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　　下面新東方網雅思頻道為大家整理了一篇自然類的雅思閱讀真題，主要內容是討論了關于螞蟻的智慧的問題。據來自斯坦福大學的消息，一只螞蟻可能并不是很聰明，但是一群螞蟻的智慧是不可估量的。這是為什麼呢?　　STANFORD-Anindividualantisnotverybright,butantsinacolony,operatingasacollective,doremarkablethings.　　Asingleneuroninthehumanbraincanrespondonlytowhattheneuronsconnectedtoitaredoing,butallofthemtogethercanbeImmanuelKant.　　ThatresemblanceiswhyDeborahM.Gordon,StanfordUniversityassistantprofessorofbiologicalsciences,studiesants.　　Iminterestedinthekindofsystemwheresimpleunitstogetherdobehaveincomplicatedways,shesaid.　　Noonegivesordersinanantcolony,yeteachantdecideswhattodonext.　　Forinstance,anantmayhaveseveraljobdescriptions.Whenthecolonydiscoversanewsourceoffood,anantdoinghousekeepingdutymaysuddenlybecomeaforager.Orifthecolonysterritorysizeexpandsorcontracts,patrollerantschangetheshapeoftheirreconnaissancepatterntoconformtothenewrealities.Sincenooneisinchargeofanantcolony-includingthemisnamedqueen,whichissimplyabreeder-howdoeseachantdecidewhattodo?　　Thiskindofundirectedbehaviorisnotuniquetoants,Gordonsaid.Howdobirdsflyinginaflockknowwhentomakeacollectiverightturn?Allanchoviesandotherschoolingfishseemtoturninunison,yetnoonefishistheleader.　　GordonstudiesharvesterantsinArizonaand,bothinthefieldandinherlab,theso-calledArgentineantsthatareubiquitoustocoastalCalifornia.　　ArgentineantscametoLouisianainasugarshipmentin1908.TheyweredrivenoutoftheGulfstatesbythefireantandinvadedCalifornia,wheretheyhavedisplacedmostofthenativeantspecies.OneofthethingsGordonisstudyingishowtheydidso.NoonehaseverseenanantwarinvolvingtheArgentinespeciesandthenativespecies,soitsnotclearwhethertheyarequietlyaggressiveorjustfindwaysoftakingoverfoodresourcesandterritory.　　TheArgentineantsinherlabalsoarebeingstudiedtohelpherunderstandhowtheychangebehaviorasthesizeofthespacetheyareexploringvaries.　　Theantsaregoodatfindingnewplacestoliveinandgoodatfindingfood,Gordonsaid.Wereinterestedinfindingouthowtheydoit.　　HerantsareconfinedbyPlexiglaswallsandanastyglue-likesubstancealongthetopsoftheboardsthatkeepstheantsinside.Shemovesthewallsinandouttochangethearenaandvideotapestheantsmovements.Acomputertrackseachantfromitsimageonthetapeandreadsitspositionsoshehasadiagramoftheantsactivities.　　Themotionsoftheantsconfirmtheexistenceofacollective.　　Acolonyisanalogoustoabrainwheretherearelotsofneurons,eachofwhichcanonlydosomethingverysimple,buttogetherthewholebraincanthink.Noneoftheneuronscanthinkant,butthebraincanthinkant,thoughnothinginthebraintoldthatneurontothinkant.　　Forinstance,antsscoutforfoodinaprecisepattern.Whathappenswhenthatpatternnolongerfitsthecircumstances,suchaswhenGordonmovesthewalls?　　Antscommunicatebychemicals,shesaid.Thatshowtheymostlyperceivetheworld;theydontseeverywell.Theyusetheirantennaetosmell.Sotosmellsomething,theyhavetogetveryclosetoit.　　Thebestpossiblewayforantstofindeverything-ifyouthinkofthecolonyasanindividualthatistryingtodothis-istohaveananteverywhereallthetime,becauseifitdoesnthappenclosetoanant,theyrenotgoingtoknowaboutit.Ofcourse,therearenotenoughantsinthecolonytodothat,sosomehowtheantshavetomovearoundinapatternthatallowsthemtocoverspaceefficiently.

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