Level 1 Reading 1A

Ch.1

第1章

Reading 1A THE INCREDIBLE DOLPHIN Many people say dolphins are intelligent. They seem to be able to think, understand, and learn things quickly. But are they as smart as humans, or are they more like cats and dogs? Dolphins use their brains quite differently from the way people do. But scientists say dolphins and humans are alike in some ways. How? Communication Like humans, every dolphin has its own "name." The name is a special whistle. Each dolphin chooses a whistle for itself, usually by its first birthday. Dolphins are like people in other ways, too. They "talk" to each other about a lot of things—such as their age, their feelings, and possible danger. They also use a system of sounds and body language to communicate. Understanding dolphin conversation is not easy for humans. No one "speaks dolphin" yet, but some scientists are trying to learn. Play Dolphins live in groups called pods, and they often join other dolphins from different pods to play games and have fun—just like people. Sometimes they chase other dolphins carrying objects (e.g., seaweed) and throw these objects back and forth. Scientists believe playing together is something only intelligent animals do. Teamwork Dolphins and humans are similar in another way: They both make plans for getting things they want. In the seas of southern Brazil, for example, dolphins use an intelligent method to get food. When there are fish near a boat, dolphins signal to the fishermen to put their nets in the water. With the dolphins' help, the men can catch a lot of fish. Why do dolphins assist the men? There is an advantage for the dolphins: They get to eat some of the fish that escape from the net.

阅读1A 不可思议的海豚 很多人说海豚很聪明。 他们似乎能够快速思考、理解和学习事物。 但它们和人类一样聪明，还是更像猫和狗？ 海豚使用大脑的方式与人类完全不同。 但科学家表示，海豚和人类在某些方面是相似的。怎么用？ 通信 像人类一样，每只海豚都有自己的“名字” 这个名字是一个特殊的哨子。 每只海豚通常在一岁生日之前为自己选择一个哨子。 海豚在其他方面也和人一样。 他们互相“谈论”很多事情，比如他们的年龄、感受和可能的危险。 他们还使用声音和肢体语言系统进行交流。 理解海豚的对话对人类来说并不容易。 目前还没有人“会说海豚语”，但一些科学家正在努力学习。 玩 海豚生活在被称为豆荚的群体中，它们经常和来自不同豆荚的其他海豚一起玩游戏，玩得很开心——就像人一样。 有时，它们会追逐其他携带物体（如海藻）的海豚，并来回投掷这些物体。 科学家们认为，只有聪明的动物才会在一起玩耍。 团队合作 海豚和人类在另一方面是相似的： 他们都为得到自己想要的东西制定了计划。 例如，在巴西南部的海域，海豚使用一种智能方法来获取食物。 当船附近有鱼时，海豚会向渔民发出信号，让他们把网放进水里。 在海豚的帮助下，人们可以钓到很多鱼。 为什么海豚会帮助人类？ 海豚有一个优势：它们可以吃掉一些从网中逃脱的鱼。

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