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Stray birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away.—Tagore
夏天的飞鸟，飞到我的窗前唱歌，又飞去了。——泰戈尔
When the male Adele penguin (A) is looking for a mate, he takes his pick from a colony of more than a million. Having made his choice, he needs to impress the female bird he has selected. In order to do this, he find a suitable stone, rolls it over to the female and hopes that she will accept this gift If he’s in luck, the two birds will stand next to each other, breast to breast, sing loudly and make a lot of noise with their flipper flipping If the male fails to impress with his stone, he will have to be a bit less choosy next time. With so many other males also rolling stones around the place, he may also fin that stones are in short supply. When that happens, the only thing to do is find a smaller penguin and steal his stone.
Geese (B) and humans have at least one thing in common. They both have lasting friendships with their partners. Male geese sometimes prefer the company of other male geese, but this doesn’t stop them from raising a family. Th males can be joined by a female bird, and both males will look afte the eggs she lays, and the tiny goslings that hatch.
Th white-fronted parrot (C) , which is native to Mexico and Central America, is believed to be the only species, other than humans, to kiss.During their courtship ritual, the two birds will lock their beaks together and gently flic their tongues.① If both birds are satisfie with the kiss, the male will cement their relationship by regurgitating his food and offerin it to his partner.
Female cuckoos (D) lay their eggs in the nests of the other birds so that they don’t have to look afte them themselves. Th foster mother will incubate the eggs and raise the offsprin until they’re able to fl away on their own. Curiously, each individual cuckoo mother chooses the same species to adopt all of her children and in order to ensure that her egg is not rejected, she is able to lay eggs that resemble the eggs of the foster family.
Most birds use body heat to incubate their eggs but the Mailee fowl (E) , a member of brush-turkey family from Australia and the Pacific Islands, keeps its eggs warm by burying them in a compost heap of rotting vegetation. As well as looking after the eggs, the male continually checks the temperature of the incubator with his beak. His aim is to ensure that the inside of the compost heap remains almost constantly at 33℃ and he achieves this by adding or removing a layer of sand when necessary.②Ironically, afte such care and devotion, as soon as the eggs are hatched, the parents totally ignore the chicks, which are forced to look after themselves immediately.
Th home of the Great Indian Hornbill (F) is a prison. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she hides in hole in a tree. Th male then seals up the hole, leaving just a narrow slit through which he passes food. Although she’s unable to get out, the female has the consolation of knowing that the eggs are safe from predators such as snakes and monkeys. Th female stays in there until the chicks are a few months old.She then helps the male with the feeding.
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① During their courtship ritual, the two birds will lock their beaks together and gently flic their tongues. 在求偶期间，他们会亲密地摩擦各自的鸟喙，并温柔地用舌头打响儿。
② His aim is to ensure that the inside of the compost heap remains almost constantly at 33 ℃and he achieves this by adding or removing a layer of sand, when necessary. 他的目标是保证堆肥的内温一直保持在33摄氏度，必要的时候也会适当增减沙层，以达到保温的目的。
1. Which bird is believed to be the only species, other than humans, to kiss?
A. Bird A.B. Bird B.C. Bird C.D. Bird D.
2. Which bird lays eggs in another bird’s nest?
A. Bird C.B. Bird D.C. Bird E.D. Bird F.
3. Why does the male Adele penguin place a stone at the female’s feet?
A. In order to attract her.
B. In order to avoid dangerous animals.
C. In order to show his strength.
D. In order to drive her away.
4. Which of them has lasting friendships with their partners?
A. Th Great Indian Hornbill.
B. Female cuckoos.
C. Th white-fronted parrot.
D. Geese.
5. Which bird do you think is the most interesting among those mentioned in the passage? And why ?
According to the World Conservation Union, approximately 12 percent of all bird species are threatened with extinction. Human involvement is considered to be mainly responsible for this process. What should we do to preserve these bird species?