2013年职称英语考试卫生类B级真题及参考答案

第三篇 On the Trail of the Honey Badger

　　On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert，a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers(獾). The team employed a local wildlife expert，Kitso Khama，to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers’ movements and behavior as discreetly(谨慎地)as possible frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal’s reputation，this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.

　　“The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals，especially when they see something new.”he says.“That，combined with their unpredictable nature，can be a dangerous mixture. If they sense you have food，for example，they won’t be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They’re actually quite sociable creatures around humans，but as soon as they feel they might be in danger，they can become extremely vicious(凶恶的). Fortunately this is rare，but it does happen.”

　　The research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected，honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes，feared and avoided by most other animals，were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised，however，by the animal’s fondness for local melons，probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey(猎物). The team also learnt that，contrary to previous research findings，the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups. They were also able to confirm certain results from previous research，including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.

　　Following some of the male badgers was a challenge，since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males，there are occasional fights over an important food source，and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.

　　As the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people，it gave the team the to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals’ curiosity—or a sudden aggression. The badgers’ eating patterns，which had been disrupted，to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other that form working associations with the honey badger，as these seemed to badgers’ relaxed attitude when near humans.

　　41. Why did the wildlife experts visit the Kalahari Desert?

　　A To observe how honey badgers behave.

　　B To find where honey badgers live.

　　C To catch some honey badgers for food.

　　D To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation.

　　42. What does Kitso Khama say about honey badgers?

　　A They show interest in things they are not familiar with.

　　B They are always looking for food.

　　C They do not enjoy human company.

　　D It is common for them to attack people.

　　43. What did the team find out about honey badgers?

　　A They were some creatures they did not eat.

　　B They may get some of the water they needed from fruit.

　　C They were afraid of poisonous creatures.

　　D Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.

　　44. Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?

　　A They don’t run very quickly.

　　B They defend their territory from other badgers.

　　C They are more aggressive than females.

　　D They hunt over a very large area.

　　45. What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around then

　　A They became less aggressive towards other creature.

　　B They lost interest in people.

　　C They started eating more.

　　D Other animals started working with them

　　参考答案：AADDD