A new study shows that squirrels are willing to make extra effort to get their favourite food. Many animals eat whatever is near them. Squirrels, however, prefer tastier snacks even when they are harder to get.

British researchers put different foods on poles (杆) of different heights. Squirrels could easily climb a wooden pole to get to pumpkin seeds (籽). They could use a taller, more slippery (滑的) plastic pole to reach their favourite snacks. During the study, 11 wild gray squirrels made more than 4,000 choices. Even when faced with a more difficult climb, the animals still tried to choose their favourite food.

A squirrel’s place in its group influenced decisions. Lower-level squirrels preferred to choose food that was easier to reach. If squirrels took extra time to get to the tastier snacks, there could be a risk. They may lose the food to a stronger rival (对手). Just like humans, squirrels will adjust (调整) how much work they need to get what they want depending on the situation.

1.1. In which part of a magazine may we read the passage?

A Sports news.

B Art world.

C Wildlife.

D Lifestyle.

解析：选C。文章出处推断题。解析：全文围绕野生动物松鼠的行为研究展开，对应杂志 “Wildlife 野生动物” 板块。sports news 体育、art world 艺术、lifestyle 生活方式均与本文主题无关。

2.2. Where are the researchers from?

A France.

B The USA.

C Australia.

D The UK.

解析：选D。细节理解题。解析：原文第二段开头 “British researchers”，British 意为英国的，对应 the UK 英国。

3.3. What saying does the new study about squirrels make us believe?

A No pain, no gain.

B Practice makes perfect.

C Every dog has its day.

D Many hands make light work.

解析：选A。谚语理解。解析：研究核心：松鼠愿意付出额外辛苦，去换取更喜欢的食物。No pain, no gain 一分耕耘，一分收获，对应付出努力才有收获。 B 熟能生巧；C 人人皆有得意时；D 众人拾柴火焰高，均不符合文意。

4.4. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph shows that the squirrels are _______.

A generous

B friendly

C hard-working

D smart

解析：选D。推理判断题。解析：划线句 “Just like humans, squirrels will adjust how much work they need to get what they want depending on the situation.” 松鼠可以根据现实处境灵活调整自己的策略，体现松鼠是smart 聪明的。generous 慷慨；friendly 友好；hardworking 勤奋，该句重点讲灵活应变，不是单纯讲勤劳。