Can Apes Really Learn To “Talk”

Who are Sarah, Washoe, Koko, and Sherman? They are chimpanzees or gorillas who some scientists claim have learned how to “talk” to humans. In the past several years people have been astonished by reports that they communicate with humans. For example, Koko, a female gorilla, is said to understand and use hundreds of words. Koko, says her trainer, Francine Patterson, can carry on conversations in sign language about her feelings and plans.

Researcher Talks Back

Recently a Columbia University scientist caused an argument by challenging the conclusion that apes can in fact use language. The scientist, Dr. Herbert Terrace, thinks that the animals do not use language the way humans do. Dr. Terrace has caused such strong feelings among scientists studying ape language. Here let’s listen to an imaginary conversation between Washoe, the first chimp to learn sign language, and Koko, the gorilla.

Apes Are Talking

Koko: Did you hear what Dr. Terrace said about us? He claims we cannot create our own sentences. Instead, he says, we react to clues accidentally given by our trainer. He says we are like the famous horse Clever Hans. Hans was supposed to be able to solve arithmetic problems and then stamp out the answers with his hoof(蹄子).

If the horse was asked what two plus two was, he would stamp four times. Although the trainer did not realized it, says Dr. Terrace, the horse was picking up clues from the trainer as to when to stop stamping.

Washoe: I disagree with Dr. Terrace. My trainer, Dr. R. Allen Gardner and his wife, Beatrice, have seen me talking in sign language to other chimps.

Koko: I heard that Dr. Terrace became unimpressed with ape language after studying a chimp named Nim. Dr. Terrace found that Nim usually made signs only after being prompted (提示) by his trainer. Yet when children learn a language, they start using many words on their own. Nim usually did not do this. Even when Nim did use additional signs, he did not add any new information. The signs (words) were repeated over and over again.

Washoe: My trainer says that Nim wasn’t given much of a chance to act on his own. He had so many different trainers, he became confused. That is not the best way to get chimps to communicate.

Koko: I’ll never understand humans. But the big question is: Can we really use language?

Koko and Washoe (together): We’ll never tell.

How do scientists who study ape language respond to Dr.  Herbert  Terrace’ idea according to the 2nd part?

A. Enthusiastic.             B. Confused.                C. Angry.                      D. Sympathetic.  

Which of the following is a match according to the passage?

A. Dr. Herbert Terrace and Koko.                  B. Dr. R. Allen Garners and Washoe.

C. Clever Hans and Sherman.                           D. Francine Patterson and Nim.

Dr. Herbert Terrace suspects that _________.

A. Nim added new information while using additional signs

B. Clever Hans picked up clues accidentally given by its trainer

C. Washoe didn’t pick up any clues from its trainer when talking

D. when a child learns a language, he starts using many words on his own

Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?

A. Nim had more than one trainer.                   

B. Apes can’t create their own language.

C. The apes are supposed to form sentences.      

D. Clever Hans is supposed to solve math problems.

单词拼写。(共10小题；每小题l分，满分l0分)
【小题1】The r____________ of this museum lies in the variety of its art collection..
【小题2】The language in nursery rhymes is c____________ but imaginative.
【小题3】Keep cloths cool by putting them back in a basin of cold water, s_____________ them out and placing them on the burned area over and over again.
【小题4】Nobody can p___________ what painting styles there will be in the future.
【小题5】Did you know that English speakers also enjoy other forms of Asian poetry - Tang poems from China in p_____________.
【小题6】I can’t eat shellfish because I am a___________ to them.
【小题7】Sam broke the blisters and p_________ icy water onto the skin.
【小题8】If there had not been an e____________ programme, he would not have found a sponsor to help him study abroad.
【小题9】Frick had a p____________ for pre-twentieth century Western paintings.
【小题10】The symptoms of first degree burns are dry, red and mildly s__________..

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，写出各单词的正确形式（每空限填一词）。

1.As we all know, Nelson Mandela was once s_______________ to 27 years in prison.

2.On the top of the high mountain, they found the air was hard to b____________.

3.He is not a Chinese but he can speak Chinese f_____________.

4.Most scientists present at the meeting voted a_____________ the plan for it would be harmful to the air.

5.They all b__________ out laughing at the funny joke.

6.She is so generous that she gives the poor food and clothing and asks for nothing in r________.

7.After the earthquake, the whole city lay in r__________.

8.A majority of people like to play o__________ rather than stay indoors when it is fine.

9.People in all countries hope for a p_____________ world instead of one filled with wars.

10.We need more e___________ to prove that he is the thief.

It’s 10:30 p.m., and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. He blinks twice, and the message on the screen becomes clear: “R U awake?”

But the late-night text does not annoy Brandon. He gets frequent messages and calls, even after bedtime. And he can’t imagine life without them. “If I didn’t have a cell phone, I wouldn’t be able to talk to my friends or family as often,” he told the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Brandon’s use of technology doesn’t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles（控制台）in his room. With so many devices, it is no surprise that when he is not at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices. Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by TFK, kids aged 8 to 18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found. That’s about an hour more than just five years ago.

The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. “These devices have opened up many more opportunities for young people to use media, whether it’s on the bus, on the way to school or waiting in line at the pizza parlor,” says Rideout.

Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. “If you’ve got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?” Media expert Cheryl Olson says. Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. “It’s a matter of balance,” says Olson.

Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. “It’s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply,” says Rideout.

With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. “Kids should try,” adds Rideout. “But parents might have to step in sometimes.”

1.It can be learned from the text that _________.

A. many teenagers lack friends in their middle school

B. kids have too many electronic devices to choose from

C. Brandon feels annoyed about his late-night message

D. Olson is against teenagers’ using mobile phones

2.Which of the following is an example of multitasking?

A. Watching TV when using the computer.    

B. Talking on the phone when lying on the sofa.

C. Playing video games after having lunch.     

D. Listening to loud music while relaxing.

3.The underlined phrase “in check” in the last paragraph can be replaced by _________.

A. in order         B. in store         C. in control               D. in sight

4.According to the text, Victoria Rideout would probably agree that kids should ______.

A. do homework while watching TV           

B. have less homework

C. spend more time on homework             

D. do homework in a place without disturbance

请根据句子逻辑, 从模块四课本所学的词汇中选用恰当的单词并且使用其正确的形式填空。 
【小题1】He will r_______________ our class to take part in the meeting．
【小题2】I won’t trust you until you give me the c__________ evidence to support what you say．
【小题3】We are lucky that all our classrooms are very well e______________．We have computers, fans, air-conditioners etc．
【小题4】This dictionary is for the a_______________ English learners while that one is for the beginners．
【小题5】Jim is so c____________________ that he always gets everything ready for the teacher before each lesson．
【小题6】We are sure to o____________ all difficulties on our way to success if we are mentally strong．
【小题7】Only a m__________ of students are against this plan while most of them support it．
【小题8】Jack and Ben had a quarrel yesterday．But now they have found that the quarrel happened because of a m________________ and they have forgiven(原谅) each other．
【小题9】Your c_________ on him that he is not an honest person really hurts him．
【小题10】What the hero has done will i______________ more people to follow him and offer help to others when necessary．