阅读理解。
People have always wanted to speak with animals. There are many books about this, especially children
books. Now there are also movies, such as Dr. Doolittle. When you watch animals, it seems clear that they
can communicate with each other. Many people wonder why people can't also communicate with them.
Scientists know how some animals communicate. Bees, for example, use their bodies. They do a kind of
dance to give information about food. Birds, on the other hand, share information with sounds. They use
certain sounds to protect their homes and to stay together when they fly. Some male (雄性) birds use lovely
songs to attract a female (雌性). Other animals communicate with both body movements and sounds. For
example, dogs wag their tails when they are happy, and they bark when they are excited.
People used to think it was possible to teach human language to animals. Parrots and other birds, for
example, can learn to say words. But the birds just repeat the words. They don't understand them. Some
American scientists tried to teach English to chimpanzees (黑猩猩), close relatives of human beings. However,
this was impossible. Chimpanzees can't move their mouths the right way. They could never learn to speak like
people.
Then scientists tried to teach human language to chimpanzees in other ways. Some tried with American
Sign Language (ASL). Others tried with a simple computer. But chimpanzees could only learn to use a few
words. They could never learn to use grammar. Their brains are very different from the brains of human
beings.
Now some scientists are studying the same points between human and animal language. In fact, some
animals use sounds like people do. Dogs, for example, use an unpleasant, low sound to tell other dogs to stay
away. People, too, use that kind of voice to say the same things. A dog's noisy bark communicate that
something is happening. People use the same high tone when they shout, "Watch out!"
Scientists want to understand the language of other animals, such as whales and bears. To do this, they
go out to the animals' natural homes. They watch the animals for days or even years. They take pictures and
make tape recordings and share the information with other scientists. In this way, they hope to learn more
about the way animals communicate, and maybe someday we'll be able to communicate better with them.
1. Bees do a kind of dance to _____. [ ]
A. tell other bees where food is
B. attract other bees
C. show they are happy
D. play with other bees
2. Some birds can learn to say words, _____. [ ]
A. but they don't really know the meaning
B. and they make up new words, too
C. and they use grammar, too
D. but they forget them quickly
3. Dogs and people use _____. [ ]
A. words when they communicate
B. different sounds to mean the same thing
C. a low sound to keep others away
D. a high sound to keep others away
4. Which of the following is TRUE? [ ]
A. Bees communicate by making a noise.
B. Dogs wag their tails when they are angry.
C. Chimpanzees can learn to use some grammar.
D. Birds use sounds to stay together.
5. This passage is mainly about _____. [ ]
A. how scientists communicate with each other
B. how scientists are studying animals' communication
C. how people might communicate with animals
D. how animals communicate with each other
