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  • 1. (2018·葫芦岛模拟) 阅读理解

        According to new research from the University of Cambridge in England, sheep are able to recognize human faces from photographs.

        The farm animals, who are social and have large brains, were previously known to be able to recognize one another, as well as familiar humans. However, their ability to recognize human faces from photos alone is novel.

        The recent study, the results of which were published in the journal Royal Society; Open Science, show the woolly creatures could be trained to recognize still images of human faces, including those of former President Barack Obama and actress Emma Watson.

        Initially, the sheep were trained to approach certain images by being given food rewards. Later, they were able to recognize the images for which they had been rewarded. The sheep could even recognize images of faces shown at an angle, though their ability to do so declined by about 15 percent—the same rate at which a human's ability to perform the same task declines.

        “Anyone who has spent time working with sheep will know that they are intelligent and individual animals who are able to recognize their handlers.” said Professor Jenny Morton, who led the Cambridge study. “We've shown with our study that sheep have advanced face-recognition abilities, close to those of humans and monkeys.”

        Recognizing faces is one of the most important social skills for human beings, and some disorders of the brain, including Huntington's disease, affect this ability.

        “Sheep are long-lived and have brains that are similar in size and complexity to those of some monkeys. That means they can be useful models to help us understand disorders of the brain, such as Huntington's disease that develop over a long time and affect cognitive (认识的) abilities. Our study gives us another way to monitor how these abilities change.” Morton said.

    1. (1) According to the new research, what's unusual about sheep?
      A . They have large brains. B . They can recognize their owners. C . They can tell animals from humans. D . They can recognize human faces from photographs.
    2. (2) How did the researchers train the sheep?
      A . By giving food rewards. B . By showing photos of famous people. C . By guiding them to follow their handlers. D . By showing photos of humans and monkeys by tums.
    3. (3) What can be inferred from the passage?
      A . Sheep have a higher face-recognition ability than monkeys. B . The new discovery is of great benefit to the study of cognitive ability changes. C . The sheep's face-recognition ability may prevent some disorders of the brain. D . The sheep's face-recognition ability stays the same when shown photos at any angle.
    4. (4) What's the best title of the passage?
      A . A Wonderful Scientist. B . The Life of Sheep. C . A New Discovery about Sheep. D . How Sheep Recognize Each Other.

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