2. 职称英语
  3. In this part of the Reading section, you will read 2 passages. You will have

In this part of the Reading section, you will read 2 passages. You will have

游客2024-01-03  31
问题     In this part of the Reading section, you will read 2 passages. You will have 40 minutes to read the passages and answer the questions.
    Most questions in the Reading section are worth 1 point, but the last question for each passage is worth more than 1 point. The directions for the last question include the point value of the question.
    Some passages will include a word or phrase that is underlined. You can see its definition or an explanation in the Glossary box.
    Within each part in the real test, you can go on to the next question by clicking the Next icon. You may skip questions and go back to them later. If you want to go back to previous questions, click the Back icon. You may click the Review icon at any time and the review screen will show you which questions you have answered and which you have not. From the review screen, you can go directly to any question you have already seen in the Reading section.
                    Elephant Intelligence
    In many cultures, elephants are symbols of intelligence and wisdom. Elephants display many behaviors that seem to be the result of a conscious intelligence. However, whether that intelligence is similar to our own is a matter of heated debate. Some argue that the evidence for elephant intelligence is so overwhelming that it cannot be doubted. Others say that the claims of elephant intelligence are backed up by mostly anecdotal1 evidence, and that they tell us more about our desire to anthropomorphize2 other creatures than they tell us about elephants themselves. Still others are prepared to admit that elephants may possess some sort of conceptual ability that could be described as intelligence, but they also caution against simply reading human thought patterns into them lest we fail to understand the true complexity of the animal. Whatever view one subscribes to, there can be no doubt that proponents of the theory of elephant intelligence have built a strong case for their position.
    One of the standard ways of testing for animal intelligence involves examining their reaction to their own reflection in a mirror. Most animals are confused by the image, mistaking it for another creature. In fact, only very few species, including chimpanzees and dolphins, seem to recognize the image for what it is. In various experiments with captive elephants, scientists have noted behavior indicating that elephants also realize that their reflection is a self-image. The most telling clue is that no elephant has ever been known to engage its reflection in the sort of social greeting behavior that normally occurs when two elephants meet. In addition, elephants looking into mirrors act in much the same way humans do. If they are dirty, they will attempt to clean themselves, using their reflection as a guide. If they have never seen their reflection before, they may move around to try to see themselves from different angles, exploring their own appearance. That elephants can recognize their reflection for what it is impresses scientists because it means that elephants apparently have a sense of self that is lacking in many other animals. This sense of self is considered one of the fundamental characteristics of a truly sentient intelligence.
    Another striking aspect of elephant behavior that indicates they possess a high level of intelligence is their seeming awareness of death. Most animals possess sharply honed instincts of self-preservation, but they do not act in ways that reveal any special sense of mortality. At most, such animals may engage in behavior that seems to display sadness at the loss of their mate or young, but these displays are signs of temporary distress that soon fade. In these cases, most scientists believe that they are instinctual stress reactions rather than indicators of a genuine awareness of death. Elephants, in contrast, react to death in many of the same ways that humans do.
(A) When a member of the herd perishes, the rest of the herd members gather around the corpse, stroking and touching it with their trunks.
(B) This behavior is consistent with human funeral rites in which the dead body is displayed at a wake so that family and friends can bid the departed farewell.
(C) Moreover, anecdotal evidence exists that elephants will pause when traveling through places where they know another elephant has died, as if reflecting on the deceased.
(D) All of these behaviors indicate that elephants are capable of grasping death as an intellectual concept.
    Not only do elephants apparently conceptualize at a level not seen in any species other than humans, they are also capable of applying their knowledge to achieve goals. Along with the higher primates, elephants are tool users. For instance, elephants will often grasp branches in their trunks and use the sticks to scratch themselves in places where they could not otherwise reach. This behavior, and in fact virtually all elephant behavior, is learned rather than instinctual. Young elephants have to be taught everything, including how to use their trunks to drink. Without this instruction, their attempts to drink through their noses end in much the same way they would for any other animal: they choke and splutter helplessly. This total reliance on learning is extremely rare in the animal kingdom and is, of course, most notable in our own species. And in humans, just as the need to protect and teach our young is believed to have given rise to our nature as social animals, so too the same need in elephants is thought to underlie their own complex social structures.
[br] According to paragraph 1, what is one objection to the theory of elephant intelligence?
选项 A、It ignores evidence that elephants act on instinct.
B、It is biased by researchers’ desire for more funding.
C、It makes assertions that can never be proven.
D、It is too often based on unverifiable stories.
答案 D
解析 细节题 第一段中说明了人们对大象是否有智商所持的不同态度及提出的理由，其中持反对态度的人提出的理由之一是“主张大象有智商的依据主要是轶事证据”(…the claims of elephant intelligence are backed up by mostly anecdotal evidence…)。如果不理解anecdotal evidence的意思，容易误选C项。
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