quinta-feira, 26 de agosto de 2010

LEITURA: Intelligent Animals


 Directons: Read the text below. Then read the questions that follow it and choose the best answer to each question- A, B or C.

Intelligent Animals



Dolphins are not the only animals besides humans that use sounds in an apparently intelligent manner. Whales also use complex system of sounds, similar in many ways to a human language. One type of whale even sings, and its songs can go on for as long as three or four hours. What is more, they can be heard under water at distances of more than 300 kilometres.  After analyzing one of the songs with the help of a computer, scientists said it contained at least a million ‘bits’ of information. This is approximately the same amount of ‘bits’ as in a long poem like the Oddysey.
Chimpanzees also use a system of different sounds to communicate with each other. One type of cry seems to mean something like ‘danger in the air’ and another apparently means ‘danger on the ground’.
Chimpanzees are also capable of learning sign language. So are gorillas. One chimp called Washoe learned to make about 160 separate signs meaning such things as ‘give me a drink’ and ‘banana’. Washoe even learned to swear. She had a teacher called Jack who once refused to give her a drink. Washoe got angrier and angrier and used several signs which meant ‘dirty Jack’!
A group of chimps at a research institute in Atlanta, Georgia, have recently been taught to type sentences, using special computer. The chimps’ trainer was called Tim, and he kept correcting the mistakes one of the chimps made. The chimp obviously wanted Tim to stop correcting him and typed out the following request: “Tim, please leave room!”

1. How do whales show their intelligence?   
A. They use a special system of sound signals.
B. They can analyse complex songs.
C. They can understand long poems.
2. The computer analysis of a whale’s song showed that
A. it included a huge amount of information.
B. it related the events of the Oddysey.
C. it can last for several hours.
3. Besides dolphins and whales, chimpanzees can also
A. sing under water.
B. make offensive signs.
C. use sounds to communicate.
4. What is NOT true about Washoe?
A. She refuses to give her teacher a drink.
B. She was irritated by her teacher.
C. She made several offensive signs.
5. The chimp from Atlanta was annoyed because
A. his teacher refused to leave the room.
B. his teacher made obvious mistakes.
C. his teacher didn’t stop correcting hi mistakes.


Answer key:
1.     A
2.     A
3.     C
4.     A
5.     C

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