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Did you know that elephants are more like people than immediately meets the eye? Not only are humans and elephants both very social species, but they each greet others in a variety of ways. A study based on observations of African Savannah elephants in the Jafuta Reserve in Zimbabwe provides new insight into the gestures they use in greetings, including how greetings differ depending on factors such as their sex and whether they are looking at each other.

“Elephants often separate and reunite, meeting after hours, days or months apart,” said Vesta Eleuteri, lead author of the study. Female elephants of different family groups might have strong social bonds with each other. When these groups meet, they engage in complicated greeting ceremonies to advertise and strengthen their social bond. Male elephants have weaker social bonds, and their greetings may serve more to ease possible risky interaction. They greet mainly by smelling each other, reaching with their trunks.

Elephants may greet by making gestures intended to be seen, like spreading the ears or showing their rump (臀部), or with gestures producing distinct sounds like flapping the ears forward, or with tactile (触觉的) gestures involving touching the other elephant. They preferred using visual gestures when their partner was looking at them, while tactile ones when they were not.

Elephants might also wee (小便) or poop (大便) during greetings to express how they’re feeling, Ms Eleuteri said. “They do this due to the excitement of seeing each other,” she added. “But the fact that the elephants often moved their tails to the side or waggled their tails when they wee or pee suggests they may be inviting the recipients to smell them. Maybe they don’t need to tell each other how they’re doing, as they can smell it.”

1.How does the author introduce the topic?

A By offering an example.

B By making a comparison.

C By showing an experience.

D By studying the cause.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第一段中的“elephants are more like people”“humans and elephants both”“they each”可知，文章以大象和人类的对比开始，说明二者的相同之处，由此引出后文对大象社交时的研究。故选B。

2.What can we know about male and female elephants?

A Male elephants are more likely to live in groups.

B Female elephants greet to reduce dangerous situations.

C Female elephants have closer social connections.

D Female elephants smell each other to greet.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Female elephants of different family groups might have strong social bonds with each other.”不同家族的母象之间可能有很强的社会联系。“Male elephants have weaker social bonds”公象的社会联系较弱。由此可知，母象有更强的社会联系。故选C。

3.Elephant A is most likely to ________ to greet elephant B when being looked at.

A spread the ears

B touch B

C give B a big hug

D flap the ears forward

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段内容可知，视觉手势包括“spreading the ears”“showing their rump”，听觉手势包括“flapping the ears forward”，触觉手势包括“touching the other elephant”；结合第三段最后一句“They preferred using visual gestures when their partner was looking at them”可知，当它们的同类看着它们时，它们更喜欢使用视觉手势，故选A。

4.Elephants may pee to _________ according to Ms Eleuteri.

A tell others what they are doing

B smell other elephants

C wag their tails

D show their feelings

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句“Elephants might also wee or poop during greetings to express how they’re feeling”大象也可能通过小便或大便来打招呼，以此表达它们的感受。故选D。