阅读理解ThroughaseriesofexperimentsanAmericanscientisthasobtainedanunderstandingofthesocialstructureofthemostcomplexofantsocieties.Theantsexaminedaretheonlycreaturesotherthanmantohavegiveup

　　阅读理解

　　ThroughaseriesofexperimentsanAmericanscientisthasobtainedanunderstandingofthesocialstructureofthemostcomplexofantsocieties.Theantsexaminedaretheonlycreaturesotherthanmantohavegiveuphuntingandcollectingforacompletelyagriculturalwayoflife.Intheirundergroundneststheycultivate(耕作、培植)gardensonsoilmadefromfinelychopped(捣碎)leaves.Thisisacomplexoperationrequiringconsiderabledivisionoflabour.Theworkersofthistypeofantcanbedividedintofourgroupsaccordingtosize.Eachofthegroupsperformsaparticularsetofjobs.

　　Themakingandcareofthegardensandthenursingoftheyoungantsaredonebythesmallestworkers.Slightlylargerworkersareresponsibleforchoppingupleavestomakethemsuitableforuseinthegardensandforcleaningthenest.Athirdgroupofstilllargerantsdotheconstructionworkandcollectfreshleavesfromoutsidethenest.Thelargestarethesoldierants，responsiblefordefendingthenest.

　　Tofindouthowgoodthevarioussize-groupsareatdifferenttasksthescientistmeasuredtheamountofworkdonebytheantsagainsttheamountofenergytheyused.Heexaminedfirstthegatheringandcarryingofleaves.heselectedoneofthesizegroupsandthenmeasuredhowefficientlytheseantscouldfindleavesandrunbacktothenest.Thenherepeatedtheexperimentforeachoftheother-size-groups.Inthiswayhecouldseewhetheranygroupcoulddothejobmoreefficientlythanthegroupnormallyundertakingit.

　　Theintermediate-sizedantsthatnormallyperformthistaskprovedtobethemostefficientfortheirenergycostsbutwhenthescientistexaminedthewholesetofjobsperformedbyeachgroupofantsitappearedthatsomesizesofworkerantwerenotideallysuitedtotheparticularjobstheyperformed.

　　1．Inwhichwayaretheantsdifferentfromothernonhumansocieties?

　　[]

　　A．Theydonotneedtosearchforfood.

　　B．Theydonotneedtolookforshelter.

　　C．Individualsvaryinsocialstatus.

　　D．Individualsperformdifferentfunctions(作用)

　　2．Itseemsthatsmallerantsperformmoreofthe_____.

　　[]

　　A．constructiontasks.

　　B．hometasks.

　　C．defensivework

　　D．heavy