A conspicuous sign indicating the presence of white-tailed deer in a woodlot is a buck rub. A male deer makes a buck rub by striping the bark (outer layer) of a small tree with its antlers. When completed, the buck rub is an obvious visual signal to us and presumable to other deer in the area. A rub is usually located at the shoulder height of a deer (one meter or less above the ground) on a smooth-barked, small-diameter (16-25 millimeters) tree. The smooth bark of small red maples makes this species ideal for buck rubs in the forests of the mid-eastern United States.
Adult male deer usually produce rubs in late summer or early autumn when the outer velvet layer is being shed from their antlers. Rubs are created about one to two months before the breeding season (the rut). Hence for a long time biologists believed that male deer used buck rubs not only to clean and polish antlers but also to provide practice for the ensuing male-to-male combat during the rut. However, biologists also noted deer sniff and lick an unfamiliar rub, which suggests that this visual mark on a small tree plays an important communication purpose in the social life of deer.
Buck rubs also have a scent produced by glands in the foreheads of deer that is transferred to the tree when the rub is made. These odors make buck rubs an important means of olfactory communication between deer. The importance of olfactory communication (using odors to communicate) in the way of life of deer was documented by a study of captive adult male deer a few decades ago, which noted that males rubbed their foreheads on branches and twigs, especially as autumn approached. A decade later another study reported that adult male white-tailed deer exhibited forehead rubbing just before and during the rut. It was found that when a white-tailed buck makes a rub, it moves both antlers and forehead glands along the small tree in a vertical direction. This forehead rubbing behavior coincides with a high level of glandular activity in the modified scent glands found on the foreheads of male deer; the glandular activity causes the forehead pelage (hairy covering) of adult males to be distinctly darker than in females or younger males.
Forehead rubbing by male deer on buck rubs presumably sends a great deal of information to other members of the same species. First, the chemicals deposited on the rub provide information on the individual identity of an animal; no two mammals produce the same scent. For instance, as we all know, dogs recognize each other via smell. Second, because only male deer rub, the buck rub and its associated chemicals indicate the sex of the deer producing the rub. Third, older, more dominant bucks produce more buck rubs and probably deposit more glandular secretions on a given rub. Thus the presence of many well-marked rubs is indicative of older, higher-status males being in the general vicinity rather than simply being a crude measure of relative deer abundance in a given area. The information conveyed by the olfactory signals on a buck rub make it the social equivalent of some auditory signals in other deer species, such as trumpeting by bull elk.
Because both sexes of white-tailed respond to buck rubs by smelling and licking them, rubs may serve a very important additional function. Fresher buck rubs (less than two days old), in particular, are visited more frequently by adult females than older rubs. In view of this behavior it has been suggested that chemicals present in fresh buck rubs may help physiologically induce and synchronize fertility in females that visit these rubs. This would be an obvious advantage to wide-ranging deer, especially to a socially dominant buck when courting several adult females during the autumn rut. Another visual signal produced by while-tailed deer is termed a buck scrape. Scrapes consist of a clearing (about 0.5 meter in diameter) and shallow depression made by pushing aside the leaves covering the ground; after making the scrape, the deer typically urinates in the depression. Thus, like a buck rub, a scrape is both a visual and an olfactory signal. Buck scrapes are generally created after leaf-fall in autumn, which is just before or during the rut. Scrapes are usually placed in open or conspicuous places, such as along a deer trail. Most are made by older males, although females and younger males (2.5 years old or less) occasionally make scrapes.
Paragraph 1: A conspicuous sign indicating the presence of white-tailed deer in a woodlot is a buck rub. A male deer makes a buck rub by striping the bark (outer layer) of a small tree with its antlers. When completed, the buck rub is an obvious visual signal to us and presumable to other deer in the area. A rub is usually located at the shoulder height of a deer (one meter or less above the ground) on a smooth-barked, small-diameter (16-25 millimeters) tree. The smooth bark of small red maples makes this species ideal for buck rubs in the forests of the mid-eastern United States.
