A
[2023·武汉市质量检测]Robin Hood famously stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Newly hatched young barn owls (仑鸮) do something similar.
On average, barn owls raise six chicks at once—and sometimes as many as nine. But they don't all hatch at the same time, which means the older owls are generally larger and healthier than their younger brothers and sisters. As long as the little owls remain in the nest, they're completely dependent on their parents for food. In many birds, the oldest would simply outcompete the youngest, but barn owls are different. It turns out that the older, healthier birds sometimes share their meals with their hungry siblings (兄弟姐妹).
“In chicks, it is really rarely observed. So it's quite impressive that in this group, there is behavior showing they work together，” added evolutionary biologist Pauline Ducouret from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. She and her team wanted to know how this unique behavior evolved. It could be explained by the direct benefits gained through group work, such as sharing food for grooming (梳毛). Or it could be explained by the indirect benefits gained from helping others that are closely related—also known as “kin selection”．
They found that the answer was both. Younger birds groomed older ones more often than older ones groomed the youngsters. And in return, the older birds fed their younger siblings. In addition, older owls would offer food to their hungry siblings rather than eat themselves, even in the absence of grooming. Ducouret said that evolutionary biologists usually characterize sibling relationships as competitive or even opposed. But remarkably complex examples of group work can still be found among animal brothers and sisters.
It seems that even newly hatched barn owls know that sharing is caring. So think twice before doing something selfish. After all, you don't want to be defeated by a newly hatched bird.
1．What do we know about the little barn owls?
A．They are fed by parents in the nest.
B．They are hatched at the same time.
C．They hunt for food soon after hatching.
D．They compete with siblings for food.
2．What does the third paragraph serve as?
A．The explanation of kin selection.
B．A background of researchers' study.
C．The comment on barn owls' behavior.
D．An introduction of barn owls' living habits.
3．What is the author's tone in the last paragraph?
A．Worried. B．Serious.
C．Amazed. D．Humorous.
4．Which can be the best title for the text?
A．Sibling Relationships Are Important for Barn Owls
B．Barn Owls Are Found to Be Good at Stealing Food
C．Barn Owl Babies Can Be Helpful Hatch Mates
D．Grooming Is a Language Among Barn Owls
