Elephant Intelligence
In many cultures, elephants are symbols of intelligence and wisdom. Elephants display many behaviors that seem to be the result of a conscious intelligence. However, whether that intelligence is similar to our own is a matter of heated debate. Some argue that the evidence for elephant intelligence is so overwhelming that it cannot be doubted. Others say that the claims of elephant intelligence are backed up by mostly anecdotal1 evidence, and that they tell us more about our desire to anthropomorphize2 other creatures than they tell us about elephants themselves. Still others are prepared to admit that elephants may possess some sort of conceptual ability that could be described as intelligence, but they also caution against simply reading human thought patterns into them lest we fail to understand the true complexity of the animal. Whatever view one subscribes to, there can be no doubt that proponents of the theory of elephant intelligence have built a strong case for their position.
One of the standard ways of testing for animal intelligence involves examining their reaction to their own reflection in a mirror. Most animals are confused by the image, mistaking it for another creature. In fact, only very few species, including chimpanzees and dolphins, seem to recognize the image for what it is. In various experiments with captive elephants, scientists have noted behavior indicating that elephants also realize that their reflection is a self-image. The most telling clue is that no elephant has ever been known to engage its reflection in the sort of social greeting behavior that normally occurs when two elephants meet. In addition, elephants looking into mirrors act in much the same way humans do. If they are dirty, they will attempt to clean themselves, using their reflection as a guide. If they have never seen their reflection before, they may move around to try to see themselves from different angles, exploring their own appearance. That elephants can recognize their reflection for what it is impresses scientists because it means that elephants apparently have a sense of self that is lacking in many other animals. This sense of self is considered one of the fundamental characteristics of a truly sentient intelligence.
Another striking aspect of elephant behavior that indicates they possess a high level of intelligence is their seeming awareness of death. Most animals possess sharply honed instincts of self-preservation, but they do not act in ways that reveal any special sense of mortality. At most, such animals may engage in behavior that seems to display sadness at the loss of their mate or young, but these displays are signs of temporary distress that soon fade. In these cases, most scientists believe that they are instinctual stress reactions rather than indicators of a genuine awareness of death. Elephants, in contrast, react to death in many of the same ways that humans do. ■
- (A) When a member of the herd perishes, the rest of the herd members gather around the corpse, stroking and touching it with their trunks. ■
- (B) This behavior is consistent with human funeral rites in which the dead body is displayed at a wake so that family and friends can bid the departed farewell. ■
- (C) Moreover, anecdotal evidence exists that elephants will pause when traveling through places where they know another elephant has died, as if reflecting on the deceased. ■
- (D) All of these behaviors indicate that elephants are capable of grasping death as an intellectual concept.
Not only do elephants apparently conceptualize at a level not seen in any species other than humans, they are also capable of applying their knowledge to achieve goals. Along with the higher primates, elephants are tool users. For instance, elephants will often grasp branches in their trunks and use the sticks to scratch themselves in places where they could not otherwise reach. This behavior, and in fact virtually all elephant behavior, is learned rather than instinctual. Young elephants have to be taught everything, including how to use their trunks to drink. Without this instruction, their attempts to drink through their noses end in much the same way they would for any other animal: they choke and splutter helplessly. This total reliance on learning is extremely rare in the animal kingdom and is, of course, most notable in our own species. And in humans, just as the need to protect and teach our young is believed to have given rise to our nature as social animals, so too the same need in elephants is thought to underlie their own complex social structures.
