动物会笑吗

新疆 郄云博

动物的生活是生动的。 但时至今日，人们仍然在争论动物是否有意识，甚至在争论人类是否能知道动物是有意识的。

难词探意

1. empathy /'empəθi/ n. 同情；同感；共鸣

2. hilarious /hɪ'leəriəs/ adj. 非常滑稽的；引人发笑的

We know animals have emotions. They can feel fear. We also think they feel love, since they have strong relationships with each other. So are animal emotions similar to our own? And do animals have a sense of humor? Do animals feel empathy? Does an elephant have consciousness? Can a dog plan ahead? These are some of the questions that deserve our full attention.

A parrot's joke

Sally Blanchard's parrot Bongo Marie didn't get along with her other parrot, Paco. In fact, Bongo Marie clearly didn't like Paco at all! One day, Blanchard cooked a chicken for dinner. She started to cut the chicken with a knife.“Oh, no! Paco! ” Bongo Marie said loudly and laughed. Blanchard laughed, too, and said, “That's not Paco.” “Oh... no,” said Bongo Marie. This time, she sounded disappointed. Then the parrot laughed at her own joke.

Yoga dog

Jean Donaldson enjoys yoga, and so does her dog Buffy. While Donaldson does yoga, Buffy carefully places her toys on Donaldson's body. If a toy falls, Buffy runs to put it back. Does this behavior have any real purpose? “She thinks it's hilarious! ” says Donaldson.

Animal laughter

Can dogs laugh? Recent research shows that dogs can tell each other when they want to play. They make a special sound—a kind of laugh. Psychologist Patricia Simonet recorded the sound. Then she played it back to dogs and studied their behavior. “All the dogs seemed to like the laugh,” says Simonet.So do animals have a sense of humor?If laughter is a clue,then perhaps the answer is “Yes”.

Life is very vivid to animals. In many cases they know who they are. They know who their friends are and who their rivals are. It is incredible that there is still a debate over whether animals are conscious and even a debate over whether human beings can know animals are conscious.

Ⅰ. Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What question does the author mainly want to answer?

A. Do animals have strong relationships? B. Do animals have a sense of humor?

C. Can animals feel empathy? D. Can animals perceive love?

2. What is the purpose of “A parrot's joke”?

A. To explain how parrots can talk. B. To show how parrots can feel love.

C. To tell an interesting experience. D. To suggest that parrots can make jokes.

3. What does the underlined word “She” refer to?

A. Paco. B. Bongo Marie. C. Sally Blanchard. D. The chicken.

4. What does Buffy do when Jean Donaldson does yoga?

A. She tries to jump over Donaldson. B. She copies Donaldson's movements.

C. She puts her toys on Donaldson's body. D. She makes fun of Donaldson.

5. What is the main idea of “Animal laughter”?

A. Dogs can make a sound like a laugh and may have a sense of humor.

B. Dogs talk to each other and seem to be funnier than most animals.

C. Dogs know how to please their masters with their laughter.

D. Dogs cannot communicate as well as other animals.

Ⅱ.Are the following statements true(T)or false(F),or is the information not given(NG)in the text?

（ ）1. Sally Blanchard has a pet dog.

（ ）2. Bongo Marie and Paco are the same type of parrot.

（ ）3. Paco and Bongo Marie are good friends.

（ ）4. Jean Donaldson is a yoga teacher.

（ ）5. Dogs make a special sound when they want to play.

Complete the summary with the words or phrases in the box using their proper forms.

The 1._________between apes is often very close. 2.________they form some of the strongest bonds in the animal kingdom. This was clear when researchers studied a pair of brother and sister bonobos（非洲的黑猩猩） Kanzi and Panbanisha.

The researchers wanted to see how well the animals had learned to make stone knives. So they gave each bonobo a box with a banana in it. They also gave them the 3.________ they needed to make knives, so they could open the boxes. Kanzi made a good knife, 4.________ his sister did not.When he saw that she was sad, Kanzi tried to give his knife to her. When no one was looking, he 5.________his knife where his sister could find it, and she finally got her banana. Kanzi's 6._______showed how much he cared for his sister.