Washoe Learned American Sign Language

1 An animal that influenced scientific thought has died. A chimpanzee named Washoe and born in Africa died of natural causes late last month at the age of 42 at a research center in the American state of Washington. Wash0e had become known in the scientific community1 and around the world for her ability to use American Sign Language2. She was said to be the first non-human to learn a human language. Her skills also led to debate3 about primates and their ability to understand language.

2 Research scientists Allen and Beatrix Gardner began teaching Washoe sign language in 1966. In 1969, the Gardners7 described Washoe's progress in a scientific report. The people who experimented with Washoe said she grew to understand4 about 250 words. For example, Washoe made signs to communicate when it was time to eat. She could request foods like apples and bananas. She also asked questions like, "Who is coming to play?" Once5 the news about Washoe spread, many language scientists began studies of their own6 into this new and exciting area of research. The whole direction of primate research changed.

3 However, critics argued Washoe only learned to repeat sign language movements from watching her teachers. They said she had never developed true language skills. Even now, there are some researchers who suggest that primates learn sign language only by memory, and perform the signs only for prizes. Yet Washoe's keepers disagree. Roger Fouts is a former student of the Gardners7. He took Washoe to a research center in Ellensburg, Washington. There, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimpanzees, which are still alive.

4 Scientists like private researcher Jane Goodall believes Washoe provided new information about the mental workings of chimpanzees8. Today, there are not as many scientists studying language skills with chimps. Part of the reason is that this kind of research takes a very long time.

5 Debate continues about chimps' understanding of human communication. Yet, one thing is sure -- Washoe changed popular ideas about the possibilities of animal intelligence.

詞匯:

chimpanzee n．黑猩猩 critic n．評論家，批評家

community n．社區(qū)，圈子 workings n．活動(dòng)，運(yùn)行

primate n．靈長類動(dòng)物 chimp n．=chimpanzee

注釋：

1. in the scientific community : 在科學(xué)界，在科學(xué)家的圈子里

2. American Sign Language(ASL): 美國手語。利用手、臉部表情、身體姿勢表達(dá)思想的美國聾啞人語言。在加拿大、墨西哥等地也使用ASL。ASL與British Sign Language(BSL英國手語)不同，兩者不能相互理解。

3. led to debate: 引起辯論。lead to意為“導(dǎo)致”，to為介詞，debate為名詞。

4. she grew to understand about 250 words: 她漸漸掌握約250個(gè)單詞。9row t0是“漸漸”的意思。

5. Once : 一旦。0nce是連接詞。例:Children like to cycle once they have learned how. 小孩一旦學(xué)會(huì)了如何騎自行車，就會(huì)喜歡上它。

6. of their own: 屬于自己的。of their own的含義與on their own不同， on their own是“獨(dú)自”的意思。

7. the Gardners: Gardner夫婦

8. Scientists like private researcher Jane Goodall believe...: 像個(gè)體研究者Jane Goodall這樣的科學(xué)家相信……。like(像，跟……一樣)是介詞，本句的謂語是believe。句子中的private researcher意為“不受雇于任何單位，自己獨(dú)立工作的科研人員?！?/p>

練習(xí)：

1. Paragraph 1▁▁

2. Paragraph 2▁▁

3. Paragraph 3▁▁

4. Paragraph 4▁▁

A Reason Why Not Many Scientists Carry out This　Research Nowadays

B Report about Washoe's Progress in Learning Sign Language

C General Information about Washoe

D The Gardeners' Contributions Recognized

E Debate on Chimps' Intelligence

F Washoe's Love for Three Young Chimps

5. Washoe could make signs to communicate

6. Some scientists doubted

7. Washoe taught three younger chimps sign language

8. The experimenters thought Washoe was intelligent

A if the Gardeners' argument was sound

B because she was cleverer than other chimps

C when she wanted to eat

D while she was at a research center in Ellensburg

E because she could use sign language to ask for fruits

F while Washoe was learning sign language

答案與題解：

1. C 第一段主要介紹猩猩Washoe的出生地、死亡年齡、被帶到美國學(xué)習(xí)美式手語等一般情況。用General Information about Washoe來概括是很準(zhǔn)確的。

2. B 第二段的關(guān)鍵句是In 1969, the Gardners described Washoe's progress in a scientific report.隨后的句子簡略的介紹了Washoe的學(xué)習(xí)情況和結(jié)果，如已學(xué)會(huì)了250個(gè)單詞，并能用手語表達(dá)“該吃飯了”等概念。所以，Report about Washoe's Progress in Learning Sign Language(選項(xiàng)B)是答案。

