You may know the fable: a thirsty crow drops stones into a jar to drink. In a 2014 experiment, scientists ____1____ this — crows dropped stones into a water-filled tube to get food. This reveals the amazing ____2____ of corvids (鸦科鸟) like crows and jays.

Corvids are expert at ____3____ food. One bird can hide thousands of seeds and find them months later. In an experiment, scrub jays (灌丛鸦) ate worms first, leaving peanuts, ____4____ they knew what they stored and when. When they knew no food would be available the next day, they stored more, showing they can ____5____ ahead.

Crows can recognize human faces. In an experiment, after a masked person ____6____ them, the crows later attacked only the person in that mask, completely ____7____ all other masks.They also tend to avoid places where they saw a dead companion, connecting such places with ____8____.

Tool use is another ____9____ skill. New Caledonian crows make hooks from sticks; Japanese crows drop nuts for cars to ____10____ open. Young crows play often, which ____11____the foundation for intelligence.

Their smartness is linked to social life. They raise young cooperatively, share food, and ____12____ against predators. Some form lifelong pairs, responding to each other’s ____13____.

1.1.

A confirmed

B read

C forgot

D doubted

解析：选A。A 考查动词词义辨析。前文提到乌鸦投石取水的寓言，本句介绍2014年科学家开展相关实验“In a 2014 experiment”，乌鸦完成投石取食行为，结合后文语气“This reveals the amazing”综合可知，confirmed最契合语境。故选A。

2.2.

A strength

B intelligence

C speed

D beauty

解析：选B。B 考查名词词义辨析。前文乌鸦完成投石取食的实验行为，结合后文介绍鸦科动物各类出色生存行为，凸显这类鸟类的思维能力，intelligence表示智力、智慧，契合文意；strength（力量）、speed（速度）、beauty（外形）均脱离论述核心。故选B。

3.3.

A sharing

B cooking

C storing

D wasting

解析：选C。C 考查动名词词义辨析。后文原文“One bird can hide thousands of seeds and find them months later.”点明鸟类藏匿种子、延后取用，属于储食行为，storing表示储存，贴合语境。故选C。

4.4.

A suggesting

B denying

C fearing

D doubting

解析：选A。A 考查现在分词作状语+动词辨析。丛鸦先吃蠕虫、留存花生“ate worms first, leaving peanuts”，这一行为体现它记得储粮种类与时间，suggesting意为表明、印证，契合行文推导逻辑。故选A。

5.5.

A plan

B walk

C go

D turn

解析：选A。A 考查固定短语搭配。原文“When they knew no food would be available the next day, they stored more”鸟类知道次日无食物，进而储存更多粮食，体现前瞻性思维，plan ahead为固定搭配表示提前规划，贴合句意。故选A。

6.6.

A freed

B trapped

C praised

D fed

解析：选B。B 考查动词词义辨析+因果逻辑。后文“the crows later attacked only the person in that mask”说明乌鸦针对性攻击佩戴该面具的人，trapped表示困住、捕捉，属于负面行为；freed（解救）、praised（夸赞）、fed（投喂）均为善意行为，不会引发鸟类反击。故选B。

7.7.

A removing

B ignoring

C wearing

D attacking

解析：选B。B 考查非谓语动词+语境逻辑。句子表明乌鸦只攻击作恶者当时佩戴的面具，对其余面具置之不理，ignoring表示无视、忽视，贴合对比语境。故选B。

8.8.

A safety

B food

C danger

D curiosity

解析：选C。C 考查名词词义辨析。原文“They also tend to avoid places where they saw a dead companion”说明乌鸦避开同伴死亡的地点，将该处场地与风险绑定，danger意为危险，契合动物避险本能；safety（安全）、food（食物）、curiosity（好奇）不符合避险行为逻辑。故选C。

9.9.

A common

B physical

C impressive

D musical

解析：选C。C 考查形容词词义辨析。后文列举乌鸦自制工具、借力车辆开坚果等高阶生存行为，这类技能十分高超亮眼，impressive表示令人惊叹的、出色的，修饰工具使用技能；common（普通的）弱化技能优势，physical（肢体的）、musical（音乐的）和工具使用无关。故选C。

10.10.

A shut

B push

C lock

D crack

解析：选D。D 考查动词固定搭配。文中指乌鸦将坚果丢在路面，借助汽车碾压破开坚果外壳，crack open为固定搭配，表示硬物砸开、裂壳，适配坚果开壳场景；shut（关闭）、push（推动）、lock（锁住）均不符合动作语义。故选D。

11.11.

A doubts

B loses

C lays

D uses

解析：选C。C 考查固定搭配辨析。句意：幼鸦频繁玩耍，为智力发展打下基础，lay the foundation for为固定搭配，意为“为……奠定基础”；doubts（怀疑）、loses（丢失）、uses（使用）均无该固定句式搭配。故选C。

12.12.

A compete

B run

C defend

D unite

解析：选C。C 考查动词短语+并列语境。前文“raise young cooperatively, share food”罗列鸦类群居协作行为，此处并列表达联手抵御天敌，defend against表示防御、抵御，贴合群居求生习性；compete against（竞争）、run against（偶遇）、unite against（联合对抗）虽语法可行，但前文已提及cooperatively（合作），再用unite语义重复；且defend against predators（抵御捕食者）是更精准的群居防御行为，贴合上下文。故选C。

13.13.

A needs

B names

C songs

D fears

解析：选A。A 考查名词词义辨析。原文“Some form lifelong pairs”说明部分鸦科动物终生结伴，伴侣之间会互相配合、彼此照应，respond to each other’s needs表示回应彼此需求，贴合共生习性；names（名号）、songs（鸣叫）、fears（恐惧）不符合伴侣互动逻辑。故选A。

14.14.

A slow

B complex

C ordinary

D primitive

解析：选D。D 考查形容词辨析。句意：科学家曾误判鸟类大脑是_____。后文指出乌鸦大脑虽与猴子结构迥异，却在思维相关脑区拥有相似的神经元数量，进而推出不同进化路径仍可通向高级智能。这一转折表明，先前的误判是低估了鸟类大脑，认为其“原始、低级”。primitive（原始的）符合此意，且与下文advanced intelligence形成对照。slow（迟缓的）侧重速度，complex（复杂的）与误解方向相反，ordinary（普通的）不涉及“原始进化阶段”这层含义，均不贴合语境。故选D。

15.15.

A replies

B leads

C belongs

D refers

解析：选B。B 考查动词短语辨析。句意：不同进化路径最终造就高等智力，lead to为核心短语，意为促成、造就，契合文意；replied to（回复）、belonged to（属于）、referred to（提及）代入后语义不通。故选B。