Rats and other animals need to be highly attuned to social signals from others so they can identify friends to cooperate with and enemies to avoid. To find out if this extends to non-living beings, Loleh Quinn at the University of California, San Diego, and her colleagues tested whether rats can detect social signals from robotic rats.
They housed eight adult rats with two types of robotic rat — one social and one asocial — for four days.
The robots rats were quite minimalist, resembling a chunkier version of a computer mouse with wheels to move around and colorful markings.
During the experiment, the social robot rat followed the living rats around, played with the same toys, and opened caged doors to let trapped rats escape. Meanwhile, the asocial robot simply moved forwards and backwards and side to side.
Next, the researchers trapped the robots in cages and gave the rats the opportunity to release them by pressing a lever.
Across 18 trials each, the living rats were 52 percent more likely on average to set the social robot free than the asocial one. This suggests that the rats perceived the social robot as a genuine social being. They may have bonded more with the social robot because it displayed behaviors like communal exploring and playing. This could lead to the rats better remembering having freed it earlier, and wanting the robot to return the favour when they get trapped, says Quinn.
The readiness of the rats to befriend the social robot was surprising given its minimal design. The robot was the same size as a regular rat but resembled a simple plastic box on wheels. “We’d assumed we’d have to give its moving head and tail, facial features, and put a scene on it to make it smell like a real rat, but that wasn’t necessary,” says Janet Wiles at the University of Queensland in Australia, who helped with the research.
The finding shows how sensitive rats are to social cues, even when they come from basic robots. Similarly, children tend to treat robots as if they are fellow beings, even when they display only simple social signals. “We humans seem to be fascinated by robots, and it turns out other animals are too,” says Wiles.
（1）Quinn and her colleagues conducted a test to see if rats can （ ）.
（2）What did the asocial robot do during the experiment?
（3）According to Quinn, the rats released the social robot because they （ ）.
（4）James Wiles notes that rats（ ）.
（5）It can be learned from the text that rats（ ）.
问题1选项
A.pick up social signals from non-living rats
B.distinguish a friendly rat from a hostile one
C.attain sociable traits through special training
D.send out warning messages to their fellows
问题2选项
A.It followed the social robot.
B.It played with some toys.
C.It set the trapped rats free.
D.It moved around alone.
问题3选项
A.tried to practice a means of escape
B.expected it to do the same in return
C.wanted to display their intelligence
D.considered that an interesting game
问题4选项
A.can remember other rat’s facial features
B.differentiate smells better than sizes
C.respond more to actions than to looks
D.can be scared by a plastic box on wheels
问题5选项
A.appear to be adaptable to new surroundings
B.are more socially active than other animals
C.behave differently from children in socializing
D.are more sensitive to social cues than expected
第1题:A
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:C
第5题:D
第1题:
【选项释义】
21. Quinn and her colleagues conducted a test to see if rats can _____. 奎因和她的同事进行了一项测试，看看老鼠是否可以_____。
A. pick up social signals from non-living rats A. 从无生命的老鼠身上获取社交信号
B. distinguish a friendly rat from a hostile one B. 区分友善的老鼠和敌对的老鼠
C. attain sociable traits through special training C. 通过特殊训练获得社交能力
