单选题
On the Trial of the Honey Badger

On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learn a lot more about honey badgers. The team employed a local wildlife expert Kitso Khama to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly (谨慎地) as possible without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.
"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new," he says. "That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture. If they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious (凶恶的). Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen."
The research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Preciously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey (猎物). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups. They were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialized with each other.
Following some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, they are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.
As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animal's curiosity—or sudden aggression. The badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, returned to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.
单选题 Why did the wild life experts visit the Kalahari Desert?
  • A. To find where honey badgers live.
  • B. To catch some honey badgers for food.
  • C. To observe how honey badgers behave.
  • D. To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第一段内容“Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly(谨慎地)as possible without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior.”可知,野生动物专家的主要目的是研究蜜獾的行为,所以本题选C。
单选题 What does Kitso Khama say about honey badgers?
  • A. They are always looking for food.
  • B. They do not enjoy human company.
  • C. They show interest in things they are not familiar with.
  • D. It is common for them to attack people.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第二段内容“The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals,especially when they see something new,”he says.可知,Kitso Khama说蜜獾的天性充满好奇,尤其是看到新事物时。
单选题 What did the team find out about honey badgers?
  • A. There were some creatures they did not eat.
  • B. They were afraid of poisonous creatures.
  • C. Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.
  • D. They may get some of the water they needed from fruit.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第三段内容The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Preciously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey(猎物),可知,以前的研究认为动物一般从猎物身上获取水分,但是honey badger吃一种当地的甜瓜,很有可能就是为了获取水果当中的水分。
单选题 Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?
  • A. They don't run very quickly.
  • B. They defend their territory from other badgers.
  • C. They hunt over a very large area.
  • D. They are more aggressive than females.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据第四段前两句话“Following some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers.”可知,雄性獾在短时间内可以跑很长的距离,而且其捕猎的领域要超过500平方公里。
单选题 What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around them?
  • A. They became less aggressive towards other creatures.
  • B. They lost interest in people.
  • C. They started eating more.
  • D. Other animals started working with them.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章最后一段第一句话“As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people,it gave the team the to get up close to them without being the subject of the animal's curiosity—or sudden aggression.”可知,蜜獾习惯了人类的出现,它们便对人类不再好奇。