Question

【題目】Inside Animal Minds

Irene Pepperberg, a graduate of Harvard University, was interested in learning if animals could think. The best way to do this, she reasoned, was to talk to them. So she bought an African grey parrot she named Alex and taught him to reproduce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.” She explains.

When Pepperberg began her research with Alex, very few scientists agreed that animals were able to think. How could a scientist prove that animals might, in fact, have intelligence (智力)? “That’s why I started my studies with Alex.” Pepperberg says.

Alex the parrot was a surprisingly good talker. He learned how to use his voice to imitate (模仿) almost 100 English words, including those for foods, colors, shapes and numbers. Although imitation was once considered a simple skill, in recent years, scientists have reported that it’s a very difficult ability. It requires the imitator to form an image of the other person’s body and actions in their mind and then put his own body parts into same place. It is a behavior that shows self-awareness (自我意識). Because Alex had mastered many English words, Pepperberg could ask him questions about a bird’s basic understanding of the world. Alex could count, describe shapes and colors; he even had a basic understanding of the idea of zero.

Many of Alex’s skills are normally only for humans and primates (靈長類). But parrots, live a long time in mixed societies. And like primates, these birds must watch the changing relationships within the group. This may explain Alex’s ability to learn a human language. Parrots learn to pronounce and use our words so they can become a part of our group.

Many researchers say that creativity and language in animals, like other forms of intelligence, have developed. “People were surprised to discover that some primates make tools,” says Alex Kacelnik, an animal researcher at Oxford University. “But people also thought, ‘Well, they share our ancestry (祖先) — of course they are smart.’ Now we are finding these kinds of behaviors in some birds. But we don’t have a recently shared ancestry with birds. It means,” Kacelnik continues, “intelligence is not something only for primates or humans.”

【1】Which of Alex’s skills showed self-awareness?

A.Describing colors.

B.Doing simple maths.

C.Copying human sounds.

D.Understanding the idea of zero.

【2】What do parrots and primates have in common?

A.They both watch the relationships within the group.

B.They both lived a long time in the same society.

C.Neither of them can reproduce English words.

D.Neither of them likes to be part of a group.

【3】Kacelnik probably agrees that ______.

A.some birds are more intelligent than humans

B.birds share a common ancestry with humans

C.only humans and primates are able to think

D.some animals are surprisingly intelligent

【4】What is the passage mainly about?

A.Research that shows intelligence is not limited to humans.

B.Ways of teaching animals to become more intelligent.

C.How human and animal intelligence are different.

D.How animals can communicate with humans.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【4】A

【解析】

本文通過Irene Pepperberg對鸚鵡的研究得出智力不僅僅是靈長類動物或人類的專利的結(jié)論。

【1】

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段中“Although imitation was once considered a simple skill, in recent years…It is a behavior that shows self-awareness (自我意識).”可知，模仿行為可以展示自我意識，結(jié)合選項，故選C。

【2】

細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第三段中“And like primates, these birds must watch the changing relationships within the group.”可知，和靈長類動物一樣，鳥類必須觀察群體內(nèi)部關(guān)系的變化。故選A。

【3】

推理判斷題。A：有些鳥比人類更聰明；B：鳥類和人類有共同的祖先；C：只有人類和靈長類動物才會思考；D：有些動物出奇地聰明。根據(jù)最后一段內(nèi)容可知，靈長類動物和人類有共同的祖先，它們會制作工具很聰明；鳥類最近也出現(xiàn)靈長類動物的行為，但是鳥類和人類不是共同的祖先，而且智力不僅僅是靈長類動物或人類的專利了。結(jié)合選項，故選D。

【4】

主旨大意題。A：研究表明智力并不局限于人類。B：教動物變得更聰明的方法。C：人類和動物的智力有何不同。D：動物如何與人類交流。分析文章內(nèi)容可知，本文通過Irene Pepperberg對鸚鵡的研究得出智力不僅僅是靈長類動物或人類的專利的結(jié)論。結(jié)合選項，故選A。