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A mother swan is said to have died from a "broken heart" after her eggs were smashed by heartless people and her mate disappeared. The unborn swans were killed last month when vandals used bricks and rocks to smash up the nest in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

The mother was found dead earlier this week not long after the father disappeared, having apparently been driven away by stress. Teenage boys were seen throwing bricks and rocks along Manchester Canal in Kearsley, and witnesses said the vandals were aiming for an island where the adult swans had made a nest and incubated their eggs. Three of the six eggs were smashed. Wildlife activists, who were keeping an eye on the swans, said more eggs were lost in recent weeks and just one remained. The male swan left the nest about two weeks ago and hasn't been seen since then. The activists believe he was driven away by stress.

According to the Swan Sanctuary, if a mate disappears or is killed, the surviving mate will go through a grieving process like humans do, and then remain where it is, find a new place of water to live, or fly off and join a flock. The activists were left heartbroken earlier this week when the female swan was found dead in the nest where her eggs were smashed. Activist Sam Woodrow said, "There's not much I can say really. She probably died of a broken heart as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress."

An RSPCA spokesman said, “This is a really sad development and it is very upsetting to hear about the death of this poor swan. We are investigating the previous worrying incident and we would urge anyone with information to contact our appeals line on 0300 123 8018. Swans, their nests and their eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.”

1.What probably happened to the mother swan?

A She was killed by a teenage boy.

B Her living place was taken up by others.

C Her babies were missing when she wasn’t at home.

D She was believed to be dead because of great sadness.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据文章第一段第一句A mother swan is said to have died from a "broken heart" after her eggs were smashed by heartless people and her mate disappeared.以及第三段There's not much I can say really. She probably died of a broken heart as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress 可知，天鹅妈妈在目睹自己本要孵化成卵的蛋被人砸碎以及配偶出走后，悲痛而亡，故选D。

2.Why did the father swan leave the mother swan?

A He felt too much pressure.

B He went out for his baby egg.

C He was taken away by teenage boys.

D He wanted to seek for a better living place.

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据文章第二段第一句The mother was found dead earlier this week not long after the father disappeared, having apparently been driven away by stress.以及最后一句The activists believe he was driven away by stress.可知，雄天鹅是因为感到压力过大而选择离开，故选A。

3.What’s the living habit of swans?

A They like joining a group in the wild.

B They have the same living habit as man.

C They usually live in pairs in a fixed place.

D They love their babies more than themselves.

解析：选C。推理判断题。根据文章第三段第一句According to the Swan Sanctuary, if a mate disappears or is killed , the surviving mate will go through a grieving process like humans do, and then remain where it is, find a new place of water to live, or fly off and join a flock.可知，根据天鹅保护区的说法，如果一个配偶消失或被杀死，幸存的配偶将像人类一样经历一个悲伤的过程，然后留在原地，找到一个新的有水的地方或者飞走加入一个天鹅群，由此推测天鹅通常成对住在固定的地方，故选C。

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A The natural environment in Greater Manchester is worsening.

B There are strict animal protection laws about swans in the UK.

C The police had arrested the teenage boys for their bad behavior.

D The swan tragedy draws people’s attention back to endangered birds.

解析：选B。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段Swans, their nests and their eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.可知，根据1981年《野生动物和农村法》，天鹅、它们的巢穴和它们的卵受到法律保护。由此看出英国对天鹅有严格的动物保护法，故选B。