Listening to Birdsong
Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female nearby. With an audience, the males sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used. For this Study, researchers Sarah C. Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California, San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females, which have not been well studied in the past.
Female birds were placed between the two speakers. Some of the birds had mates, others didnt. The females shifted around a bit, and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience, even if theyd never met the male.
Scientists then studied the brains of the females. They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs. These brain areas may be involved in recognizing and evaluating the songs, and storing the memories of them. This research deals with whats called directed communication, when the communicator, or sender, focuses the message for a specific audience. One example is the way morns speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high-pitched sing-song chatter, and the babies respond best to those sounds. Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication, in this case their songs.
A Male zebra finches like to sing to female zebra finches.
C Male zebra finches change their songs in female zebra finches presence.
32 What did the researchers find in their study of female zebra finches? _________
B Female finches only liked songs male finches sang for their mates.
D Female finches chose the best male singers as their mates.
A Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert.
C Songs sung by female finches for male finches.
34 What is NOT tree of directed communication? __________
B Male zebra finches sing to female finches.
D Male zebra finches sing to themselves.
A Chirping away.
C Zebra finches and their life.
参考答案：
32 A选项B、C、D都不是答案，因为文章的第五段说，有配偶的雌性斑胸草雀更喜欢听她配偶的歌声，而没有配偶的喜欢听雄性斑胸草雀为雌性斑胸草雀唱的歌。
34 D文章的最后一段解释了什么是directed communication，即，when the communicator， or sender，focuses the message for a specific audience.该段又举了母亲对婴儿说话的例子，说明这与雄性斑胸草雀唱歌同属directed communication。