Some fish form huge schools. Could fish set up schools and teach their children how to survive in the ocean? You may ask. No. Here the “schools” are not the places where you study. They are fish shoals (鱼群) that cover tens of kilometers. What causes hundreds of millions of fish to gather and move together is one of biology’s mysteries.
Darkness appears to be the first step to the creation of shoals, according to a study published in the March 27 journal Science. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and five other institutions studied Atlantic herring (鲱鱼), which forms shoals on a fishing ground off Massachusetts. They used an underwater imaging technology and fish-finding sonar (声纳) to observe the herring over several days in autumn when they spawn (产卵).
They found that, as the sun set, fish in scattered (分散的) groups began swimming much closer to one another than they normally do. When the number of fish reached a certain point in an area, this set off a chain reaction of similar behavior that spread like a sound wave through the water.
The herring’s movement seemed to be started by sunset. The team didn’t record the breakup of these shoals, but a previous study suggested that as the sun rose, the shoals fell apart.
“When the light fades (逐渐消失), it’s safer for the fish to move away from the seabed,” says Nicholas Makris, a professor at MIT who led the research. “Once they have a certain number of other fish, they suddenly come together - forming a shoal covering tens of kilometers within tens of minutes.”
Herring form shoals to migrate during the autumn spawning season. Some shoals were 40 km across and 30 m from top to bottom. They formed in deep water and moved into more shallow waters to spawn.
Forming shoals helps protect them from predators (掠食者) by giving them simple strength in numbers. The ordered movement of the shoal means the fish can reach their spawning ground more quickly and more safely.
Scientists have never before gathered information on so many animals acting together. Understanding these herring shoals could lead to more ideas about what causes animals to move in schools, says Iain Couzin, a biologist at Princeton University, US.
1. Which school in the following expressions is used the same way as the underlined one in the first paragraph?
A. schools of thoughts       B. school a horse   C. a school of whales       D. a medical school
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. There are more large shoals of herring at night than in the daytime.
B. The research on Atlantic herring was conducted independently by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
C. The larger the shoal of herring is, the more slowly it moves.
D. Scientists have found out the reason why fish gather and move together in huge shoals.
3. According to the research, herring tend to get together except ______.
A.when there are predators around  B. when they spawn C. when the sun sets  D. when the sun rises
4. What seems to be the main reason for herring to gather and move together?
A. To avoid the darkness.
B. To keep other kinds of fish out of their spawning ground.
C. To spawn in the shallow waters.
D. To make themselves feel safe.

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳选项。

　　A shop wholly run by a robot has been set up in downtown Tokyo, capital of Japan. The shop was set up by a Japan-based company.

　　When a customer comes to the shop, he will be given a pencil and a piece of paper. When he is looking at the shelves for goods, he can write down the number of each thing he wants to buy. Then he may come to a machine, which looks like a bank ATM (Automatic Teller Machine), and press the buttons to tell the machine the numbers and some other information about the goods. The machine will soon give the customer a bill. When the customer puts money into the machine, change will be given back at once, and the words“Thank You for Coming”will appear on the screen of the machine. The robot will select the ordered goods for the customer according to computer center information.

　　The robot, as round as a bucket, is able to decide the weight and size of any goods. It wilt always take the bigger and heavier goods first before picking up the smaller and lighter ones such as cakes or biscuits. Within half a minute, the robot will make everything ready, and wait for a customer at a certain delivery place.

　　The shop is to meet the needs of the public for the so-called“silent purchase (购买)”. It means that a customer can do shopping through mail or even an international computer network without facing the shop owner. This will reduce the cost on the part of the shop, and thus lower the price of goods for the customer.

　　The robot now can deal with most goods in a fast and easy way. Only when dealing with those goods needing special care will the robot ask for help.

1．When you want to buy something in the robot shop, first you have to _____.

[　　]

A．put money into the machine

B．press the buttons of the machine and tell it what you want to buy

C．find out what you want to buy and write down the numbers on paper

D．go into the shop and select the goods you want with the help of the machine

2．In this shop, the robot can do shopping quickly at a lower price, so _____.

[　　]

A．the shop has a great future

B．customers often get false goods

C．few customers go there to buy goods

D．the shop will close down soon

3．What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．May I Help you　　　　　　B．Welcome to Our Shop

C．Robot Shop　　　　　　　　D．Nobody Sells Goods in the Shop

Some fish form huge schools. Could fish set up schools and teach their children how to survive in the ocean? You may ask. No. Here the “schools” are not the places where you study. They are fish shoals (鱼群) that cover tens of kilometers. What causes hundreds of millions of fish to gather and move together is one of biology’s mysteries.

Darkness appears to be the first step to the creation of shoals, according to a study published in the March 27 journal Science. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and five other institutions studied Atlantic herring (鲱鱼), which forms shoals on a fishing ground off Massachusetts. They used an underwater imaging technology and fish-finding sonar (声纳) to observe the herring over several days in autumn when they spawn (产卵).

