All we can do is to try to find a few results that hold true for most birds. One rule is that birds with brighter colors spend most of their time in tree-tops, in the air, or on the water. Birds with duller(暗淡) colors live mostly on or near the ground.

Another rule is that the upperparts of birds are darker in color than underparts  So scientists think that the reason(原因) birds have colors is for protection(保护).So that they can’t easily be seen by others.

The colors are meant to protect birds, the male or the female! Especially for the female, because she has to sit on the eggs and hatch(孵化) them. So she has duller colors to keep her better hidden from others.

Another reason for the brighter colors of the male birds is that they help draw interest of the female during the breeding(繁殖) season. This is usually the time when the male birds’ colors are brightest of all. Even among birds, they can be loved at first sight!

1.The coloring of birds has something to do with 　　　　 

A. the ground where birds like to live

B. the place where birds usually live

C. the tree tops, the air and the water

D. rules that hold true for most birds

2.What kind of birds can be found often in tree-tops, in the air or on the water?

A. Birds with duller colors　　　　　　　　　　　　 

B. Birds with darker colors

C. Birds with brighter colors　　　　　　　　　　  

D. Birds with different colors

3.The female bird has duller colors so she    　　  

A. can keep her better hidden from the male bird

B. can sit on the eggs and hatch them easily

C. can protect other female birds in the woods

D. can keep herself safe from danger

4.During the breeding season, a female bird 　　　　  as soon as she sees his brightest colors.

A. will show interest in a male bird

B. will help a male bird hatch eggs

C. will draw interest of a male bird

D. will hide herself among birds

5.Which of the following is the best title(标题) for this passage ?

A. Why does a Male Bird Usually Love a Female Bird

B. Reasons for the Brighter Colors of the Male Bird

C. There Can Be Love among the Male and Female Birds

D. Female Birds Need More Protection than Male Birds

Animals do many different, amazing things to get through the winter. Some of them migrate. They travel to other places where the weather is warmer or where they can find food.

Many birds migrate in autumn. Because the trip can be dangerous, some travel in large groups. For example, geese(鹅) fly in noisy, “V”-shaped groups. Other kinds of birds fly alone.

Some animals stay active in winter. They must change themselves as the weather changes. Many change their doing or their bodies. For example, snowshoe rabbits grow white fur to help them hide in the snow.

Food is hard to find in winter. Some animals, like mice, collect lots of food in autumn and store it to eat later. Some animals eat different kinds of food as the seasons change.

Some animals hibernate for part or all of the winter. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal’s body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy. In autumn, these animals get ready for winter by eating much more food than in summer and storing it as body fat. They use this fat to keep them alive while hibernating.

Water makes good protection for many animals. When the weather gets cold, they move to the bottom of lakes and rivers. There, frogs and many fish hide under rocks or fallen leaves. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water, and frogs can breathe through their skin.

Every type of insect has its own life cycle and that is the way it grows and changes. Different insects spend the winter in different forms of their lives. Some insects also spend the winter without moving. Some insects spend the winter as pupae（蛹）. Other insects die after laying eggs in autumn. The eggs change into new insects in spring and everything begins all over again.

1  What does the underlined word “migrate” in the first paragraph most probably mean ?

A. move from one place to another                  B. sleep in the winter  

C. disappear                                    D. look for food

2  Why do many birds fly in large groups?

A. They can easily find food this way.       B. There may be danger during the trip.

C. They can get warm at night.             D. They will use little energy.

3  Snowshoe rabbits spend the cold winter by __________.

A. breathing through their skin              B. eating a lot of food

C. sleeping for the whole winter            D. growing white thicker fur

4 The main purpose of the examples in the last paragraph is to tell us ________.

A. most insects die when winter comes

B. different insects grow and change in their own ways

C. most insects spend the winter without moving           

D. different insects grow and change in the same ways

5  What is the passage mainly about?

A. How living things grow and change in the winter.

B. How living things spend the winter.

C. How living things get food in the winter.

D. How living things travel in the winter.