Magpies team up to outwit scientists 合作“救援”，喜鹄“智胜”科学家

司永红

科学家在澳大利亚的喜鹊身上安装了跟踪设备，喜鹊们开始合作“救援”， 帮助彼此摘掉身上的跟踪器。

主题语境：科学研究篇幅：352词建议用时：7分钟

Plans to track Australian magpies（喜鹊）for a study were ruined when the birds worked together to remove the devices from one another， according to new research from scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast.The behavior marks the first evidence of cooperative “rescue”observed within the animals，the researchers stated， as， within just ten minutes of fitting the final tracker， a female magpie was seen using her bill to remove a younger bird's harness（系帶）.Hours later， most of the birds had been freed from their trackers with the assistance of others in the flock. Days later， even the most dominant bird had allowed another magpie to assist in removing the device.

“We don't know if it was the same individual helping each other or if they shared duties， but we had never read about any other birds cooperating in this way to removetracking devices，”Professor Dominique Potvin， who led the study， said.

The birds needed to solve their problems. They possibly tested at pulling and snipping（剪去）at different sections of the harness with their bills. They also needed to willingly help other individuals， and accept help， the study found.

The study had initially been designed to test a new tracker harness that could be released and collected without having to catch the birds again. It was designed with a weak point that would release when magnetized， dropping the harness at a feeding station used by the birds. Despite scientists believing it would require a magnet or “really good scissors”to remove the trackers， one bird was seen “snapping another bird's harness at the only weak point，”suggesting it had identified the device's vulnerability（脆弱）.

While studies have previously shown magpies to be particularly intelligent and social birds， the team of scientists was surprised by how quickly they discovered a way to team up and ditch the devices. Despite the study's initial tracking aim failing， the team hope further research can be conducted to discover if the birds randomly discovered the flaw（缺点）in the device or systematically worked at it until they found the key weak point.

Reading Check

1. What finding about the magpies surprised the scientists？

A. They helped each other out of trouble.

B. They fed each other in time of trouble.

C. They each demonstrated their social status.

D. They each shared their duties in social life.

2. What's the original purpose of the study？

A. To see how a tracker harness worked.

B. To test whether a new tracker worked.

C. To test magpies' level of intelligence.

D. To set up feeding stations for magpies.

3. What can we know about the bird's harness from Para. 5？

A. It has some obvious weak points on it.

B. It's very sensitive to the magnetic force.

C. It's inseparable once attached to the magpie.

D. It has to be fitted at magpies' feeding stations.

4. What does the underlined word “ditch”in the last paragraph mean？

A. Get used to.B. Take hold of.

C. Come up with.D. Get rid of.

Language Study

I. Difficult sentence in the text

It was designed with a weak point that would release when magnetized， dropping the harness at a feeding station used by the birds.它的設计有一个弱点，当被磁化时就会释放，在这种鸟类的喂食站扔下系带。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句，that引导定语从句，在这个定语从句中，dropping...作伴随状语，when magnetized...是一个省略了it was的时间状语从句。

II. Text-centered chunks

according to 根据

most of大多数的

free...from使……从……中获得自由;把……从……中放出来

with the assistance of在……的帮助下

in this way用这种方式

be designed to do被设计用来做……