19.Using the term"bird brain"is one way to look down upon another person's intelligence.That is because a bird's brain is small.So,anyone with such a bird-sized brain was thought to be not that intelligent.
But calling some one a bird brain might not be as offensive as it once was.That finding comes from a study of the mental abilities of birds.
Two European scientists reported that at least two kinds of birds-crows and parrots-can think logically.A crow or parrot can recognize itself when the bird sees its image in a mirror.The scientists say crows and parrot also can feel empathy.In other words,they are able to understand and share the experiences and emotions of other birds.According to researchers,these abilities are"as complex and diverse as those of apes(猿)".
However,the brains of birds and those of apes are different.The brain of a bird does not have a neocortex (新大腦皮層).The neocortex controls thinking and remembering.A bird brain is also much smaller than the brain of a monkey or other apes.
So why can birds perform as well as mammals in some activities?
Researchers in Germany suggest that different methods of complex thinking developed independently in birds and mammals.The researchers found that the brains of birds and mammals do have different structures.But there are also similarities in the brain architecture.The brains of both creatures have what is called a pre-frontal (前額葉) structure that controls similar high-level functions.They reported their findings in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
32.The underlined phrase in paragraph 1refers to a person whoA.
A.was no brighter than a bird
B.had a small brain like a bird's
C.thought in the way birds think
D.could see things from a bird's view
33.Why does the author mention crows and parrots?C
A.To show birds can see their image in a mirror.
B.To inform us that birds can perform as well as apes.
C.To prove birds are not as stupid as they were thought before.
D.To tell us birds think in the same way as other mammals.
34.What can apes control with the neocortex while birds can't?B
A.Seeing and thinking.
B.Thinking and remembering.
C.Seeing and remembering.
D.Thinking and behaving.
35.Why can birds perform as well as mammals in some activities?A
A.They have similar brain architecture with a pre-frontal structure.
B.Both of them have ever faced the same challenges.
C.They have the same brain structure to control their performance.
D.They have the same size of brain to control their behavior.