1 . Koko the gorilla knew over 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and used them to do everything from asking for food to joking around. Her trainer and long-term companion, Penny Patterson, thought Koko went further still, signing in novel ways and showing complex emotions. According to Ms Patterson, when a cat that Koko loved was killed in an accident, Koko signed: “Cat, cry, have-sorry, Koko-love.” When Koko died last month, some of her obituaries (讣告) mourned the gorilla who had “mastered American sign language.”
Then came the backlash, from linguists and experts in sign languages. Sign languages have complex grammars, equivalent to spoken tongues in expressiveness. Koko’s ability, it was pointed out, fell well short of a fluent human signer. Moreover, Ms Patterson was her interpreter, a role that invited the question of how much she was inferring what Koko “must have meant,” and explaining away random signs. It was hard to be sure: Ms Patterson preferred speaking to journalists over sharing her video and raw data about Koko with fellow researchers.
There is no doubt that animals communicate. Animals from one region can share sounds that differ from groups in another, leading researchers to talk of animal “dialects.” Then there are the remarkable achievements of Koko and her primate predecessors, including a chimp delightfully named Nim Chimpsky. Yet there is an important distinction between communication and language. Take the misleading term “body language.” It is sometimes claimed that words convey just 7% of meaning, and that body language and tone of voice do the rest. This wildly overstretches an old study which found that most emotional messaging — as opposed to the propositional kind — comes from tone and body language, especially when a neutral word such as “maybe” was used. But try conveying a fact like “It will rain on Tuesday” with your eyebrows, and the difference becomes clear. Language allows for clear statements, questions and commands.
Nim Chimpsky’s near-namesake, Noam Chomsky, has argued that people have a kind of “universal grammar”, and that all humankind’s languages are mere variations on a theme. Mr Chomsky has changed his mind repeatedly on what constitutes the core of human language, but one obvious candidate is syntax — rules, not just words, which allow the construction of a huge variety of meaningful utterances (所说的话). This capacity may even be infinite. Any statement in English, for example, can be made longer by adding “He said that …” at the beginning. This property is called recursion: a simple statement (“It’s cold”) is embedded in a more complicated one (“He said that it’s cold”). Human syntax also allows for hypotheticals (“If she hadn’t arrived …”), talking precisely about events distant from the present, and so much more.
That gorillas lack syntax should not blind humans to their magnificence. But the fact that Koko could communicate should not mislead observers into thinking she possessed language.
1. Which statement about KOKO the gorilla is true?A.Koko’s ability was similar to a fluent human signer. |
B.Koko could ask for food using sign language. |
C.Koko was able to show complex feelings using sign language. |
D.Koko was killed in an accident. |
A.approval | B.bias | C.opposition | D.evidence |
A.Koko was not as expressive as a human signer |
B.Koko seldom needed an interpreter |
C.Koko was able to communicate with journalists |
D.Koko failed to speak several animal “dialects” |
A.Humans can express past events using language while apes cannot. |
B.Tone and body language play a dominant role in human communication. |
C.Words enable humans to convey clear meanings. |
D.Gorillas are still magnificent in terms of their ability to communicate. |
A.Nim Chimpsky and Noam Chomsky — Who Has the Upper Hand? |
B.Syntax — What Separates Humans and Apes. |
C.Koko the Gorilla — A Magnificent Communicator. |
D.Great Apes — Language and Communication Are Not the Same Thing. |
2 . Wild animals are equipped with a variety of techniques to avoid becoming lunch for a bigger animal, also known as a predator (捕食者) in nature. The most well-known methods include the classic fight and flight as well as freeze.
A team of researchers wondered whether closeness to people might impact those survival strategies. “We often see that animals are more tolerant around us in urban areas, but we don’t really know why.” says evolutionary biologist Dan Blumstein. “Is it individual plasticity, meaning individuals change their fear of us and that leads to tolerance? Or can there be an evolutionary factor involved?”
To find out, Blumstein and his colleagues combined information from 173 studies of over 100 species, including mammals, birds, fish and even mollusks. It turns out that regardless of evolutionary ancestry, the animals react in a similar way to life among humans: they lose their anti-predator characteristics. That pattern is especially pronounced for plant-eating animals and for social species. This behavioral change is perhaps unsurprising when it’s intentional, the result of domestication or controlled breeding. But it turns out that urbanization alone results in a similar change, though around three times more slowly.
