Do you know what "zero" means？Have you ever even stopped to think much about this concept （概念）？It's an easy one to take for granted.Of course，everyone can understand the concept of nothing，or having nothing.
   But did you know that some animals can understand zero as well？Experiments with monkeys and birds have proven that they can master this concept.But now，the understanding of zero has been found in a most unlikely candidate （候選人）：bees.
   According to a recently published study in the journal Science，Australian and French researchers worked together to conduct experiments to prove that bees are the first insects to "understand that zero belongs at the lower end of a sequence （序列） of numbers"，according to a report by Science Daily.
   Scarlett Howard，a researcher at RMIT University in Melbourne，trained bees to choose from several cards with different numbers of shapes printed on them.Correctly choosing the card with the fewest shapes earned them a reward of sugar water.For example，the bees learned to choose three elements when presented with three VS four；or two elements when presented with two VS three.And then these bees were presented a challenge- a card that was entirely blank and that they had never seen before.But 64 percent of the time，they chose to fly toward the blank card instead of the card that had shapes on it.This suggests that the insects understand that zero stands for something less than two or three，according to Science magazine.
   Associate Professor Adrian Dyer，also from RMIT University，said the number zero was the basis of modern mathematical and technological progress.
   He told Science Daily that the findings have opened a door to new understandings of how different brains understand zero. "If bees can understand zero with a brain of less than a million neurons （神經(jīng)元） [compared with the 86，000 million neurons of a human brain]，it suggests there are simple and efficient （有效的） ways to teach artificial （人工的） intelligence new tricks ."

（1）Why did the writer ask two questions in Para.1？

B

B

A．To expect an exact answer.
B．To introduce the topic.
C．To show the concept of "zero".
D．To inspire scientists to study.
（2）What did the Australian and French researchers recently find？

B

B

A．Most insects can recognize different shapes.
B．Bees can understand the meaning of zero.
C．Bees are better at numbers than monkeys and birds.
D．Most insects can be trained to understand numbers.
（3）How did Scarlett Howard prove bees had the concept of zero？

D

D

A．By giving examples.
B．By designing cards.
C．By showing numbers.
D．By doing experiments.