Have you ever had a chat with an animal? Many pet owners talk to their animals. But how much do the pets really understand? Dogs respond (回应) when we say, “Sit,” or “Stay.” Studies have shown that dogs really do understand human speech. This isn’t unique to our dog friends! Pigs, chimpanzees, and elephants all understand some human language.
Some animals are very good at communication. They understand humans better than other animals do. A bird named Alex knew 150 words and spoke in full sentences. Chaser, a sheepdog in South Carolina, knew all the names of her 1,022 toys. She would go and get whichever one she was asked to! The most famous example is Koko, a western lowland gorilla (大猩猩) who knew sign language.
Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo on the 4th of July in 1971. The zoo named her Hanabiko and her caretakers called her “Koko” for short. Koko began learning American Sign Language after her first birthday from a psychologist (心理学家) named Francine “Penny” Patterson. With Patterson’s help, Koko learned 2,000 words!
Koko was very friendly. She enjoyed talking with most humans. Everyone who met her could tell she was smart. What really made Koko different, though, was her personality. Koko didn’t just communicate her needs—she also told jokes and played tricks on (捉弄) her trainers.
Koko could even use a camera. She loved to take selfies! National Geographic made one of Koko’s selfies its cover photo in 1978. The picture was one she took of herself in the mirror (镜子). Koko was on the cover of National Geographic again in 1985. In that picture, she held her cat, whom she named “All Ball”. Koko’s love for All Ball touched people around the world. She raised three cats during her life.
Koko was proud to be a gorilla. When asked to describe herself, she said she was a “fine animal gorilla”. Koko taught us a lot about animals’ brains. Because of her, scientists now think other animals might be able to understand us.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “unique” in paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Easy. | B．Helpful. | C．Possible. | D．Special. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By providing explanations. |
| C．By setting down general rules. | D．By presenting research findings. |
| A．She enjoyed looking in the mirror. | B．She kept four cats during her life. |
| C．She met Patterson at the age of one. | D．She began learning words in 1971. |
| A．Smart and brave. | B．Humorous and caring. |
| C．Honest and friendly. | D．Popular and patient. |