The main point is: we’re essentially domesticating animals by urbanization. We’re selecting for the same sorts of characteristics that we would if we were actually trying to domesticate them. If the urbanization process helps animals better co-exist with people, it could be to their benefit. But if it makes them more defenseless to their nonhuman predators, it could be a real problem. Either way, these results mean that city living has enough of an influence on wild animals that evolutionary processes kick in. Those reductions in anti-predator characteristics become encoded in their genes. We’re changing the population genetics one way or another.
What the researchers now wonder is whether the mere presence of tourists in less urbanized areas can cause similar changes in wild animals. If so, serious questions exist for the idea of ethical, welfare-oriented eco-tourism. If we wish to help animals keep their anti-predator defenses, the researchers say, we might have to intentionally expose animals to predators. It’s just yet one other way that we’re changing the world around us.
1. The research led by Blumstein is aimed at ________.A.determining how animals’ survival is impacted by individual plasticity |
B.studying how living among humans affects animals’ survival strategies |
C.comparing the effectiveness of different survival techniques |
D.finding out which evolutionary factor impacts animals’ survival methods |
A.Controlled breeding of animals. | B.Banning the operation of eco-tourism. |
C.Planned selection of favorable genes. | D.Eliminating domestication. |
A.Urbanization has made wild animals more alert. |
B.Urbanization has brought concrete benefits to animals. |
C.City living has led to animals’ genetic variations. |
D.City living has helped to preserve animal species. |
A.expose the fox to the urban environment repeatedly |
B.train the fox to co-exist with the less aggressive predators |
C.intentionally get the fox accustomed to the presence of humans |
D.purposefully adapt the fox to predator related environment |
Your Cat Might Not Be Ignoring You When You Speak
Every cat owner has a story to tell of being blanked by their cat. We call to our cat, it turns away, and some of us might be left
A study by French researchers
“We found that hearing their owners using a high-pitched voice, cats reacted more than when hearing their owner speaking normally to another human adult,” said Charlotte de Mouzon, an author of the study. “But it actually didn’t work when it came from a stranger’s voice.”
So the researchers for the latest study went to the cats’ homes and played recordings of different types of speech and different speakers. At first, there was concern from Dr. de Mouzon and her team for lack of reaction from the cats, but upon analysis of the film recordings, delicate reactions
In the study, there were a few cases
4 . Human beings have somehow managed to engineer the night to receive us by filling it with light. This kind of control is no different from the feat ( 壮 举 ) of damming a river. Its benefits come with
For most human history, the phrase “light pollution” would have
We’ve lit up the night as if it were a(n)
It was once thought that light pollution only affected astronomers, who need to see the night sky in all its glorious clarity. Unlike astronomers, most of us may not need a
In a very real sense, light pollution causes us to
A.consequences | B.achievements | C.agreements | D.circumstances |
A.Randomly-designed | B.Well-designed | C.Poorly-designed | D.Economically-designed |
A.appealed | B.adapted | C.objected | D.amounted |
A.come under criticism | B.made no difference | C.come into effect | D.made no sense |
A.making do with | B.fed up with | C.identifying with | D.overflowing with |
A.visit | B.greet | C.feel | D.smell |
A.independent | B.disconnected | C.unoccupied | D.excluded |
A.exposed | B.captured | C.dismissed | D.frustrated |
A.clear | B.comprehensive | C.traditional | D.critical |
A.Subsequently | B.However | C.Therefore | D.Similarly |
A.Reviewing | B.Embracing | C.Denying | D.Regulating |
A.light | B.rhythm | C.status | D.dawn |
A.emerging from | B.withdrawing from | C.messing with | D.coinciding with |
A.keep track of | B.lose sight of | C.catch hold of | D.let go of |
A.measured | B.neutralized | C.undergone | D.supervised |
5 . There aren’t enough resources to identify and cure the factors that are causing populations of animals around the world to decline. Artificial intelligence might have the power to change that.
