고등영어 시사(한) 2과 본문 mp3

Lesson 2 Cooperation in the Animal Kingdom

ANTS

Have you ever observed ants marching in and out of their nest?

If so, it may have reminded you of a highway packed with cars.

But this comparison is not appropriate.

Ants never get into a traffic jam, no matter how fast they move or how many of them occupy the road.

This is because their movements are based on cooperation.

When there are a few ants moving in a single direction, some ants are likely to move slowly, some fast, and others even faster.

As their number increases, however, they communicate with each other so that they all move at the same speed.

The slow speed up while the fast and the superfast slow down.

There are times when ants leaving the nest for food encounter other ants coming back with food on their backs.

When this happens, the inbound ants, the ones carrying a burden, always have the right of way.

Outbound ants turn to get out of the way, while inbound ants continue in a straight line.

This arrangement makes sense because it is more difficult for inbound ants to change direction due to their heavy loads.

Following these rules and cooperating in this way, ants improve the traffic flow and make the delivery of food to the nest more efficient.