阅读理解
A killer whale(虎鲸) that can copy words such as “hello”
and “bye-bye” is thought to be the first of its kind to copy human speech.
The female killer whale learned to “speak” some human words
by copying a trainer at a park in France. The animal's ability includes
speaking the name “Amy” and “one, two, three”.
Whales and dolphins are among the few animals except humans
that can learn to produce a sound just by hearing it. “It is not often seen,”
said Dr Josep Call, a co-researcher on the study. “Humans are good at
it…Interestingly, the animals that can do best are marine mammals(海洋哺乳动物).” The researchers start to find out
whether killer whales could learn new words by copying others. They studied a
female named Wikie at Marineland Aquarium in Antibes, France. She was taught to
speak human words.
Dr Jose Abramson, a co-researcher on the study, said basic
“conversations” with Wikie may one day be possible. He said,” It has been done
before with a famous grey parrot and dolphins using American sign language(手势语).” However, he said they have to be
careful about introducing human ideas on animals, as there is more to learn by
trying to understand the natural way each kind communicates in its own
environment. Wikie made sounds in water, which may be quite different.
Dr Alex Thornton, senior speaker at the University of
Exeter, said they still don't fully understand why some animals learn to copy.
Some animals copy sounds to attract possible partners, while others copy sounds
to become a member of a group. “Some whales, for example, learn their calls
from one another to mark them out as members of their social group,” said Dr
Thornton, who doesn't join in the research.
(1)
What do whales and dolphins have in common according to the text?
A . They are very rare in the world.
B . They can learn to make a sound.
C . Their hearing is not very good.
D . They communicate by sign languages.
(2)
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A . Alex Thornton contributed to the research a lot.
B . Animals copy sounds mainly to frighten hunters.
C . Alex Thornton fully understands why animals copy sounds.
D . Different animals copy sounds for different reasons.
(3)
What does the text mainly tell us?
A . Killer whales can copy human words.
B . Killer whales are very clever animals.
C . Why killer whales can learn human speech.
D . What animals can communicate by using sign languages.
答案: B
D
A