Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just hap

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thoughtthat they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you arehappy.

   Some scientists believe that birds do singsome of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of thetime for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to otherbirds to stay out of their territory.

   Do you know what a ‘territory’is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as itsown. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the samespecies are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only yourfamily and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory andthreaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten himaway.

   If so, you have actually scared the strangeraway without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects anoutsider almost any time, especially at nesting（筑巢）season.So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. Thisscreaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep anoutsider away.

   Birds sing loudest in the spring when they aretrying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.

   You can see that birds have a language oftheir own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting upterritories.

 Some scientists believe that most of the timebird’s singing is actually________.

A. an expression of happiness                                               B.a way of warning

C. an expression of anger                                              D.a way of greeting

【小题２】What does the underlined word “territory’’ mean?

A. A place where families of otherspecies are not accepted

B. A place where a bird may shoutat the top of its voice

C. An area for which birds fightagainst each other

D. An area which a bird considersto be its own

【小题３】Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?

A. Because they want to invite more friends

B. Because their singing helps frightenoutsiders away

C. Because they want to find outsiders around

D. Because their singing helps get rid of theirfears

【小题４】How does the writer explain bird’s singing?

A. By comparing birds with human beings                B.By reporting experiment results

C. By describing birds’ daily life                                   D.By telling a bird’s story

试题答案

【答案】

 Ｂ

 Ｄ

 Ｂ

 Ａ

【解析】略