1. The word “conspicuous” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O noticeable
O common
O strange
O particular
2.According to paragraph 1, why are small red maple trees ideal for buck rubs?
O They have smooth bark.
O They are found in the mid-eastern United States.
O They grow very slowly.
O They tend to grow in open spaces.
Paragraph 3: Buck rubs also have a scent produced by glands in the foreheads of deer that is transferred to the tree when the rub is made. These odors make buck rubs an important means of olfactory communication between deer. The importance of olfactory communication (using odors to communicate) in the way of life of deer was documented by a study of captive adult male deer a few decades ago, which noted that males rubbed their foreheads on branches and twigs, especially as autumn approached. A decade later another study reported that adult male white-tailed deer exhibited forehead rubbing just before and during the rut. It was found that when a white-tailed buck makes a rub, it moves both antlers and forehead glands along the small tree in a vertical direction. This forehead rubbing behavior coincides with a high level of glandular activity in the modified scent glands found on the foreheads of male deer; the glandular activity causes the forehead pelage (hairy covering) of adult males to be distinctly darker than in females or younger males.
3.The studies of forehead rubbing by deer described in paragraph 3 showed that
O forehead rubbing encourages the growth of antlers
O mule deer and white-tailed deer behave differently during the rut.
O the rut can occur at different times of the year
O deer convey important information through scent
4. The word “exhibited” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O relied on
O increased
O displayed
O preferred
Paragraph 4: Forehead rubbing by male deer on buck rubs presumably sends a great deal of information to other members of the same species. First, the chemicals deposited on the rub provide information on the individual identity of an animal; no two mammals produce the same scent. For instance, as we all know, dogs recognize each other via smell. Second, because only male deer rub, the buck rub and its associated chemicals indicate the sex of the deer producing the rub. Third, older, more dominant bucks produce more buck rubs and probably deposit more glandular secretions on a given rub. Thus the presence of many well-marked rubs is indicative of older, higher-status males being in the general vicinity rather than simply being a crude measure of relative deer abundance in a given area. The information conveyed by the olfactory signals on a buck rub make it the social equivalent of some auditory signals in other deer species, such as trumpeting by bull elk.
5.Why does the author mention that “dogs recognize each other via smell”?
O To point out the similarities between dogs and deer
O To argue that animals communicate through scent rather than through vision
O To support the claim that the scent of a buck rub serves to identify its maker to other deer
O To suggest that buck rubs can be detected by other species
6. The word “crude” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O rough
O useful
O necessary
O obvious
7.What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about the trumpeting of bull elk?
O Trumpeting by higher-status bull elk signals their presence to other members of their species.
O Bull elk need to combine trumpeting with olfactory signals to convey information about their identity.
O Trumpeting alerts white-tailed deer to the presence of bull elk in their vicinity.
O Trumpeting provides a better measure of deer presence in a given area than buck rubs do.
8.According to paragraph 4, the buck rubs occurring in a given area reveal all of the following information about deer EXCEPT
O the individual identity of the deer
O the gender of the deer
O the likely social status of the deer
O the number of deer in the vicinity
Paragraph 5: Because both sexes of white-tailed respond to buck rubs by smelling and licking them, rubs may serve a very important additional function. Fresher buck rubs (less than two days old), in particular, are visited more frequently by adult females than older rubs. In view of this behavior it has been suggested that chemicals present in fresh buck rubs may help physiologically induce and synchronize fertility in females that visit these rubs. This would be an obvious advantage to wide-ranging deer, especially to a socially dominant buck when courting several adult females during the autumn rut. Another visual signal produced by while-tailed deer is termed a buck scrape. Scrapes consist of a clearing (about 0.5 meter in diameter) and shallow depression made by pushing aside the leaves covering the ground; after making the scrape, the deer typically urinates in the depression. Thus, like a buck rub, a scrape is both a visual and an olfactory signal. Buck scrapes are generally created after leaf-fall in autumn, which is just before or during the rut. Scrapes are usually placed in open or conspicuous places, such as along a deer trail. Most are made by older males, although females and younger males (2.5 years old or less) occasionally make scrapes.
