Question

    Some birds are masters of crime. That means these species steal food from other birds and get away with it. Scientists have long wondered what these birds have in common. A new study suggests that big body size does not predict bad behavior. Instead, it is the size of the birds' brains that matters most.

To learn more about what makes some birds tend towards a life of crime and how they steal food from other birds, scientists analyzed 856 published reports of thieves. Researcher Julie says she started the project after watching birds steal dry dog food out of unattended bowls. She read about some dramatic examples of thieves, including birds that steal food from others flying in midair or bending through the sky. She learned that members of some species disturb other birds until they spit up food in their mouth.

Families that steal also tend to eat fish, mice, and other vertebrates （脊椎动物） instead of just insects. These meatier （多肉的）meals are hard to catch, and they deliver lots of valuable calories, so they are attempting to steal.

Finally, birds that steal tend to have big brains in relation to their bodies. That may seem surprising, since human bullies （欺凌弱小者）are often thought to be stronger in size. But for birds, stealing isn't about strength. It takes a clever brain to get food out of another hungry bird's claws, especially if that bird is bigger than you are.

1.What is the key factor of the birds' stealing food?

A.Body size. B.Living environment.

C.Brain size. D.Strength.

2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A.Stealing birds are often stronger.

B.For birds, stealing is about cleverness and tricks.

C.Birds steal food only from those that are smaller in size.

D.Birds that steal have small brains for their bodies.

3.The best title for the passage can be .

A.Diet Habits of a Feather

B.Hunting Skills of a Feather

C.Brains of a Feather

D.Thieves of a Feather

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

【解析】

本文为说明文。 文章主要介绍一些鸟儿是怎样偷食以及它们为何偷食。

1.细节理解题。由第一段“A new study suggests that big body size does not predict bad behavior. Instead, it is the size of the birds’ brains that matters most.” 是指：一项新的研究表明，体型大并不能预测不良行为。相反，最重要的是鸟类大脑的大小。由此可知，鸟儿偷食物的关键因素是鸟儿的大脑大小。故C选项正确。

2.推理判断题。由文章第二段后部分所讲的鸟儿偷食技巧以及最后段“But for birds, stealing isn’t about strength. It takes a clever brain to get food out of another hungry bird’s claws, especially if that bird is bigger than you are.” 的句意为“但对于鸟类来说，偷窃并不关乎力量。从另一只饥饿的鸟的爪子里取出食物需要聪明的大脑，特别是如果那只鸟比你大的话”。可知，对于鸟类来说，偷窃关乎智商和技能。故B选项正确。

3.主旨大意题。本文的主旨是第一段中的“Some birds are masters of crime (犯罪). That means these species steal food from other birds and get away with it.”可知，有些鸟是犯罪大师。这意味着这些物种从其他鸟类身上偷走食物，然后逃之夭夭。接着下文主要叙述了这些鸟是如何靠着它们聪明的大脑进行偷食，然后逃之夭夭的。由此可知，本文主要讲述有些鸟是犯罪大师，也就是说这些鸟就是长着长羽毛的贼。因此推断“长羽毛的贼”为短文的最佳标题。故D选项正确。