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Ben Van Allen liked to collect caterpillars(毛毛虫) when he was young. While doing postdoctoral research at Louisiana State University, Van Allen saw that some of the caterpillars were having others for lunch. Rather than cry over his losses, Van Allen took advantage of the cannibalism for his research.

"Generally speaking, it's nutritious to eat the same species, because they have all the nutrients that are already inside you, so it's an easy-to-process meal. It also reduces the amount of competition you are going to experience. It's just one fewer individual trying to eat the same food you are, in the same area. And it's usually easy to find members of the same species too, since they live in the same place you do." Van Allen and his colleagues collected the caterpillars to study disease transmission(传播) in lepidoptera(鳞翅类物种)—moths and butterflies.

After observing the cannibalism, they wondered if their subjects' appetite for each other might be dangerous for the individual. if it eats an infected cousin which benefits the group, it removes the infected individual from the group. "Our main point is that it is an individually risky thing for a caterpillar; however, for groups, the cannibalism actually prevent diseases from getting into the group in the first place." Van Allen's study is in the journal American Naturalist.

1.What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “cannibalism”?

A 同类相食.

B 共享午餐.

C 糖果理论.

D 蜡烛理论.

解析：选A。词义猜测题。根据前文some of the caterpillars were having others for lunch可知cannibalism意为“同类相食”，故选A。

2.It's _____ to eat the same species.

A happy

B nutritious

C interesting

D impossible

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第二段it's nutritious to eat the same species可知吃同类是很有营养的，故选B。

3.Why did Van Allen and his colleagues collect the caterpillars?

A They wanted to study their daily life.

B They wanted to study their lunch.

C They wanted to study their eating habits.

D They wanted to study disease transmission.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据第二段Van Allen and colleagues collected the caterpillars to study disease transmission in lepidoptera—moths and butterflies.可知范·阿伦和他的同事们收集了这种毛毛虫是来研究疾病传播，故选D。

4.What does cannibalism actually prevent from getting into the group?

A Butterflies.

B Disease.

C Animals.

D Birds.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据最后一段Our main point is that it is an individually risky thing for a caterpillar; however, for groups, the cannibalism actually prevent diseases from getting into the group in the first place.可知同类相食从一开始就预防了传染病进入该种群，故选B。

5.Where can we read the passage?

A In an advertisement.

B In a science fiction.

C In a fairy tale.

D In a journal.

解析：选D。推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句Van Allen's study is in the journal American Naturalist.可知范·阿伦的这项研究发表在了《美国自然主义者》杂志上，故可在杂志上读到这篇文章，故选D。