Animals, including insects, do not have a language like ours. They do not talk to each other in words or sentences. But if we watch them, we can see that they do have ways to communicate.
Can you see the rabbit’s tail which is moving up and down? When rabbits see this white tail moving up and down, they are warning each other to run: They know that there is danger. The rabbit has told them something without making a sound. Many other animals use this kind of language. When a cobra(眼镜蛇) is angry, it raises its sound. It has given them a signal and makes itself look fierce. This warns other animals. When a bee has found some food, it goes back to its home. It cannot tell the other bees where the food is by speaking to them, but it does a little dance in the air. This tells the bees where the food is. Some animals say things by making a sound. A dog barks, for example when a stranger comes near. A cat purrs when pleased. Some birds make several different sounds, each with its own meaning.
Sometimes we human beings speak in the same way. For example, we make sounds like “Oh” or “Ah!” when we are frightened or pleased or when we drop something on our toes. But we have something that no animals have—a large number of words which have the meanings, information in words and sentences, which no other animals can do. No other animals have so wonderful a language as we have.
【小题1】A rabbit uses its tall to __________.
| A．warn other rabbits of danger | B．tell other rabbits where food is |
| C．make itself look fierce | D．help it to run fast |
【小题2】When a cobra is angry, it __________.
| A．does a little dance | B．raises its head |
| C．moves up and down | D．makes a loud noise |
【小题3】Several different sounds can be made by a __________.
【小题4】From the text we know that __________ can use words and sentences to express ideas and thoughts.
| A．all living things | B．human beings | C．some birds | D．all animals |
