填空题
Gorillas Have a Word for it
Koko is the first gorilla to have been taught sign language. With a
vocabulary of more than 1,000 words, she is the first to prove we share a world
with other intelligent beings who feel emotions, look forward to celebrations
and also have a sense of humour.
The 30-year study of Koko has
redefined science's concept of gorilla intelligence. {{U}} {{U}} 1
{{/U}} {{/U}}But what had not been recognised by the scientific community was
that gorillas have the ability to learn a language and have complex
emotions.
Koko lives in the Santa Cruz mountains in North
America, in a wooded spot overlooking a valley. {{U}} {{U}} 2
{{/U}} {{/U}}She has a barrel on which she likes to sit when "talking" to
humans—gorillas feel more secure when they can look down on others—while her
toys are spread everywhere. In addition she has an outside enclosure where she
spends her days when it is not raining.
It is her conversations
with her teacher, Dr. Penny Patterson, that are inspiring. Patterson explains:
"The reality of my discovery is that our abilities as humans, our skills,
sensibilities and emotions are very similar to the great apes. {{U}}
{{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}
When she began teaching Koko
sign language, placing the little fingers of the one-year-old gorilla into the
correct positions for "drink", "eat", "more", and rewarding her with food, Dr.
Patterson had no idea how quickly Koko would learn. "At first, it seemed Koko
was using sign language as a tool to get something," says Patterson. "It became
the kind of reward system that you could expect of a cat or a dog. But early in
her training, she began to combine signs that made me think she was capable of
more. "{{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}For example, she didn't know
the word for "ring", so she combined the signs for "finger" and "bracelet" to
express it.
Dr. Patterson continues: "Koko loves babies and
young people. And when she is asked what gorillas like best, she always says
'Gorilla love eat, good'. "One of Patterson's favourite stories demonstrates
Koko's sense of humour. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}
From the age of three, Koko shared her accommodation with Michael who was
intended as a mate. However, Michael died suddenly two years ago of a heart
attack. "Koko went into a depression following Michael's death," says Patterson.
"She would sit for hours with her head hung low, looking upset."
Dr. Patterson asked her if she was looking forward to moving to Hawaii,
where Patterson is raising money to build a gorilla refuge. Koko signed "Yes",
provided she could have curtains in her new home!
A. When a
visitor asked her to show him something scary, she held up a mirror to his
face!
B. Language studies had been made using chimpanzees
before, but never with a gorilla.
C. According to some
scientists, genetically there is only a 2% difference between gorillas and
humans: we share the same blood type, have the same number of hairs per square
inch and also the same temperament.
D. She has her own home,
with curtains, and a nest of blankets, which is her bed, in one
corner.
E. What we have learnt is that gorillas are more
complex than we ever imagined.
F. Now Koko is so proficient in
sign language that if she doesn't know a word she invents one.