The research team led by Dr Alan McElligott who is now based at City University of Hong Kong has discovered that kangaroos: animals that have never been domesticated (驯养), gazed at a human when trying to access food which had been put in a closed box. The kangaroos used gazes to communicate with the human instead of trying to open the box themselves, a behaviour that is usually expected for domesticated animals.
Ten out of eleven kangaroos tested actively looked at the person who had put the food in a box to get it. Nine of the eleven kangaroos additionally looked between the box and the person present, an advanced form of communication.
The research builds on previous work in the field which has looked at the communication of domesticated animals, such as dogs and goats, and whether intentional communication in animals is a result of domestication. Dr Alan McElligott previously led a study which found goats can understand human cues (线索), including pointing, to gather information about their environment. Like dogs and goats, kangaroos are social animals and Dr McElligott s new research suggests they may be able to adapt their usual social behaviors for communicating with humans.
Dr Alan McElligot said, “Through this study, we were able to see wild animals (in this ease kangaroos) can learn to communicate with humans through having direct contact with them. Indeed, kangaroos showed a very similar pattern of behaviour we have seen in dogs, horses and even goats when put to the same test. The positive results should lead to more cognitive (认知的) research beyond the usual domesticated animals.”
Dr Alexandra Green, School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, said, “Kangaroos are a symbol of Australia, loved by many worldwide but also considered as a pest. We hope that this research draws attention to the cognitive abilities of kangaroos and helps develop more positive attitudes towards them.”
12. According to the research, kangaroos can _________.
A.use sounds to exchange information with humans |
B.open the closed box by themselves |
C.fully understand humans’ instructions |
D.fix gazes on humans to communicate with them |
13. How many kinds of animals are mentioned in the passage?
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
14. What may Dr Alan McElligott’s research team do in the future?
A.They may examine visual cues and behaviors of kangaroos when communicating with humans. |
B.They may do research on how to make kangaroos live better. |
C.They may compare kangaroos with goats. |
D.They may train kangaroos to get food in the closed box themselves. |
15. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Kangaroos tend to live alone. |
B.Dr. Alexandra Green previously did research on goats. |
C.Gaining more understanding of kangaroos may help improve their well-being. |
D.Kangaroos can have intentional communication with humans because of domestication. |