Question

“Why do birds sing?” I asked a group of children. “To attract metes(配偶)!” answered a boy. A 4-year-old girl added shyly, “birds sing because they are happy, and they want to make us happy, too.” I think both answers are probably true in a way. If birds sing happily, it shows all is good in the forest: no predators (捕食者) are present, and the birds can feed, sing and do other bird things. The sound of a relaxed robin(知更鳥) singing is easy to understand because it makes us feel this way too—it’s a sound that lifts our own hearts when we hear it.

What happens when a predator comes into their areas? The nearby birds quickly give an alarm(警報(bào)) call, a short sound that warns, “Danger is coming!” On hearing the sound, the other birds stop singing and fly away, the deer lift their heads and stop moving and the rabbits run into the bushes. Suddenly, the forest becomes silent.

When humans walk through the woods in a hurry or while talking with a friend, we don’t see much wildlife. We may think that there aren’t many animals living there, but more likely, they know we are coming and hide minutes before our arrival. But if we learn to avoid setting off alarms, we can see many more wild animals without frightening them. To practice, find a place in a park and sit quietly for an hour. Take notes as the birds begin to relax and sing again. When I do this, I am always surprised at the wonderful thing animals will do when humans stay still (不動(dòng)的) long enough.

1.In the writer’s opinion, the children’s answers to his question are .

A. funny B. interesting C. honest D. reasonable

2.Why can’t we see much wildlife in the woods from this passage?

A. Because we have set off alarms. B. Because we fail to give warnings.

C. Because we come at the wrong time. D. Because few animals live there.

3.The purpose of the last paragraph is to .

A. show people how and when birds sing.

B. ask people to learn something about birds.

C. tell people how to protect birds in the wild.

D. advise people to enjoy the songs of birds.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The life of birds. B. How birds sing in the forest.

C. Birds in the forest. D. The messages in birds’ singing.

Answer 1