3. E 第三段介紹了對Gardener夫婦發(fā)表的報(bào)告有兩種不同的解讀。一派認(rèn)為Washoe的手語能力只是機(jī)械重復(fù)、死記硬背、物質(zhì)激勵(lì)的結(jié)果，不是智能的表現(xiàn)。另一派認(rèn)為知識(shí)智能的表現(xiàn)，其證據(jù)是Washoe還能教三個(gè)小猩猩學(xué)習(xí)手語。爭論的焦點(diǎn)是猩猩有沒有智能。選項(xiàng)E用debate來概括上述爭論，所以是答案。

4. A 第四段解釋了為什么現(xiàn)在從事這項(xiàng)研究的科學(xué)家人數(shù)不多。部分原因是研究周期太長。

5. C 選C 的第四段第二句：Washoe made signs to communicate when it was time to eat.

6. A 第三段的上半段說了一些科學(xué)家對Gardener 夫婦的試驗(yàn)的解讀所持懷疑態(tài)度。題干中出現(xiàn)的doubted引導(dǎo)我們選A。

7. D 選D DE 依據(jù)是第三段的最后一句,即“He took Washoe to a research center in Ellensburg, Washington. There, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimpanzees, which are still alive.”

8. E 本文第二段談到試驗(yàn)的成果時(shí)有一個(gè)句子：“She could request foods like apples and bananas”。根據(jù)全段意思和上述句子，選擇E是正確的。

譯文：Washoe學(xué)會(huì)了美國手語

一個(gè)影響科學(xué)思維的動(dòng)物已經(jīng)死亡了。一個(gè)出生在非洲名為Washoe的黑猩猩上個(gè)月月底在 美國華盛頓州的一個(gè)研究中心自然死亡,死時(shí)42歲。Washoe在科學(xué)界和世界各地眾所周知，是 因?yàn)樗軌蚴褂妹绹终Z。它是第一個(gè)了解人類語言的非人類。它的技能也導(dǎo)致有關(guān)靈長類動(dòng)物和它們所能理解的語言的爭議。

科學(xué)家Alien和Beatrix Gardner于1966年開始教Washoe手語。1969年，Gardners在科學(xué)的報(bào) 告中描述了 Washoe的進(jìn)步。對Washoe做實(shí)驗(yàn)的人說Washoe逐漸掌握了約250個(gè)單詞。例如， Washoe能用手語表達(dá)“該吃飯了”！它能要蘋果和番蕉這樣的食品。它也問諸如“誰要來玩”之 類的問題。Washoe能用手語的消息一散開，許多語言學(xué)家開始在他們自己這一令人振奮的新研究 領(lǐng)域展開研究。靈長類動(dòng)物的整個(gè)研究方向改變了。

然而，批評者認(rèn)為Washoe只學(xué)會(huì)了看它的教師的手語重復(fù)動(dòng)作。他們說Washoe從來沒有發(fā) 展真正的語言技能。即使是現(xiàn)在，也有一些研究表明靈長類動(dòng)物學(xué)習(xí)手語只是機(jī)械重復(fù)、死記硬 背、物質(zhì)刺激的結(jié)果?？墒荳ashoe的飼養(yǎng)員不同意這種說法。Roger Fouts以前是Gainer夫婦的 學(xué)生。Roger Fouts把Washoe帶到了華盛頓埃倫斯堡的一個(gè)研究中心。在這里，Washoe教三個(gè)年 輕的黑猩猩手語，這三個(gè)黑猩猩依然活著。

像Jane Goodall這樣的獨(dú)立的科學(xué)家認(rèn)為，Washoe為黑猩猩心理活動(dòng)的研究提供了新信息。 今天，沒有那么多科學(xué)家研究黑猩猩的語言技能。部分原因在于這類研究需要花費(fèi)很長的時(shí)間。

對黑猩猩懂得人類交流方式與否的辯論仍在繼續(xù)。然而，有一件事卻是肯定的~"Washoe改 變了有關(guān)動(dòng)物智能可能性的普遍觀點(diǎn)。

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