When an endangered seabird hits a power line, it
His team recorded 600 hours of audio and sent the recordings to Preservation Metrics, a company that assists preservation efforts with AI
In science fiction stories such as The Matrix, AI-powered machines take over the world and end life on the planet as we know it. But
By many
Humans,
In large national parks and wildlife reserves,
We still face many challenges to
A.makes a sound | B.catches fire | C.keeps the distance | D.takes chances |
A.affected | B.preserved | C.recorded | D.attracted |
A.unlawfully | B.instantly | C.frequently | D.deliberately |
A.fiction | B.significance | C.factors | D.resources |
A.deceiving | B.doubtful | C.desirable | D.disturbing |
A.Engaged in | B.Qualified for | C.Armed with | D.Exposed to |
A.in addition | B.in reality | C.in return | D.in fact |
A.measures | B.programs | C.services | D.species |
A.biodiversity | B.production | C.population | D.economy |
A.distribute | B.pool | C.lack | D.exploit |
A.meanwhile | B.however | C.otherwise | D.besides |
A.big-game | B.professional | C.local | D.illegal |
A.impossible | B.dangerous | C.urgent | D.thankless |
A.disproved | B.explained | C.predicted | D.ignored |
A.estimate | B.reverse | C.experience | D.sustain |
6 . What do you know about fashion? The fashion industry, which has become one of the most
A friend of mine
The items are the products of an industry that, in the past 30 years, has become one of the most successful and also most
“The fashion industry represents a key environmental
One wonders: What can we do about it? Don’t you have any clothes on? It’s not that
A.convincing | B.interesting | C.confusing | D.damaging |
A.carry out | B.come out | C.set out | D.break out |
A.builds | B.runs | C.supports | D.controls |
A.expensive | B.useless | C.worthless | D.attractive |
A.businessmen | B.children | C.locals | D.masses |
A.little | B.few | C.much | D.many |
A.on behalf of | B.in the form of | C.for the sake of | D.in terms of |
A.effective | B.destructive | C.preventive | D.alternative |
A.quarrel | B.argument | C.fight | D.conflict |
A.tell the truth | B.hit the brakes | C.pave the way | D.break the ice |
A.threat | B.effect | C.problem | D.protection |
A.results from | B.consists of | C.brings about | D.relies on |
A.ambition | B.action | C.satisfaction | D.attraction |
A.far | B.extreme | C.bad | D.complex |
A.enjoy | B.imagine | C.miss | D.avoid |
7 . I’ve been in an 18-year love-hate relationship with a black walnut tree.
It’s a unique tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs threaten the skulls (头骨) of you, your children, your neighbors and those that reside next door to them. Umbrellas in the yard are a must while dining in early August, and as for me, I wear my bike helmet while working in the garden.
The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a competitive strategy. It’s poisonous to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with hopes that maybe the black walnut would accept them, but they failed to flourish.
What does work are native plants that naturally grow in the area. Native plants are important to have around since they provide beneficial pollinators (传粉者) like birds, bees and butterflies with seeds and contribute to a healthy and biodiverse environment. Native plants for this area are generally easy to grow, so they experience less stress.
Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my tiny backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87-inch trunk is next to impossible. It’s also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it.
Sometimes I think about my life without the black walnut. I can’t imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I’d miss falling asleep on lazy weekend afternoons as I look up into its leaves.
Every spring, I wonder what the season holds: What are the chances of being knocked unconscious while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I’ll never be pleased. I’m stuck with this tree, so I’ll listen to its needs and give it the space it requires. In return, my walnut offers a habitat for wildlife and a reminder.
