最聪明的10种动物 英语阅读讲义

Unit 7 Top 10 Smartest Animals

We humans have the ability to learn, to reason and solve problems. We're self-aware, and we're also conscious of the presence存在, thoughts and feelings of others. We make tools and practice the art of deception（欺骗）. We're creative. We think abstractly抽象地. We have language and use it to express complex ideas. All of these are arguably 可论证的signs of intelligence. Scientists may not agree on the best and fullest definition of intelligence — but they generally agree that humans are highly intelligent.

Other members of the animal kingdom exhibit展示 signs of intelligence as well, and some scientists might say the definition of animal vs. human intelligence is merely a matter of degree - a point that was brought home in 2005 when the London Zoo put "Homo sapiens" （智人，现代人）on display（展示） in the exhibit(展览，陈列) pictured here.

Chimps are almost like us黑猩猩

If we humans possess intelligence, chimpanzees must have some as well: Our genomes（基因组） are at least 98 percent identical. Chimps make and use tools, hunt in organized groups and engage in acts of violence. Wild troops have distinct behaviors and customs. Field observations and lab experiments show chimps are capable of empathy（同感，共鸣）, altruism（无私） and self-awareness. In an experiment, chimps performed better than humans on a number memory test.

Dolphins get creative

A dolphin in Australia uses a sponge（海绵） to protect her snout（长鼻子） when foraging（搜寻） on the seafloor, a tool use behavior that is passed on from mother to daughter. Scientists say that's just one sign of dolphin smarts. Other signs include distinct whistles and clicks that may serve as dolphin names, perhaps used in a type of language. A famous 1960s experiment found that a pair of dolphins entered a tizzy（紧张） of creativity once they figured out their novel（新颖的） behaviors were rewarded with fish. Frustrated human test subjects just let out a sigh（叹口气） of relief（痛苦等的缓和，减轻，宽慰） when they caught on to the idea.

Elephants exhibit self-awareness

The sheer（完全的，十足的） size of their brains suggests that elephants must know a thing or two about the ways of the world. They have been seen consoling（安慰） family members, helping other species in times of need, playing in water and communicating with one another via vibrations（振动） sensed in their feet. A crowning（最高的） achievement, some researchers say, was when this female Asian elephant named Happy recognized herself in the mirror. The complex behavior is shared only with humans, great apes and dolphins.

Cephalopods have big brains头足纲动物

Are octopi章鱼（octopus）, squids柔鱼类 and cuttlefish乌贼 smart? That's a matter of scientific intrigue阴谋，激起好奇心的事, but such cephalopods are certainly among the brainiest（brainy有头脑的） invertebrates无脊椎动物 in the sea. The cephalopod brain surrounds the esophagus食道, but shares with the human brain features of complexity such as folded lobes and distinct regions for processing visual and tactile触觉的 information. The how-smart debate swirls around deciphering解密 observations that the creatures have a seemingly irrepressible压制不住的 curiosity, a disdain鄙视 for boredom, an ability to learn and the capacity能力 to use tools.

Crows get crafty狡猾

Crows are crafty critters动物: They fashion tools from twigs细枝, feathers and other bits of debris碎片 to snare 用罗网捕捉，圈套food from hard-to-reach places. A crow named Betty, uses a straight wire she bent into a hook钩子 to retrieve寻回，恢复，检索 food from a tube. The birds are born with a tool-making ethic伦理, but they hone磨光 their craft by watching their elders, a sign of higher intelligence. Ravens, a type of crow, have even been shown to manipulate熟练控制，操作 the outcomes of their social interactions for added protection and more food.

Squirrels松鼠 can be deceptive导致误解的，欺骗的

Is the squirrel pictured here plotting deception? Perhaps. Researchers recently reported that the rodents 啮齿目动物put on elaborate复杂的 shows of deceptive caching（贮藏） to would-be thieves. The behavior increased in a lab experiment after squirrels observed humans stealing their peanuts. The researchers called the finding a sign that squirrels can interpret intentions意图，打算 of others, though it could just be a case of learned behavior后天行为. Other studies have shown the critters make three-dimensional maps to recall where they cache their nuts. And squirrels in California will cover their fur in the scent气味 of rattlesnakes响尾蛇 to mask面罩，伪装，掩饰 their own scent from predators食肉动物.

Man's best friend

Are dogs intelligent or just really good at basic obedience顺从? They can learn to sit, lie down and fetch取, for example, but can they read their owner's intentions? Research suggests they can at least find food in response to non-verbal cues暗号暗示, a type of understanding that scientists think may be akin相似的 to the human ability to understand someone else's point of view. The dog in the experiment pictured here accurately discriminated辨别区分 between photos of dogs and photos of landscapes — an indication暗示，迹象 the dog was able to form the concept of "dog."

Cats are adaptable可适应的，有适应力的

Like dog owners, some cat owners have trained their pets to sit down, roll over and jump through hoops铁环. Cats learn the tricks by observation观察 and imitation模仿, egged被挑唆on with positive reinforcement正强化. But training cats is harder than dogs. Does that mean they are less intelligent? Not necessarily. Cat experts say felines猫科 are just different. They are solitary独居的，单独的 animals, motivated by the need to survive. This has allowed them to adapt to习惯于，适应于 a variety of domestic environments for at least 9,500 years - even the hoods of cars汽车发动机罩.

Pigs are wise ... and clean

Here's the dirt污垢，灰尘，丑闻，恶言 on pigs: They are perhaps the smartest, cleanest domestic animals known - more so than cats and dogs, according to some experts. But pigs don't have sweat glands汗腺, so they roll around in the mud to stay cool. A sign of their cleverness came from experiments in the 1990s. Pigs were trained to move a cursor光标 on a video screen with their snouts长鼻子 and used the cursor to distinguish between scribbles乱画，潦草书写 they knew and those they were seeing for the first time. They learned the task as quickly as chimpanzees.

Other intelligent animals include: rats, owls(猫头鹰)，falcons(猎鹰)，monkeys,horses,pigeons,sheep,raccoons(浣熊)，spiders, ants, sea lions(海狮), etc.

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