🎧 Listen to today’s story
📚 Key Words
| Word | Meaning | 中文 |
|---|---|---|
| colony | A group of animals that live together. | 群落 |
| queen | The most important female animal in a group. | 雌性首领 |
| scent | A special kind of smell. | 气味 |
| calm | At rest and not angry or excited. | 冷静的 |
| scientist | A person who studies how the world works. | 科学家 |
| peace | A time when there is no fighting. | 和平 |
| important | Something that has a big effect or value. | 重要的 |
| magic | Special powers that make strange things happen. | 魔法 |
📖 Read the story
Naked mole-rats are small animals. They live under the ground in big families called colonies. In each family, there is one queen. She is the most important mole-rat. Sometimes, these animals fight with each other. However, scientists found something very interesting. The queen has a special smell called a scent. Humans cannot smell it, but the other mole-rats can. This smell makes the group feel happy and calm. In a study, scientists moved the queen away but kept her smell in the room. The mole-rats did not fight for three months! When the smell went away, they started to fight again. This special smell works like magic to keep everyone quiet. It shows that animals use their noses to talk to each other. It is a very clever way to keep the peace in a big family.
✏️ Answer the questions
1. Who is the leader of a mole-rat family?
- A.A scientist
- B.The queen
- C.A small baby
- D.All the males
2. Can people smell the queen’s special scent?
- A.Yes, it is very strong
- B.Only in the morning
- C.No, they cannot
- D.Only when they are angry
3. How do mole-rats feel when they smell the queen?
- A.Angry
- B.Hungry
- C.Tired
- D.Calm
4. How long did the mole-rats stay quiet in the lab test?
- A.Three days
- B.Three weeks
- C.Three months
- D.Three years
5. Why do these animals use their noses?
- A.To find water
- B.To talk to each other
- C.To help them see
- D.To run faster