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The secret of carrier pigeons' unbelievable ability to find their way home has been discovered by
scientists: the feathered navigators follow the roads just like we do.
Scientists now believe the phrase "as the crow (烏鴉) flies" no longer means the shortest most
direct route between two points. They say it is likely that crows and other day birds also choose
AA-suggested routes, even though it makes their journeys longer.
Scientists at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using global positioning
satellite (GPS) and got a surprising result. The birds often don't use the sun to decide their directions.
Instead they fly along motorways, turn at crossing and even go around roundabouts (繞道) , adding
miles to their journeys.
"It really has knocked our research team sideways to find that after a decade-long international
study, pigeons appear to ignore their inbuilt directional instincts (本能) and follow the road system,"
said Prof Tim Guilford, reader in animal behavior at Oxford University's Department of Zoology.
Guilford said pigeons use their own navigational system (導(dǎo)航系統(tǒng)) when doing long distance trips
or when a bird does a journey for the first time.
"But once homing pigeons have flown a journey more than once, they can fly home on a habitual
route, much as we do when we are driving or walking home from work," said Guilford.
"In short, it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road. They are just making their
journey as simpl e as possible."
1.What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Birds Follow Roads as We do.
B. Why Pigeons Can Fly long Distance?
C. How Pigeons Find Their Ways Home?
D. Why Crows Fly the Shortest Distance?
2.What does the words "the feathered navigators" refer to?
A. The pigeons.
B. The crows.
C. Day birds.
D. Animals that can fly.
3.Scientists used to think that homing pigeons often find their directions _______.
A. by global positioning satellite
B. by the sun
C. by the road system
D. by following other birds
4.Why do homing pigeons tend to follow the road system during the journey?
A. Because they don't have their inbuilt directional instincts now.
B. Because their own navigational system doesn't work.
C. Because it is too hard to use their own navigational system.
D. Because it is easier to make journey simple by following road system.
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