GRE阅读真题备考——第二十四篇

Passage 24

　　Some researchers claim that cetaceans—whales and dolphins—have culture, which the researchers define as the ability to learn from one another. Skeptics, however, demand clear evidence that cetaceans can acquire new behaviors through some form of social learning, preferably clear-cut instances of imitation or teaching. But such evidence is difficult to obtain. While few people doubt that captive cetaceans are adept at imitation or that they reproduce behaviors taught by researchers, biologists seeking insight into cetaceans’ behavior in their natural habitats must rely on deduction rather than experiments. If members of a particular group share behaviors that do not result from genetic inheritance or environmental variation, then they have almost certainly learned them by watching, following, or listening to other animals.

　　1. Which of the following best describe the function of the highlighted sentence?

　　A. It identifies a factor that complicates biologists’ ability to draw conclusions about the behavior of cetaceans in their natural environments.

　　B. It illustrates the kind of deduction mentioned in the preceding sentence.

　　C. It explains why skeptics have remained unpersuaded by evidence that has been put forward in support of the claim that cetaceans have culture.

　　D. It introduces a claim that would be dismissed by both supporters and opponents of the view that cetaceans have culture.

　　E. It notes a previously overlooked factor that might shed light on the question of whether cetaceans have culture.

　　2. The passage suggests which of the following about captive cetaceans?

　　A. Whether they are engaged in social learning is a subject of disagreement among biologists.

　　B. Their ability to imitate new behaviors is more extensive than that of noncaptive cetaceans.

　　C. They exhibit few behaviors that have not also been observed in cetaceans in their natural habitats.

　　D. They appear to adopt new behaviors more quickly than noncaptive cetaceans.

　　E. They exhibit tendencies that suggest a capacity for the kind of behavior that qualifies as cultural.

　　答案：B E

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