Listening to Birdsong

A male zebra finch¹ chirps away²to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby. He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his performance? According to a new study, the female zebra finch knows. And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect. But the female finch can tell the difference.

Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female（and potential mate） nearby. With an audience, the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.

For this study, researchers Sarah C. Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California, San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females, which have not been well studied in the past.

In the study, Woolley and Doupe set up a long cage with a sound speaker at each end. One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself, like someone singing in the shower. The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience, as if he was giving a concert.

Female birds were placed between the two speakers. Some of the birds had mates, others didn’t. The females shifted around a bit, and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience, even if they’d never met the male.

Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs, one from an unknown male, and one from their mate. They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates’ songs. This suggests that after a while, females learn to recognize and prefer—the songs of their mates.

Scientists then studied the brains of the females. They found certain areas of the brain perked up³ when the birds listened to the concert songs. These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs, and storing the memories of them.

This research deals with what’s called directed communication, when the communicator, or sender, focuses the message for a specific audience. One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched4 sing-song chatter, and the babies respond best to those sounds. Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication, in this case their songs.

 

词汇： 

finch /fɪntʃ/ n. 雀科鸣鸟

perk / pɜ:k / v. 使振作，使活跃
chirp /tʃɜ:p / v. (鸟)鸣

morn / mɔːn / n. 妈妈(等于英国英语mum)
trill / trɪl / n. (鸟的)啭音;颤音

chatter / ˈtʃætə(r) / v. &n喋喋不休，唠叨

 

注释：

1. zebra finch：斑胸草雀

2. chirp away：吱喳而鸣。 away有 continuously和 steadily的意思。

3. perk up：活跃起来，振作精神

4. high-pitched:活跃起来，振作精神

What is meant by "concert songs" in the seventh paragraph?

A:Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert. B:Songs sung by male finches for female finches. C:Songs sung by female finches for male finches. D:Songs sung by male finches to many female finches.

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale. As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition. Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors. Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.” Which of the following is true of amusics

A:Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. B:They love places where they are likely to hear music. C:They can easily tell two different songs apart. D:Their situation is well understood by musicians.

A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby. He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell the difference in his performance According to a new study, the female zebra finch knows. And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect. But the female finch can tell the difference.
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female (and potential mate) nearby. With an audience, the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.
For this study, researchers Sarah C. Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California, San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females, which have not been well studied in the past.
In the study, Woolley and Doupe set up, a long cage with a sound speaker at each end. One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself, like someone singing in the shower. The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience, as if he was giving a concert.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers. Some of the birds had mates, others didn’t. The females shifted around a bit, and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience, even if they’d never met the male.
Mated females also had a chance to listen to two different performance songs, one from an unknown male, and one from their mate. They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates’ songs. This suggests that after a while, females learn to recognize and prefer the songs of their mates.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females. They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs. These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs, and storing the memories of them.
This research deals with what’s called directed communication, when the communicator, or sender, focuses the message for a specific audience. One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter, and the babies respond best to those sounds. Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication, in this case their songs.
What is meant by "concert songs" in the seventh paragraph

A:Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert. B:Songs sung by male finches for female finches. C:Songs sung by female finches for male finches. D:Songs sung by male finches to many female finches.

{{B}}第二篇{{/B}}

What is meant by "concert songs" in paragraph 7?

A:Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert B:Songs sung by female finches for male finches C:Songs sung by male finches to other finches D:Songs sung by male finches for female finches

