Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions. Give
yourself 20 minutes to complete this practice set.
CETACEAN INTELLIGENCE
We often hear that whales, dolphins, and porpoises are as intelligent as humans,
maybe even more so. Are they really that smart? There is no question that
cetaceans are among the most intelligent of animals. Dolphins, killer whales,
and pilot whales in captivity quickly learn tricks. The military has trained
bottlenose dolphins to find bombs and missile heads and to work as underwater
spies. This type of learning, however, is called conditioning.
The animal simply learns that when it performs a particular behavior, it gets a
reward, usually a fish. Many animals, including rats, birds, and even
invertebrates, can be conditioned to perform tricks. We certainly don't think of
these animals as our mental rivals. Unlike most other animals, however, dolphins
quickly learn by observations and may spontaneously imitate human activities.
One tame dolphin watched a diver cleaning an underwater viewing window, seized a
feather in its beak, and began imitating the diver—complete with sound effects!
Dolphins have also been seen imitating seals, turtles, and even
water-skiers. Given the seeming intelligence of cetaceans,
people are always tempted to compare them with humans and other animals. Studies
on discrimination and problem-solving skills in the bottlenose dolphin, for
instance, have concluded that its intelligence lies "somewhere between that of a
dog and a chimpanzee." Such comparisons are unfair. It is important to realize
that intelligence is a very human concept and that we evaluate it in human
terms. After all, not many people would consider themselves stupid because they
couldn't locate and identify a fish by its echo. Why should we judge cetaceans
by their ability to solve human problems? Both humans and
cetaceans have large brains with an expanded and distinctively folded surface,
the cortex. The cortex is the dominant association center of the brain, where
abilities such as memory and sensory perception are centered. Cetaceans have
larger brains than ours, but the ratio of brain to body weight is higher in
humans. Again, direct comparisons are misleading. In cetaceans it is mainly the
portions of the brain associated with hearing and the processing of sound
information that are expanded. The enlarged portions of our brain deal largely
with vision and hand-eye coordination. Cetaceans and humans almost certainly
perceive the world in very different ways. Their world is largely one of sounds,
ours one of sights. Contrary to what is depicted in movies and
on television, the notion of "talking" to dolphins is also misleading. Although
they produce a rich repertoire of complex sounds, they lack vocal cords and
their brains probably process sound differently from ours. Bottlenose dolphins
have been trained to make sounds through the blowhole that sound something like
human sounds, but this is a far cry from human speech. By the same token, humans
cannot make whale sounds. We will probably never be able to carry on an unaided
conversation with cetaceans. As in chimpanzees, captive
bottlenose dolphins have been taught American Sign Language. These dolphins have
learned to communicate with trainers who use sign language to ask simple
questions. Dolphins answer back by pushing a "yes" or "no" paddle. They have
even been known to give spontaneous responses not taught by the trainers.
Evidence also indicates that these dolphins can distinguish between commands
that differ from each other only by their word order, a truly remarkable
achievement. Nevertheless, dolphins do not seem to have a real language like
ours. Unlike humans, dolphins probably cannot convey very complex
messages. Observations of cetaceans in the wild have provided
some insights on their learning abilities. Several bottlenose dolphins off
western Australia, for instance, have been observed carrying large cone-shaped
sponges over their beaks. They supposedly use the sponges for protection against
stingrays and other hazards on the bottom as they search for fish to eat. This
is the first record of the use of tools among wild cetaceans.
Instead of "intelligence," some people prefer to speak of "awareness." In any
case, cetaceans probably have a very different awareness and perception of their
environment than do humans. Maybe one day we will come to understand cetaceans
on their terms instead of ours, and perhaps we will discover a mental
sophistication rivaling our own.
单选题
The author asks the question "Are they really that smart?" for which of
the following reasons?
A. To question the notion that humans are the most intelligent of
animals
B. To introduce the discussion of intelligence that follows
C. To explain why dolphins, killer whales, and pilot whales can learn
tricks
D. To emphasize the ways that dolphins can help the military
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
According to the passage, which of the following animals is most likely
to learn by watching another animal perform an activity?
A. Rats
B. Birds
C. Invertebrates
D. Dolphins
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】
单选题
The word "tempted" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. conditioned
B. reluctant
C. inclined
D. invited
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
According to the passage, why are the studies that conclude that
dolphin intelligence is "'somewhere between that era dog and a chimpanzee'" not
correct?
A. The human method of drawing comparisons is not relevant to animal
intelligence.
B. Dolphins have actually been shown to be much more intelligent than
chimpanzees.
C. The studies were not conducted according to standard research
methods.