9. The word “induce” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O increase
O extend
O delay
O stimulate
10.According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true about chemicals in buck rubs?
O They have to be at least two days old for females to be able to detect them.
O They are more effective in older buck rubs than in fresher ones.
O They may affect fertility in female deer.
O They can be more easily detected by young males than adult females.
11. The word “termed” in the passage is closest in meaning to
O associated with
O visible as
O known as
O provided by
12.According to the passage, in what way do buck scrapes differ from buck rubs?
O Buck scrapes are made by both male and female deer.
O Buck scrapes are purely visual signals.
O Buck scrapes are made closer to the breeding season than buck rubs.
O Buck scrapes can be smelled only by deer.
Paragraph 1: A conspicuous sign indicating the presence of white-tailed deer in a woodlot is a buck rub. ■A make deer makes a buck rub by striping the bark (outer layer) of a small tree with its antlers. ■When completed, the buck rub is an obvious visual signal to us and presumable to other deer in the area. ■A rub is usually located at the shoulder height of a deer (one meter or less above the ground) on a smooth-barked, small-diameter (16-25 millimeters) tree. ■The smooth bark of small red maples makes this species ideal for buck rubs in the forests of the mid-eastern United States.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
This process can take a few hours to several days.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14 Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Buck rubs and buck scrapes are two types of markings made by white-tailed deer.
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Answer Choices
O The observation that deer sniff and lick buck rubs first led scientists to connect buck rubs with combat between adult males during the breeding season.
O Buck rubs and buck scrapes are visual signals and smells that deer use to communicate a variety of information to other deer.
O The number of buck rubs and buck scrapes in a given area changes as the density of the population of male deer in the area changes.
O As they rub the bark from trees, male deer leave behind chemicals produced by the glands in their foreheads, creating a scent that other deer can detect.
