向捕食者，比如蝙蝠，暗示它们并不是很美味。为了验证这一观点，科学家们做了些研究。结合选项，故选A项。

2.推理判断题。由第四段“Researchers also think the way lightning bugs fly signals what they are. To test that they put fireflies on fishing lines and the bats went after them,”可知，研究者也认为发光虫子飞行的方式暗示了它们的身份。为了验证这个，他们将萤火虫缚在钓鱼线上，后面跟着蝙蝠。由此可以推断，研究者将萤火虫缚在鱼线上是为了改变它们的飞行方式，迷惑后面的蝙蝠。故选D项。

3.词义猜测题。由倒数第二段“Barber noted that even in their larval (幼虫) stage, the bugs glow and don’t get eaten. So he theorized that when it comes to evolution, fireflies’ glowing trait (特点) may have developed first as protection from predators and later became a mating signal.”可知，Barber注意到，即使在幼虫期，这些虫子发光，就不会被吃掉。因此他推测，萤火虫发光的特点首先作为对捕食者的防护，后来才发展成为求偶信号。也就是说捕食者对发光虫子的进化有一定影响。结合上面的理论，他才说“也许是蝙蝠发明了萤火虫。”

故选A项。