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Anyone who has seen Disney¡¦s The Lion King will agree that one of the movie¡¦s most popular characters is Timon. Timon, along with his best friend Pumbaa, provides Simba, the movie¡¦s protagonist, with what he needs the most when they first encounter him¡Xkindness and loyalty.
While millions of young children have viewed this classic movie, many of them might not be aware that Timon is actually
a real-life meerkat, a small mammal native to the desert lands of southern Africa. Meerkats have a unique and adorable appearance primarily characterized by an upright standing posture and dark patches around their eyes. Particularly, it is their standing pose that sets them apart from other mammals, most of which feel more comfortable on four legs.
Despite their cute appearance, meerkats must adopt clever strategies to survive in the harsh desert environment. They are highly cooperative and social animals living in family groups known as ¡§mobs.¡¨ Each mob has a dominant female in charge, and the other members of the mob have defined roles to ensure that no task is left undone. Some serve as watchers who look out for dangerous predators in the sky like eagles and hawks, while others hunt for food, including fruits, insects, small birds, rodents, and lizards. Meerkat mobs live in homes called burrows, which are essentially underground tunnel systems that enable groups to keep cool in the scorching African sun.
Intelligent and loyal, meerkats are truly not too far removed from the one depicted in the Disney classic. These fascinating creatures are much more than just cute animals and can surely teach us a thing or two about ¡§standing¡¨ up for one another.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
(A) To outline the personalities of meerkats.
(B) To introduce a Disney classic to the readers.
(C) To set the stage for the discussion of meerkats.
(D) To specify what role Timon plays in Simba¡¦s life.
2. Which of the following aspects of meerkats are mentioned in the passage?
a. mating behavior b. physical features
c. living habitats d. natural enemies
e. stress response f. dietary habits
(A) a, b, c, f
(B) b, c, d, f
(C) a, d, e, f
(D) b, d, e, f
3. According to the passage, which of the following is a meerkat LEAST likely to eat?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
4. What can be inferred about meerkats from the passage?
(A) A male meerkat rules over the whole family.
(B) The division of labor in their mobs is quite clear.
(C) They only switch to standing positions when facing threats.
(D) Timon¡¦s image in the Disney classic is totally different from that in real life.
µª®×: 1.C 2.B 3.D 4.B
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The author published three books this year, two of _____ are ranked on the bestseller list.
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