bldg最聪明的10种动物 英语阅读讲义

2021年1月20日发(作者：育苗块)
Unit 7



Top 10 Smartest Animals
We
humans
have
the
ability
to
learn,
to
reason
and
solve
problems.
We're
self-aware,
and
we're
also
conscious of the presence
存在
, thoughts
and feelings of others. We make tools and practice the art of
deception
（欺骗）
. We're creative. We think abstractly
抽象地
. We have language and use it to express
complex ideas. All of these are arguably
可论证的
signs of intelligence. Scientists may not agree on the
best and fullest definition of intelligence
—
but they generally agree that humans are highly intelligent.
Other members of the animal kingdom exhibit
展示

signs of intelligence as well, and some scientists
might say the definition of animal vs. human intelligence is merely a matter of degree - a point that was
brought home in 2005 when the London Zoo put
（智人，现代人）
on display
（展示）

in the exhibit(
展览，陈列
) pictured here.


Chimps are almost like us
黑猩猩

If we humans possess intelligence, chimpanzees must have some as well:
Our genomes
（
基因组）

are at least 98 percent identical. Chimps make and
use tools, hunt in organized groups and engage in acts of violence. Wild
troops
have
distinct
behaviors
and
customs.
Field
observations
and
lab
experiments show chimps are capable of empathy
（同感，
共鸣）
, altruism
（无私）

and self-awareness. In an experiment, chimps performed better
than humans on a number memory test.

Dolphins get creative
A dolphin in Australia uses a sponge
（海绵）

to protect her snout
（
长鼻子）

when foraging
（搜寻）

on the seafloor, a tool use behavior that is passed on
from mother to daughter. Scientists say that's just one sign of dolphin smarts.
Other
signs
include
distinct
whistles
and
clicks
that
may
serve
as
dolphin
names,
perhaps
used
in
a
type
of
language.
A
famous
1960s
experiment
found that a pair of dolphins entered a tizzy
（紧张）

of creativity once they
figured
out
their
novel
（新颖的）

behaviors
were
rewarded
with
fish.
Frustrated human test subjects just let out a sigh
（叹口气）

of relief
（痛苦
等的缓和，减轻，宽慰）

when they caught on to the idea.
Elephants exhibit self- awareness
The sheer
（完全的，
十足的）

size of their brains suggests that elephants must know a thing or two about
the ways of the world. They have been seen consoling
（安慰）

family members, helping other species in
times of need, playing in water and communicating with one another via vibrations
（振动）

sensed in
their feet. A crowning
（
最高的）

achievement, some researchers say, was when this female Asian elephant
named Happy recognized herself in the mirror. The complex behavior is shared only with humans, great
apes and dolphins.
Cephalopods have big brains
头足纲动物

Are octopi
章鱼
（
octopus
）
, squids
柔鱼类

and cuttlefish
乌贼

smart? That's a matter of scientific intrigue
阴谋，激起好奇心的事
,
but
such
cephalopods
are
certainly
among
the
brainiest
（
brainy
有头脑的）

invertebrates
无脊椎动物

in
the
sea.
The
cephalopod
brain
surrounds
the
esophagus
食道
,
but
shares
with
the
human
brain
features
of
complexity
such
as
folded
lobes
and
distinct
regions
for
processing
visual
and
tactile
触
觉
的

information.
The
how-smart
debate
swirls
around
deciphering
解
密

observations that the creatures have a seemingly irrepressible
压制不住的

curiosity, a disdain
鄙视

for
boredom, an ability to learn and the capacity
能力

to use tools.

Crows get crafty
狡猾