A
While it remains debatable whether animals really feel what we call love, hate and happiness, the following might be yet more proof that humans are not the only creatures capable of emotions.
A friend in need
While some cats might spot a helpless baby chicken and think “lunch", an orange kitten in Russia saw a friend in need of a helping paw. Baby chickens are particularly vulnerable to attacks from rats and other vermin (害兽), but this little chick stayed safe thanks to its energetic feline (猫科的) bodyguard.
We’ve got each other
On an island off the coast of China, a little macaque (猕猴) was seen resting its head on a dove. Having got lost, the macaque was found and taken in by the staff of an animal protection center. It soon became friends with the white dove, which had also been adopted by center staff. For two months they ate together and slept together.
Fast friends
When baby elephant Themba’s mother died, the veterinary (兽医的) team at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa hoped another elephant would adopt the orphan, but none would feed him. The team took the baby elephant in, giving him constant care and attention, but Themba was too distressed to eat. Fearing he would starve to death, the team introduced him to a sheep called Albert, who they hoped could provide companionship for Themba. Despite some initial tension, the two quickly became inseparable and Themba finally started eating.
A strong bond
Koko the gorilla, one of the most studied primates (灵长类动物) in history, communicated in American Sign Language. Koko asked for a cat in 1984. She chose a grey kitten and called it All Ball. Koko took care of All Ball as if it were a baby gorilla, and would appear distressed when parted from it. When All Ball was hit and killed by a car, Koko was seen mourning (哀悼) the cat's death.
21. Why did Themba remained hungry in the beginning? Because________.
A. the staff members were unable to feed him. B. he didn’t get on well with his new friend.
C. he lost his parent and was too sad. D. he got lost from his mother.
22. Which of the following is true?________.
A. Koko formed a close relationship with All Ball
B. All Ball suffered attacks from other vermin.
C. All Ball got parted from its mother gorilla.
D. Koko liked communicating with All Ball in sign language.
23. What do we know from the text? ________.
A. Animals are not capable of emotions.
B. Friendship actually knows no boundaries.
C. kittens are most likely to make friends with other animals.
D. None of the friends in the passage liked each other at first.
【答案】21. C 22. A 23. B
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章告诉我们友谊其实是没有界限的，动物之间也是存在友谊的。
【21题详解】
推理判断题。根据第四段“When baby elephant Themba’s mother died…(当小象Themba的母亲去世时……)”和“ The team took the baby elephant in, giving him constant care and attention, but Themba was too distressed to eat. (研究小组把小象带了进来，不断地照顾它，但Themba很伤心，吃不下东西。)”可知，因为 Themba失去了亲人，过于悲伤，所以开始它拒绝进食。故选C。
【22题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段“Koko took care of All Ball as if it were a baby gorilla, and would appear distressed when parted from it. (Koko把All Ball当作一只大猩猩幼崽来照顾，当它离开时，它会显得很痛苦。)”可知，Koko与All Ball之间建立了亲密的关系；由此可知，选项A的描述正确。故选A。
【23题详解】
推理判断题。阅读文章内容，并根据第一段“While it remains debatable whether animals really feel what we call love, hate and happiness, the following might be yet more proof that humans are not the only creatures capable of emotions.( 虽然动物是否真的能感受到我们所说的爱、恨和快乐还存在争议，但下面的研究可能进一步证明，人类并不是唯一有情感的生物。)”可知，通过这篇文章，我们知道友谊其实是没有界限的，动物之间也是存在友谊的。故选B。