D. Dolphins do not typically demonstrate conditioned responses for humans to
observe.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
The word "dominant" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. local
B. natural
C. chief
D. specific
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
The word "spontaneous" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. sophisticated
B. sensible
C. appropriate
D. unprompted
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】
单选题
21 The word "insights in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. examples
B. understanding
C. directions
D. discussion
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
Scientific observations show that cetaceans are able to do all of the
following EXCEPT
A. use natural objects as tools for self-protection
B. produce complex sounds through their blowholes
C. answer spoken questions
D. distinguish between very similar spoken sentences
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
The word "hazards" in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. objects
B. dangers
C. species
D. debris
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
What does the author conclude about the intelligence of cetaceans?
A. It is not appropriate to judge cetacean intelligence in human
terms.
B. Cetaceans probably possess a mental sophistication that is as complex as
that of humans.
C. Although cetaceans may appear to be intelligent, they have fewer
problem-solving skills than most animals.
D. Their ability to learn American Sign Language indicates that cetaceans
have a high level of intelligence.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following
sentence can be added to the passage. This reward is
merely one possible type of positive reinforcement that leads to more frequent
repetition of the behavior in the future. Where would the sentence best
fit?
A. This type of learning, however, is called conditioning. This
reward is merely one possible type of positive reinforcement that leads to more
frequent repetition of the behavior in the future. The animal simply
learns that when it performs a particular behavior, it gets a reward, usually a
fish. ■ Many animals, including rats, birds, and even invertebrates, can be
conditioned to perform tricks. ■ We certainly don't think of these animals as
our mental rivals. ■ Unlike most other animals, however, dolphins quickly learn
by observations and may spontaneously imitate human activities. One tame dolphin
watched a diver cleaning an underwater viewing window, seized a feather in its
beak, and began imitating the diver—complete with sound effects! Dolphins have
also been seen imitating seals, turtles, and even water-skiers.
B. This type of learning, however, is called conditioning. ■ The animal
simply learns that when it performs a particular behavior, it gets a reward,
usually a fish. This reward is merely one possible type of positive
reinforcement that leads to more frequent repetition of the behavior in the
future. Many animals, including rats, birds, and even invertebrates,
can be conditioned to perform tricks. ■ We certainly don't think of these
animals as our mental rivals. ■ Unlike most other animals, however, dolphins
quickly learn by observations and may spontaneously imitate human activities.
One tame dolphin watched a diver cleaning an underwater viewing window, seized a
feather in its beak, and began imitating the diver—complete with sound effects!
Dolphins have also been seen imitating seals, turtles, and even
water-skiers.
C. This type of learning, however, is called conditioning. ■ The animal
simply learns that when it performs a particular behavior, it gets a reward,
usually a fish. ■ Many animals, including rats, birds, and even invertebrates,
can be conditioned to perform tricks. This reward is merely one possible
type of positive reinforcement that leads to more frequent repetition of the
behavior in the future. We certainly don't think of these animals as
our mental rivals. ■ Unlike most other animals, however, dolphins quickly learn
by observations and may spontaneously imitate human activities. One tame dolphin
watched a diver cleaning an underwater viewing window, seized a feather in its
beak, and began imitating the diver—complete with sound effects! Dolphins have
also been seen imitating seals, turtles, and even water-skiers.
D. This type of learning, however, is called conditioning. ■ The animal
simply learns that when it performs a particular behavior, it gets a reward,
usually a fish. ■ Many animals, including rats, birds, and even invertebrates,
can be conditioned to perform tricks. ■ We certainly don't think of these
animals as our mental rivals. This reward is merely one possible type of
positive reinforcement that leads to more frequent repetition of the behavior in
the future. Unlike most other animals, however, dolphins quickly learn
by observations and may spontaneously imitate human activities. One tame dolphin
watched a diver cleaning an underwater viewing window, seized a feather in its
beak, and began imitating the diver—complete with sound effects! Dolphins have
also been seen imitating seals, turtles, and even water-skiers.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
填空题Directions: Select the appropriate phrases from the
answer choices below and match them to the type of animal to which they relate.
ONE of the answer choices will NOT be used. Write your answer
choices in the spaces where they belong. You can either write the letter of your
answer choice or you can copy the sentence. Humans ·______
·______ Cetaceans
·______ ·______ BOTH Humans and
Cetaceans ·______ ·______
·______
Answer Choices
A. The
ability to converse unaided with other species B. A brain with
a cortex C. A set of vocal cords D. The
ability to use tools E. The ability to locate objects by using
echo F. An enlarged portion of the brain for processing
sound G. An enlarged portion of the brain for processing
vision H. The ability to learn by observation