Of all the creatures in the animal kingdom, a shark is the one many people are likely to avoid. But of the 400 or so shark species swimming in the oceans, just three or four attack humans.

And now a study suggests that, in fact, sharks have complex personalities, and many of them are surprisingly sociable. The research appears to prove that sociability between sharks varies enormously, and is not determined by the species or where they happen to live.

The study analyzed 10 groups of 10 small spotted catsharks, watching their interaction in three environments. It showed that some sharks — regardless of environment — enjoy each other’s company, gathering in groups and sometimes lying on top of each other to rest. But other sharks were loners, staying away from any group.

The study shows animals display not just character traits, but individual personalities, and possibly even emotion, too. Prof William Hughes, an animal behavior expert, says: “Personality is just a term used. We’re not talking about animals having human personality traits. What we mean by animal personality is their individual behavioral traits remain the same over time and across contexts.”

The professor took human behavior as an example. “Imagine if we took 10 work colleagues and placed them in a bar, and observed which individuals sat with which other individuals for the evening. Then you did the same thing in a nightclub and in the work environment.”

Some small spotted catsharks are found fond of hanging out with their friends. Others, bless them, just want some peace and quiet away from the dance floor. A similar experiment observed lemon sharks and found that while some were curiosity seekers, others were less keen to explore. “They are not machines, they have personalities,” the researcher said.

Scientists are increasingly confident that animals, from insects to primates, display complex personalities. They found that freshwater crayfish display anxiety, hiding in dark corners of a tank, rather than brightly lit parts. Brown trout also display shyness.

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1.What is the discovery of the study of sharks?

A A small percentage of sharks attack people.

B People think sharks are very dangerous.

C Sharks have different personalities.

D Sharks like to lie on top of each other to rest.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章第二段…a study suggests that…sharks have complex personalities可知，研究发现鲨鱼具有复杂多样的个性。

2.What is animal personality according to Prof William Hughes?

A Animal personality refers to the sociability despite of species.

B Animal personality means they always behave in the same way.

C Animal personality refers to their sociability with other individuals.

D Animal personality shows their interests and emotions.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第四段可知，所谓动物个性，指的是在动物的具体行为在一定的时间和环境下保持不变。

3.Why does the author include Prof William Hughes’ example in the passage?

A To tell us that many people spend the evening in the nightclub.

B To prove that people are also living a sociable life.

C To further explain personality traits of human beings.

D To help the readers have a better understanding of animal personality.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。文章第五段拿人类做例子，与鲨鱼的特性（第四段）进行了对比，目的是为了让读者更好地理解什么是动物个性。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A People have a wrong impression of sharks.

B Sharks are aggressive to other animals.

C Sharks are like machines without emotions.

D The place they live determine sharks’ personalities.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据文章可知，研究证实了很多人害怕鲨鱼而躲避的做法是错误的，鲨鱼的个性复杂多样，而且像人类一样可爱。

5.What will freshwater crayfish do if they are anxious?

A They lie on top of each other.

B They swim out to seek what is curious to them.

C They stay in dark corners of a tank.

D The hang out in the bright area of the water.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段…display anxiety, hiding in dark corners of a tank可知，焦躁不安的小龙虾躲在水箱的阴暗处。