Question

Smarter than We Thought

It's a popular belief that fish can't remember anything for longer than seven seconds.

It may seem sad to think that they don't remember what they've eaten or where they've been, and they don't recognize you or any of their friends—every moment in their lives would be like seeing the world for the first time.

But don't be so quick to feel sorry for them. A recent study has found that fish have much better memories than we used to think. In fact, certain kinds of fish can even remember events from as long as 12 days ago, BBC reported.

In the study, researchers from MacEwan University in Canada trained a kind of fish called African cichlids to go to a certain area of their tank to get food. They then waited for 12 days before putting them back in the tank again.

Researchers used computer software (软件) to monitor the fish's movements. They found that after such a long break the fish still went to the same place where they first got food. This suggested that they could remember their past experiences.

In fact, scientists had been thinking for a long time that African cichlids might have a good memory.

An earlier study showed that they behaved aggressively (攻击性地) in front of certain fish, perhaps because they remembered their past fights. But until the latest findings, there was no clear evidence (证据).

Just as a good memory can make our lives easier, it also plays an important part when a fish is trying to live in the wild.

"If fish are able to remember that a certain area has safe food, they will be able to go back to that area without putting their lives in danger," lead researcher Trevor Hamilton told Live Science.

For a long time, fish were placed far below chimpanzees (黑猩猩), dolphins and mice on the list of smart animals. But this study has given scientists a new understanding of their intelligence（智力).

So next time you are watching your pet fish from outside the tank, perhaps you should feel closer to them—they may remember who you are.

1.What is a popular belief about fish?

A.Fish can remember things for a very short time.

B.Fish can only remember part of their experiences.

C.Fish can remember things that happened 12 days ago.

D.Fish can remember things for longer than three minutes.

2.According to the passage, fish can ________with a good memory.

A.know where to escape and keep safe

B.find their enemies and fight with them

C.remember where to get food and stay alive

D.recognize their friends and help each other

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Our pet fish can surely remember who we are.

B.Fish are as clever as chimpanzees, dolphins and mice.

C.Clear evidence has shown certain fish can remember their past fights.

D.African cichlids can even remember events from as long as 12 days ago.

Answer 1