They found that, as the sun set, fish in scattered (分散的) groups began swimming much closer to one another than they normally do. When the number of fish reached a certain point in an area, this set off a chain reaction of similar behavior that spread like a sound wave through the water.

The herring’s movement seemed to be started by sunset. The team didn’t record the breakup of these shoals, but a previous study suggested that as the sun rose, the shoals fell apart.

“When the light fades (逐渐消失), it’s safer for the fish to move away from the seabed,” says Nicholas Makris, a professor at MIT who led the research. “Once they have a certain number of other fish, they suddenly come together - forming a shoal covering tens of kilometers within tens of minutes.”

Herring form shoals to migrate during the autumn spawning season. Some shoals were 40 km across and 30 m from top to bottom. They formed in deep water and moved into more shallow waters to spawn.

Forming shoals helps protect them from predators (掠食者) by giving them simple strength in numbers. The ordered movement of the shoal means the fish can reach their spawning ground more quickly and more safely.

Scientists have never before gathered information on so many animals acting together. Understanding these herring shoals could lead to more ideas about what causes animals to move in schools, says Iain Couzin, a biologist at Princeton University, US.

1. Which school in the following expressions is used the same way as the underlined one in the first paragraph?

A. schools of thoughts       B. school a horse   C. a school of whales       D. a medical school

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A. There are more large shoals of herring at night than in the daytime.

B. The research on Atlantic herring was conducted independently by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

C. The larger the shoal of herring is, the more slowly it moves.

D. Scientists have found out the reason why fish gather and move together in huge shoals.

3. According to the research, herring tend to get together except ______.

A.when there are predators around  B. when they spawn C. when the sun sets  D. when the sun rises

4. What seems to be the main reason for herring to gather and move together?

A. To avoid the darkness.

B. To keep other kinds of fish out of their spawning ground.

C. To spawn in the shallow waters.

D. To make themselves feel safe.

Some fish form huge schools. Could fish set up schools and teach their children how to survive in the ocean? You may ask. No. Here the “schools” are not the places where you study. They are fish shoals (鱼群) that cover tens of kilometers. What causes hundreds of millions of fish to gather and move together is one of biology’s mysteries.
Darkness appears to be the first step to the creation of shoals, according to a study published in the March 27 journal Science. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and five other institutions studied Atlantic herring (鲱鱼), which forms shoals on a fishing ground off Massachusetts. They used an underwater imaging technology and fish-finding sonar (声纳) to observe the herring over several days in autumn when they spawn (产卵).
They found that, as the sun set, fish in scattered (分散的) groups began swimming much closer to one another than they normally do. When the number of fish reached a certain point in an area, this set off a chain reaction of similar behavior that spread like a sound wave through the water.
The herring’s movement seemed to be started by sunset. The team didn’t record the breakup of these shoals, but a previous study suggested that as the sun rose, the shoals fell apart.
“When the light fades (逐渐消失), it’s safer for the fish to move away from the seabed,” says Nicholas Makris, a professor at MIT who led the research. “Once they have a certain number of other fish, they suddenly come together - forming a shoal covering tens of kilometers within tens of minutes.”
Herring form shoals to migrate during the autumn spawning season. Some shoals were 40 km across and 30 m from top to bottom. They formed in deep water and moved into more shallow waters to spawn.
Forming shoals helps protect them from predators (掠食者) by giving them simple strength in numbers. The ordered movement of the shoal means the fish can reach their spawning ground more quickly and more safely.
Scientists have never before gathered information on so many animals acting together. Understanding these herring shoals could lead to more ideas about what causes animals to move in schools, says Iain Couzin, a biologist at Princeton University, US.

1. 1.

   Which school in the following expressions is used the same way as the underlined one in the first paragraph?

   1. A.
      schools of thoughts      
   2. B.
      school a horse  
   3. C.
      a school of whales      
   4. D.
      a medical school
2. 2.

   Which of the following statements is true?

   1. A.
      There are more large shoals of herring at night than in the daytime.
   2. B.
      The research on Atlantic herring was conducted independently by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
   3. C.
      The larger the shoal of herring is, the more slowly it moves.
   4. D.
      Scientists have found out the reason why fish gather and move together in huge shoals.
3. 3.

   According to the research, herring tend to get together except ______.

   1. A.
      when there are predators around 
   2. B.
      when they spawn
   3. C.
      when the sun sets 
   4. D.
      when the sun rises
4. 4.

   What seems to be the main reason for herring to gather and move together?

   1. A.
      To avoid the darkness.
   2. B.
      To keep other kinds of fish out of their spawning ground.
   3. C.
      To spawn in the shallow waters.
   4. D.
      To make themselves feel safe.