D. send out warning messages to their fellow D. 向他们的同伴发出警告
【答案】A
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到第一段最后一句“为了弄清楚这是否延伸到非生物身上（non-living beings），圣地亚哥加利福尼亚大学的Loleh Quinn和她的同事们测试了老鼠是否能检测到机器老鼠发出的社会信号（rats can detect social signals from robotic rats）”，由此可知，选项A符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
2. What did the asocial robot do during the experiment? 这个非社交机器老鼠在实验中做了什么？
A. It followed the social robot. A. 它跟着社交机器老鼠。
B. It played with some toys. B. 它玩玩具。
C. It set the trapped rats free. C. 它把困住的老鼠放了出来。
D. It moved around alone. D. 它独自移动。
【答案】D
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到第四段“在实验过程中，社交机器老鼠（the social robot）跟随活着的老鼠，玩同样的玩具，打开笼子的门让被困的老鼠逃跑。与此同时，非社交机器老鼠（the asocial robot）只需前后左右移动（moved forwards and backwards and side to side）”，由此可知，选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项都属于社交机器老鼠的行为，属于张冠李戴。
第3题:
【选项释义】
3. According to Quinn, the rats released the social robot because they _____. 奎因表示，老鼠释放社交机器老鼠是因为它们_____。
A. tried to practice a means of escape A. 试图尝试一种逃跑的方法
B. expected it to do the same in return B. 希望它也能这么做
C. wanted to display their intelligence C. 想要展示它们的智慧
D. considered that an interesting game D. 认为这是一个有趣的游戏
【答案】B
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】定位到第六段最后一句“这可能会让老鼠更好地记住早些时候把它放出来的事，并希望当它们被困时，机器人能回报它们（wanting the robot to return the favor）”，由此可知，选项B符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项在原文中均未提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
4. Janet Wiles notes that rats _____. 珍妮特•怀尔斯指出，老鼠_____。
A. can remember other rat’s facial features A. 能记住其他老鼠的面部特征
B. differentiate smells better than sizes B. 区分气味比区分大小更有效
C. respond more to actions than to looks C. 对行动的反应比对外表的反应更强烈
D. can be scared by a plastic box on wheels D. 会被一个带轮子的塑料盒子吓到
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】定位第七段最后一句“澳大利亚昆士兰大学的珍妮特•怀尔斯参与了这项研究，她说：‘我们假设（assumed）我们必须给出它移动的头部和尾部、面部特征（moving head and tail, facial features），并在上面设置一个场景，让它闻起来像一只真正的老鼠（smell like a real rat），但这不是必要的（wasn’t necessary）’”，由此可知A、B选项都与原文不符。最后一段的最后一句“怀尔斯说：‘我们人类似乎对机器人着迷，而其他动物也是如此’”，综合可知，对行动的反应多于对外表的反应，选项C符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B选项不符合原文，属于曲解原文；
D选项“会被一个带轮子的塑料盒子吓到”，原文根本没提及“吓到”，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
5. It can be learned from the text that rats _____. 可以从文章中知道老鼠_____。
A. appear to be adaptable to new surroundings A. 似乎能适应新环境
B. are more socially active than other animals B. 比其他动物更善于社交
C. behave differently from children in socializing C. 在社交上表现得与孩子不同
D. are more sensitive to social cues than expected D. 对社交暗示比预期更敏感
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】定位到最后一段首句“这一发现显示了老鼠对社交暗示（social cues）的敏感程度（how sensitive），即使是来自基本机器老鼠的社交暗示”，因此，选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A、B选项原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
C选项“在社交上表现得与孩子不同”，与原文最后一段一、二句“这一发现显示了老鼠（rats）对社交暗示（social cues）的敏感程度，即使是来自基本机器老鼠的社交暗示。同样（Similarly），孩子们（children）倾向于把机器人当作自己的同胞，即使它们只显示简单的社会信号（simple social signals）”不符，属于曲解原文。
【参考译文】
老鼠和其他动物需要高度适应来自他人的社交信号，这样才能识别出要合作的朋友和要躲避的敌人。为了弄清这一点是否也适用于非生物，加利福尼亚大学圣迭戈分校的洛莱赫·奎恩和她的同事们测试了老鼠是否能探测到机器老鼠发出的社交信号。
他们将8只成年大鼠与两种类型的机器大鼠——一种是社交型，一种是非社交型——一起饲养了5天。
机器人大鼠的外形非常简约，就像一个大块头的电脑鼠标，有滚轮可以移动，并有五颜六色的标记。
在实验过程中，社交机器老鼠跟着活老鼠到处跑，玩同样的玩具，还打开笼子的门让被困的老鼠逃跑。与此同时，非社交的机器老鼠只是前后左右移动。
接下来，研究人员将机器老鼠困在笼子里，让老鼠有机会按下杠杆释放它们。
在18次试验中，活体老鼠释放社交机器老鼠的几率平均比释放非社交机器老鼠的几率高出52%。这表明，老鼠认为社交机器老鼠是真正的社会存在。由于社交机器老鼠表现出了共同探索和玩耍等行为，它们可能与社交机器老鼠建立了更多的联系。奎恩说，这可能会让老鼠更好地记住先前释放机器老鼠的情景，并在被困时希望机器老鼠回报它们。
鉴于社交机器老鼠的简约设计，老鼠愿意与它交朋友的意愿令人惊讶。机器老鼠和普通老鼠一样大小，但却像一个带轮子的简易塑料盒。澳大利亚昆士兰大学的珍妮特·怀尔斯说：“我们本以为要给它活动的头和尾巴、面部特征，并在它身上设置一个场景，让它闻起来像一只真正的老鼠，但这并没有必要。”她为这项研究提供了帮助。
这一发现表明，老鼠对社交线索非常敏感，即使这些线索来自基本的机器老鼠。同样，儿童也倾向于把机器人当作自己的伙伴，即使它们只显示出简单的社交信号。怀尔斯说：“我们人类似乎对机器人很着迷，事实证明其他动物也是如此。”
【出处】《新科学人》2018.11.27
