Elephants have four distinct personalities that help their herd survive in the African bush, scientists have found.
With their grey skin, mournful eyes and slow heavy pace, you could be forgiven for thinking elephants are uniformly melancholy(忧郁的) creatures. But scientists have now discovered the largest living land animals have personalities to match their size.
In a new study of African elephants, researchers have identified four distinct characters that are common in a herd – the leaders, the gentle giants, the playful rogues(小淘气) and the reliable plodders (辛勤工作的人).
Each of the types has developed to help the giant mammals survive in their harsh environment and is almost unique in the animal kingdom, according to the scientists.
Professor Phyllis Lee and her colleague Cynthia Moss studied a herd of elephants in the Amboseli National Park in Kenya known as the EB family — famous for their matriarch Echo before she died in 2009.
Using data collected over 38 years of watching this group, the researchers analyzed them for 26 types of behavior and found four personality features tended to emerge.
The strongest personality to emerge was that of the leader. Unlike other animals, where leadership tends to be won by the most dominant and aggressive individual, the elephants instead respected intelligence and problem solving in their leader. Echo, the matriarch and oldest in the group, her daughter Enid, and Ella, the second oldest female, all emerged as leaders.
The playful elephants tended to be younger but were more curious and active. Eudora, a 40-year-old female in the herd, seemed to be the most playful, consistently showing this feature throughout her life while playfulness in some of the other elephants declined with age.
Gentle elephants, which included two 27-year-old females Eleanor and Eliot, touched and rubbed against others more than the others.
Those that were reliable tended to be those that were most consistent at making good decisions, helped to care for infants in the herd and were calm when faced with threats. Echo and her youngest daughter Ebony seemed to be the most reliable.
Professor Lee said that elephants with these features tended to be the most socially integrated in the group while those who tended to be less reliable and pushy were more likely to split from the herd.
1.From the passage we get to know that ________.
A．the researchers reached their conclusion by analyzing the data
B．the research centered on the 26 types of behavior of the matriarch
C．the scientists conducted the research by comparing elephants with other animals
D．professor Phyllis Lee and her colleague spent nearly 38 years tracking the herd
2.According to the new findings of the scientists, ________.
A．playfulness of an elephant will always decline with age
B．those elephants which are caring and wise are most reliable
C．each elephant can be matched with only one of the four personalities
D．once becoming a member of a herd, an elephant will never split from it
3.In the EB family Echo and Eudora are ________.
A．mother and daughter B．two oldest females
C．the gentlest ones D．leader and member
Due to the increasing number of violence acts produced in schools all over the world, more and more parents prefer to have their children educated at home rather than at school. This way they can ensure their safety and well-being, although teachers and school representatives are trying to improve the situation in schools by increasing the number of the persons in charge of the safety of the students.
The main reason for violence acts are the films and cartoons that fill the children’s time. They want to do everything they watch on TV and never think of the consequences, and they may hurt a classmate or a teacher.
On the other hand, parents are not fully satisfied with the children’s results obtained in classes and they consider private classes would have better results.
When a teacher has to watch 30 students in class he can’t probably see what each of them is doing, how he is writing, or if he understands the explanations. At home the teacher can explain in details everything the child doesn’t understand as many times as he considers proper.
And many times the child grows fond of the teacher at home, who becomes his best friend, and who helps him whenever he needs someone to talk to.
However, the best solution would be a mixture between the education received at school and that at home, because school makes children communicate and socialize. Keeping a child at home for fear there might happen something bad to him only makes the child’s character weak and prevents him from knowing what real life is. Staying in a crystal ball only does harm to the child.
All in all, schools have been created to help children, not to harm them, so it’s best to keep children in these special places, where they learn, laugh, have fun and make new friends.
1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ________.
A．teach parents the ways to keep their children safe
B．show solutions to developing children’s character
C．explain the main reason for violence acts in schools
D．analyze an education problem and give opinions
2.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Classes
B．Who is to Blame, Parents or Schools?
C．Which Is Better, School Study or Home Study?
D．The Relationship between Teachers and Children
3.What does “a crystal ball” in the passage refer to?
A．A toy that can be used for entertainment.
B．A safe and comfortable environment.
C．A round object that is made of crystal.
D．An obstacle that is hard to overcome.
4.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A．violence TV programs have bad effects on children’s behavior
B．the teacher at home is more patient than the teacher at school
C．children today are weak from lack of sense of right and wrong
D．there are too many students in class for a teacher to teach
It’s only after three weeks into a new job that I made a serious mistake. My boss called it “extremely embarrassing” in a company-wide e-mail — which, 11 , he wrote because he felt he needed to explain that what I did was something 12 in the company should ever do. I wish I 13 give a good excuse for what I did. At the very least, I wish I could explain it somehow — 14 it on youth, inexperience or ignorance. Unfortunately, I’m 15 , experienced and I know better.
16 I work with some very kind and compassionate (富于同情心的) people. For the past couple of days many of them have taken time to 17 by my desk and offer comfort, encouragement and support. Some have shared with me similar 18 they have made. Evidently I’m not the only “ 19 ” person here.
One of the exchanges I had this week was with Lois, the much-honored, much-respected professional who 20 the desk right next to mine. Lois was completely 21 about her work, and to be honest I was a little nervous about how she would 22 to such an extremely embarrassing incident.
As I expected, Lois didn’t pass over the 23 when she saw me the next day. She mentioned it directly, 24 with empathetic consideration. She listened to my 25 . Just as I was ready to express my regrets, she brought my self-pity partly to a(n) 26 .
“It happened”, she said, “There’s nothing you can do to 27 that. It happened. But it’s over now. It’s 28 . It’s in the past. You need to let it go, and move on.” And with that she returned her 29 to her work, as if to say, “We’re done here.”
I beat myself up for weeks. At such times I need to remember those 30 words: It’s over. It’s done. Let it go. And mostly, move on.
1. A．by the way B．in the way C．on the way D．to the way
2. A．someone B．anyone C．no one D．the one
3. A．should B．might C．will D．could
4. A．fix B．blame C．rely D．put
5. A．outgoing B．old C．cheerful D．energetic
6. A．Thankfully B．Naturally C．Generally D．Hopefully
7. A．work B．stop C．watch D．sit
8. A．decisions B．troubles C．attempts D．mistakes
9. A．annoying B．confusing C．embarrassing D．puzzling
10. A．repairs B．wants C．works D．occupies
11. A．mad B．serious C．curious D．hopeful
12. A．react B．agree C．turn D．object
13. A．issue B．outcome C．standard D．message
14. A．for B．therefore C．but D．otherwise
15. A．challenge B．imagination C．conclusion D．explanation
16. A．order B．key C．end D．process
17. A．forget B．ruin C．prevent D．change
18. A．broken B．done C．lost D．kept
19. A．attention B．skill C．patience D．interest
20. A．sweet B．pleasant C．meaningful D．colorful
— Do you think their table tennis team will win the first place at the coming sports meeting?
— ______. Ours is much stronger than theirs.
A．Of course B．It depends C．Don’t mention it D．By no means
Only when ______ hard ______ make your dream come true.
A．do you work; you can B．you work; you can
C．do you work; can you D．you work; can you
_____, and the problem will be worked out.
A．If you have a bit more effort B．Having a little effort
C．A bit more effort D．There being a little effort