单选题
According to paragraph 1, what is one objection to the theory of elephant intelligence?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题 第一段中说明了人们对大象是否有智商所持的不同态度及提出的理由，其中持反对态度的人提出的理由之一是“主张大象有智商的依据主要是轶事证据”(…the claims of elephant intelligence are backed up by mostly anecdotal evidence…)。如果不理解anecdotal evidence的意思，容易误选C项。
单选题
Which of the following sentences best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning of the sentence in important ways or leave out essential information.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 句子简化题 阴影部分的句子主要内容是不能简单地按照人类的思维方式来理解大象的智商。这类题的正确答案通常是用另外的单词或者句子来表达原句的主要内容。
单选题
The word "proponents" in the passage is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 词汇题 proponent的意思是“提议者，支持者”，因此选项中advocate(提倡者，拥护者)与其意思最接近。
单选题
What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the testing for animal intelligence?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 推理题 第二段中说明了用镜子实验来测试动物智商的方法。大部分动物误认为镜子里的映像是其他动物，只有黑猩猩和海豚等几种动物似乎能够认出镜中映像的本来面目(…only very few species, including chimpanzees and dolphins, seem to recognize the image for what it is.)。B项说海豚可能拥有高智商，因此是正确的。
单选题
All of the following are mentioned as evidence that elephants can recognize their own reflection EXCEPT:
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 错误信息题 第二段中说明了大象在看到自己在镜子里的映像后的行为，A，B，D三项都是正确的。原文提到大象在看到自己在镜子里的映像后不会有社会性的行为，所以C项与原文不符。
单选题
The word "fundamental" in the passage is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 词汇题 fundamental的意思是“根本的，基本的”，因此选项中elementary(基本的)与其意思最接近。这里要注意，不要将fundamental与original(起初的，原先的)混淆。fundamental characteristics里的fundamental如果替换为original，就不再表示“基本的特征”，而是表示“原先的特征”。
单选题
What is one indicator that elephants possess a concept of death?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题 第三段的中间部分对这一细节进行了说明。大象对死亡的很多反应和人类的相同，表现之一是，如果同伴死了，象群中的其他成员会聚集在尸体的周围(When a member of the herd perishes, the rest of the herd members gather around the corpse…)。A项和C项的内容在原文中没有提及；D项和原文内容不符。
单选题
The word "they" in the passage refers to
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 指代关系题 如果没有正确理解句子的意思，只是看句子结构．很容易误以为they指代的是主语scientists。但是如果注意到they的表语instinctual stress reactions(本能的压力反应)，就可以判断they指代的是前面句子中的主语these displays(这些表现)。
单选题
Look at the four squares [■] in the passage that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
Elephants will likewise stop when they encounter the skull of another elephant and will touch it with their trunks in the same way that they will touch other living elephants when greeting them.
Where would this sentence best fit?
Elephants will likewise stop when they encounter the skull of another elephant and will touch it with their trunks in the same way that they will touch other living elephants when greeting them.
Where would this sentence best fit?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 句子插入题 这里列举了大象对死去的同伴所作出的各种反应。首先，前面部分描述了象群里同伴死去后大象的反应，待插入的句子又举了另一个例子(即偶然遇到死去同伴的头骨时的反应)，因此应插入第一个例子结束后、moreover后的附加说明开始之前的位置，即C处。
单选题
The word "conceptualize" in the passage is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 词汇题 conceptualize的意思是“用概念思考；使概念化”，因此think(思考，想)与其意思最接近。
单选题
Why does the author mention young elephants' attempts to drink with their trunks in paragraph 4?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 判断意图题 第四段以大象使用工具和利用鼻子为例对大象的学习能力进行了说明。A项和B项的内容在原文中没有提及；C项的内容和原文相反。原文中提到大象的学习行为是它们复杂的社会结构的基础，因此D项是正确的(…the same need in elephants is thought to underlie their own complex social structures.)。
单选题
According to paragraph 4, what is one effect of a species having young that need to learn their behavior?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题 从最后一段的最后一句可以推断出学习行为与社会性有关。
填空题
Directions: An introductory sentence to a brief summary of the passage is given below. Complete the summary by adding the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not given in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Whether or not elephants possess intelligence, or how that intelligence should be understood, is a matter of fierce debate, but evidence favors the theory that elephants are intelligent creatures.
·________________________________________________
·________________________________________________
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Answer Choices
1. Some people dismiss the theory of elephant intelligence as nothing more than an outgrowth of our tendency to project human characteristics onto other creatures.
2. Scientists have found that elephants apparently have a sense of self, as evidenced by their reactions to their reflections in mirrors.
3. Some elephants have been known to clean themselves after seeing that they have dirt on their faces by looking at their reflections in a mirror.
4. Elephants are reputed to stop at locations where another elephant has died as if ruminating on the inescapable fact of mortality.
5. Elephants also seem to possess an enduring idea of death, which indicates an ability to form abstract concepts.
6. Elephants learn all of their behavior, including tool use, which may explain why they have also developed complex social structures.
Whether or not elephants possess intelligence, or how that intelligence should be understood, is a matter of fierce debate, but evidence favors the theory that elephants are intelligent creatures.
·________________________________________________
·________________________________________________
·________________________________________________
Answer Choices
1. Some people dismiss the theory of elephant intelligence as nothing more than an outgrowth of our tendency to project human characteristics onto other creatures.
2. Scientists have found that elephants apparently have a sense of self, as evidenced by their reactions to their reflections in mirrors.
3. Some elephants have been known to clean themselves after seeing that they have dirt on their faces by looking at their reflections in a mirror.
4. Elephants are reputed to stop at locations where another elephant has died as if ruminating on the inescapable fact of mortality.
5. Elephants also seem to possess an enduring idea of death, which indicates an ability to form abstract concepts.
6. Elephants learn all of their behavior, including tool use, which may explain why they have also developed complex social structures.