公共英语培训辅导

One such bird─a warbler─had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use stars for guidance. The bird’s cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in the position of the artificial stars caused a change in the direction of his flight.

Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance. But stars are apparently their main means of directed flight in the night. What do they do when stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines and river courses. But when it is too dark to see these, the warblers circle helplessly, unable to find their way. (2005年12月浙江省大学英语三级考试题)