It was a normal summer night. Humidity (湿气) hung in the thick air.
I couldn’t go to sleep, partly because of my cold and partly because of my expectations for the next day. My mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a surprise.
Sweat stuck to my aching body. Finally, gathered enough strength to sit up. I looked out of my small window into the night. There was a big bright moon hanging in the sky, giving off a magic light.
I couldn’t stand the pressure anymore, so I did what I always do to make myself feel better. I went to the bathroom and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste. I cleaned my teeth as if there was no tomorrow. Back and forth, up and down.
Then I walked downstairs to look for some signs of movement, some life. Gladiator, my cat, frightened me as he meowed (喵喵地唱出) his sad song. He was on the old orange couch (长沙发), sitting up on his front legs, waiting for something to happen. He looked at me as if to say "I’m lonely, pet me. I need a good hug (紧抱)."Even the couch begged me to sit on it.
In one movement I settled down onto the soft couch. This couch represented my parents’ marriage, my birth, and hundreds of other little events.
As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavily. My mind was flooded with questions: What’s life Am I really alive Are you listening to me Every time I moved my hand down Gladiator’s body, I had a new thought; each touch sang a different song.
I forgot all about the heat and the next day’s surprise. The atmosphere was so full of warmth and silence that I sank into its alms. Falling asleep with the big cat in my arms, I felt all my worries slowly move away.
What did the "couch" represent

A:A new thought. B:Different songs. C:A comfortable life. D:Happy memories.

Sleepless at Night
It was a normal summer night. Humidity (湿气) hung in the thick air.
I couldn’t go to sleep, partly because of my cold and partly because of my expectations for the next day. My mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a surprise.
Sweat stuck to my aching body. Finally, I gathered enough strength to .sit up. I looked out of my small window into the night. There was a big bright moon hanging in the sky, giving off a magic glow.
I couldn’t stand the pressure anymore, so I did what I always do to make myself feel better. I went to the bathroom and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste. I cleaned my teeth as if there was no tomorrow. Back and forth, up and down.
Then I walked downstairs to look for some signs of movement, some life. Gladiator, my cat, frightened me as he meowed (喵喵地唱出) his sad song. He was on the old orange couch (长沙发), sitting up on his front legs, waiting for something to happen. He looked at me as if to say, "I’m lonely, pet me. I need a good hug (紧抱)." Even the couch begged me to sit on it.
In one movement I settled down onto the soft couch. This couch represented my parents’ marriage, my birth, and hundreds of other little events.
As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavily. My mind was flooded with questions: What’s life Am I really alive Are you listening to me Every time I moved my hand down Gladiator’s body, I had a new thought; each touch sang a different song.
I forgot all about the heat and the next day’s surprise. The atmosphere was so full of warmth and silence that I sank into its arms. Falling asleep with the big cat in my arms, I felt all my worries slowly move away.
What did the couch represent

A:A new thought. B:Different songs. C:A comfortable life. D:Happy memories.

第一篇　　　　　　　　　　Sleepless at Night It was a normal summer night．Humidity(湿气)hung in the thick air． I couldn’t go to sleep，partly because of my cold and partly because of my expectations for the next day．My mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a surprise． Sweat stuck to my aching body．Finally, gathered enough strength to sit up．I looked out of my small window into the night．There was a big bright moon hanging in the sky, giving off a magic light． I couldn’t stand the pressure anymore，SO I did what I always do to make myself feel better．I went to the bathroom and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste．I cleaned my teeth as if there was no tomorrow．Back and forth，up and down． Then I walked downstairs to look for some signs of movement，some life．Gladiator, my cat, frightened me as he meowed(喵喵地唱出)his sad song．He was on t11e old orange couch(长沙发)，sitting up on his front legs，waiting for something to happen．He looked at me as if to say I“I’m lonely, pet me．I need a good hug(紧抱)．”Even the couch begged me to sit on it． In one movement I settled down onto the soft couch．This couch represented my parents’marriage，my birth，and hundreds of other little events． As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavily．My mind was flooded with questions：What’s life? Am I really alive? Are you listening to me? Every time I moved my hand down Gladiator’s body，I had a new thought；each touch sang a different song． I forgot all about the heat and the next day’s surprise．The atmosphere was SO full of warmth and silence that I sank into its alms．Falling asleep with the big cat in my arms，I felt all my worries slowly move away． What did the‘‘couch’’represent?

A:A new thought． B:Different songs． C:A comfortable life． D:Happy memories．