Animals, including insects, do not have a language like ours. They do not talk to each other in words and sentences. But if we watch them, we can see that they do have ways of communicating with each other.

    Can you see the rabbits' tail? When rabbits see this white tail moving up and down, they run too. The rabbit has reminded them of potential dangers without making a sound. It has given them a signal.

    Many other animals use this kind of language. When a cobra (眼镜蛇) is angry, it raises its hood (兜帽) and makes itself look fierce. This warns other animals. When a bee has found some food, it goes back to its home. It cannot tell the other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance in the air. This tells the bees where the food is.

    Some animals say things by making sound. A dog barks, for example, when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs (猫的呜呜声) when pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning. Sometimes we human beings speak in the same way. We make sounds like “Oh” or “Ah!” when we are frightened or pleased or when we drop something on our toes.

    But we have something that no animals have — a large number of words which have the meanings of things, actions, feeling or ideas. We are able to give each other all kinds of different information in words and sentences, which no other animals can do. No other animals have so wonderful a language as we have.

它是中国历史上上承南北朝、下启唐朝的重要朝代，这一朝代是（    ）

阅读文言文，回答问题

鲍竹溪先生传

袁枚

    乾隆乙未，余过真州，同年沈椒园廉使以所撰《同老会序》示余。同老者，六老人同庚，为会以聊昆季之欢也。会主为鲍竹溪先生，余心钦迟①之，未由修士相见礼。今岁乙卯矣，余小住邗江，先生之子志道以先生《行状》乞传。余不禁谡然敛袂而起，曰：“有是哉！二十年前思见之人，不可得见；今因交其子得见其事状②，是不见先生，犹见先生也。奋吾笔以永其人，旧史官③其奚辞？”

    先生讳宜瑗，号景玉，一字竹溪，新安棠樾村人。世为望族，幼习《四字书》，听人讲解，憬然夙悟。侍母疾，穷昼夜不出。塾师疑其惮于勤，诇知④其故，乃异目视之。亡何，生母不禄⑤，太公与继妣在堂，家贫甚。先生出贾于外，岁终必冲风雪归，具甘旨⑥为堂上欢。晚年，子志道善经纪，家业渐裕，先生益得行其志。凡有裨于乡党戚里者，赴之若嗜欲之切于身。先是，宋元鼎革间，族祖宗岩、寿孙路遇贼劫，父子争死，贼义而两释之。又有名邦灿者，亦以孝称。村故有二坊：曰慈孝，曰孝子。岁久倾夷，先生葺治如初。里中大母堨⑦，畜水溉田，亦渐淤圮，先生并无升种在焉，而亦为之疏滞、宣流，岁以大稔。常曰：“为善最乐，安得仿古人置书院以育人才，置义田以瞻宗族乎？”

    先生卒时年六十五。恭人郑氏未笄⑧来归，值先生未得志时，拔钗市谷，勤针黻以养尊章⑨，安行仁义。送子读书，必以一师，曰：“吾欲其教之专也。”先生子二，女一，以子志道贵，与恭人同受诰赠如其官。论者谓志道才流经通，为上游所器重，故能恢宏其声光，而不知皆先生之积善贻谋有以基之也。闻志道业已饶益，而先生俭约如初，犹时时以训词相勖毖。可谓大行不加之君子矣。

（有删节）

【注】①钦迟：敬仰。②事状：事略。③旧史官：作者的谦称。④诇知：探察，了解。⑤不禄:去世。⑥甘旨：美好的食物。⑦堨（è）:拦水的土堰。⑧未笄：未满十五岁。⑨尊章：对公婆的敬称。