O The height of a buck rub, the type of tree used, and the direction in which the deer applies the rub can give different kinds of information to other deer.
O Buck rubs are created close to the breeding season of deer and may affect the timing of fertility in the female deer that visit the rubs.
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14. Buck rubs and buck scrapes are …
The number of buck rubs…
Buck rubs are created close…
一個(gè)表示白尾鹿在小樹(shù)林中存在的顯著標(biāo)志是雄鹿擦痕。雄鹿利用鹿角剝除小樹(shù)的樹(shù)皮以制造雄鹿擦痕。完工后,雄鹿擦痕對(duì)我們來(lái)說(shuō)是一道明顯的標(biāo)志,對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)氐钠渌箒?lái)說(shuō)也可能如此。擦痕常與鹿肩齊高(距地面一米或不到一米),并位于樹(shù)皮光滑、樹(shù)徑較細(xì)(16-25cm)的樹(shù)上。美國(guó)中東部森林中的樹(shù)皮光滑的紅色小楓樹(shù)是雄鹿擦痕的理想物種。
成年雄鹿通常在夏末或秋初當(dāng)它們的鹿茸上的外皮脫落時(shí)制造擦痕。雄鹿差不多在它們交配期(發(fā)情期)的前一到兩個(gè)月制造擦痕。因此長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),生物學(xué)家們認(rèn)為雄鹿擦痕不僅可以清除并磨光鹿茸,還可以借此練習(xí)發(fā)情期時(shí)雄鹿之間的角斗。然而,生物學(xué)家們也認(rèn)識(shí)到鹿會(huì)嗅和舔舐陌生的擦痕,這表明這種小樹(shù)上的視覺(jué)記號(hào)在鹿群社會(huì)生活中起到重要的交流目的。
雄鹿擦痕都有一種由雄鹿前額上的腺體分泌的氣味,它在制造擦痕時(shí)涂抹到樹(shù)上。這些氣味使得雄鹿擦痕成為鹿與鹿之間重要的嗅覺(jué)交流方式。嗅覺(jué)交流(利用氣味交流)在鹿群生活中的重要性可以通過(guò)幾十年前一項(xiàng)對(duì)圈禁的雄鹿的研究得以印證。研究發(fā)現(xiàn),特別是當(dāng)秋天將近時(shí),雄鹿就將其前額在樹(shù)枝上蹭來(lái)蹭去。十年后的另一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)成年雄性白尾鹿在其發(fā)情期或發(fā)情期前會(huì)摩擦其前額。當(dāng)白尾鹿制造擦痕時(shí),它將其鹿茸和前額腺體在小樹(shù)上垂直磨蹭。這種前額的磨蹭行為和雄鹿前額上散發(fā)氣味的腺體的異;钴S一致。該腺體活動(dòng)導(dǎo)致成年雄鹿的前額皮毛比雌鹿或未成年鹿的暗很多。
雄鹿前額在擦痕上的摩擦很可能向同類中的其它成員發(fā)出了大量信息。首先擦痕上殘留的化學(xué)物質(zhì)提供了一只動(dòng)物的個(gè)體信息。沒(méi)有兩只氣味相同的哺乳動(dòng)物。就如我們熟知的那樣,狗就是通過(guò)氣味區(qū)別彼此的。第二,因?yàn)橹挥行勐怪圃觳梁,所以擦痕及其攜帶的化學(xué)物質(zhì)表示了制造擦痕的鹿的性別信息。第三,年齡更大、更具統(tǒng)治地位的雄鹿制造的擦痕更多,而且其分泌在擦痕上的氣味分泌物很可能也更多。因此大量的標(biāo)記得很好的擦痕的出現(xiàn)表明年齡較大、地位較高的雄鹿就在附近,而不僅只是粗略的說(shuō)明了該區(qū)域鹿群的相對(duì)豐度。雄鹿擦痕上的氣味記號(hào)所攜帶的信息使它成為與其它種類鹿群中的某些聲音信號(hào),比如雄性麋鹿的叫聲,同等重要。
因?yàn)樾坌院痛菩园孜猜苟紩?huì)嗅和舔舐雄鹿擦痕,所以這些擦痕還有一個(gè)重要的功能。特別的,新鮮擦痕(兩天以內(nèi)制造的)要比更久遠(yuǎn)的擦痕受到更多關(guān)注。這種行為表明新鮮擦痕上的化學(xué)物質(zhì)可能有助于從生理上誘導(dǎo)并讓關(guān)注這些擦痕的雌鹿同時(shí)受孕。這對(duì)分布廣泛的鹿群顯然是一個(gè)有利條件,尤其對(duì)秋天發(fā)情期中一只處于較高社會(huì)統(tǒng)治地位的同時(shí)向幾只成年雌鹿求愛(ài)的雄鹿而言。由白尾鹿制造的另一種視覺(jué)記號(hào)叫做雄鹿窩。雄鹿窩是一個(gè)通過(guò)將地面上的樹(shù)葉推開(kāi)而產(chǎn)生的干凈而較淺的低坑(直徑約0.5m)。雄鹿窩制造完成后,鹿通常會(huì)在低坑里小便。因此,像雄鹿擦痕一樣,雄鹿窩既是視覺(jué)上的也是嗅覺(jué)上的記號(hào)。雄鹿窩通常在秋天樹(shù)葉落下后,雄鹿發(fā)情期或之前出現(xiàn)。雄鹿窩常位于開(kāi)闊或顯眼的位置,比如沿著鹿的行動(dòng)路線。絕大部分雄鹿窩由年齡更大的雄鹿制造,但有些雌鹿和年輕雄鹿(2.5年或更年輕)偶爾也制造雄鹿窩。