1. Why does the author wear a bike helmet while working in the garden?A.To protect the injured skull. | B.To prevent herself from sunburn. |
C.To avoid being hit by the nuts. | D.To reduce the chance of getting bitten by bees. |
A.It attracts beneficial pollinators. |
B.It lets out poison to drive away pests. |
C.It produces a chemical fatal to some plants. |
D.It competes for nutrition with similar species. |
A.The volume of its fruits may bring inconvenience. |
B.The tree outcompetes the native plants in the garden. |
C.The tree is home to numerous birds and other creatures. |
D.The presence of the tree takes up much space of the garden. |
A.it’s better to give than to take |
B.trees and plants have their own ways to flourish |
C.even a good relationship is not always trouble-free |
D.acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be |
It is perhaps the most ironic symbol of the life on our planet. The Amazon is the world’s largest and most bio-diverse tropical rainforest and a huge trap for carbon dioxide. The harms of
Gati has spent years
That nightmare situation is the well-known Amazon
Warnings that this is approaching have now taken on extreme urgency. The rate of deforestation has increased sharply and is fast approaching the theoretical
Scientists first began to seriously worry about a potential Amazon tipping point in about 2000, when some studies warned that a combination of climate change and deforestation could cause the rainforest to
A few years later, a team of Brazilian scientists put numbers on it. They
The scientists have since
“Either way, we would be wise not to exceed 20%”, says a scientist, “for the commonsense reason that there is no point in
A.fertilization | B.elimination | C.deforestation | D.frustration |
A.program | B.disaster | C.protection | D.regulation |
A.evolution | B.spotlight | C.condition | D.emergency |
A.measuring | B.observing | C.protecting | D.criticizing |
A.released | B.melted | C.turned | D.supplied |
A.tipping | B.disappointing | C.awarding | D.tapping |
A.build | B.turn | C.cause | D.make |
A.problem | B.prediction | C.aspect | D.limit |
A.base | B.edge | C.surface | D.track |
A.dry out | B.run down | C.pay off | D.rise up |
A.boasted | B.insisted | C.estimated | D.instructed |
A.thirst | B.starvation | C.cold | D.disease |
A.digested | B.revised | C.encouraged | D.previewed |
A.strategy | B.climate | C.average | D.system |
A.diagnosing | B.instructing | C.inquiring | D.discovering |
9 . After five long years, it appears California’s drought is finally becoming less severe.
The state’s water struggles,
The quick inrush of water has also created a(n)
For now, though, Jones is focused on planning and ensuring the state’s water supply whatever may happen. “We’re halfway through our wettest season, and conditions have been encouraging,” she says. “I would say we’re
A.According to | B.With respect to | C.Thanks to | D.In addition to |
A.official | B.exhaustible | C.unexpected | D.crucial |
A.experienced | B.improved | C.worsened | D.investigated |
A.pollution | B.restrictions | C.pressure | D.cycles |
A.nevertheless | B.therefore | C.meanwhile | D.moreover |
A.accurate | B.plentiful | C.consistent | D.emergent |
A.productive | B.unchangeable | C.progressive | D.unreliable |
A.fell behind | B.broke down | C.came about | D.took off |
A.Or else | B.In other words | C.At that point | D.Above all |
A.Literally | B.Contrarily | C.Historically | D.Consequently |
A.levels | B.formations | C.struggles | D.reserves |
A.random | B.delicate | C.mechanical | D.insensible |
A.heightens | B.assumes | C.minimizes | D.identifies |
A.restorations | B.calculations | C.conditions | D.projections |
A.hopelessly | B.extremely | C.guardedly | D.cheerfully |
10 . Sea levels along coastlines in the United States will rise about one foot by 2050, with larger increases on the East and Gulf coasts, according to a comprehensive new report by climate scientists.
Oceans have already risen about one foot in the last century, as climate change melts glaciers (冰川) and ice caps around the world. But the pace is
The report gives the most concrete and certain sea level
Sea level rise
The new report adds up all those factors to give
Sea level rise is happening more
William Sweet, a sea level rise expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and one of the authors of the new report, says cities that are not yet flooded should
Beyond 2050, the report makes clear that humans have a
A.dying down | B.paying back | C.holding on | D.speeding up |
A.records | B.extremes | C.predictions | D.solutions |
A.flexibly | B.clearly | C.randomly | D.incredibly |
A.continues | B.impacts | C.multiplies | D.varies |
A.added | B.drained | C.spilt | D.needed |
A.creatures | B.currents | C.ecosystems | D.voyages |
A.stable | B.crucial | C.unlikely | D.worse |
A.national | B.regional | C.apparent | D.approximate |
A.dig | B.turn | C.collapse | D.dive |
A.similar | B.scenery | C.distant | D.diverse |
A.projected | B.obliged | C.permitted | D.noticed |
A.sharply | B.mysteriously | C.unexpectedly | D.slowly |
A.make sense | B.take notice | C.keep pace | D.stay proud |
A.scheme | B.cancel | C.change | D.delay |
A.promise | B.quarrel | C.choice | D.protest |