Practical English, Book II

1. Practical English, Book II Unit 6 Part A Do Animals Have a Culture? Lectured by Cheng Chunlan

2. Unit 6: Part A • Text A • Practice • Assignment

3. Unit 6: Part A • Text-related Information • Pre-reading Activity • Intensive Study

4. Text-related Information • Chimpanzee • Apes • Sign Language • Washoe

5. Text-related Information Chimpanzee: an anthropoid ape of Africa, with black hair and large, outstanding ears, it is smaller and less fierce than a gorilla. Chimpanzees communicate through vocalizations, facial expressions, posture, touch, and movement. A young chimp is able to make at least 32 different sounds, and the facial musculature can express a wide range of emotions. The animals show great intelligence in problem solving and the use of simple tools, such as a stripped twig to draw termites from their nest. Experiments suggest that chimps can even learn to use language in a symbolic sense, but these results are disputed.

6. Text-related Information Apes: the closest living relatives of humans. Together with humans they constitute the superfamily hominoid of the mammalian order primates. The two extant families of apes are the Pongidae (great apes) and the Hylobatidae (lesser apes). Apes and humans are classified together because they are more similar to each other anatomically, physically, and genetically than they are to the monkeys. Great apes are about equally good at solving laboratory problems; gibbons are less successful. Captive great apes are all handy with objects, but in the wild only chimpanzees are clever tool users. Great apes have learned to communicate with human trainers using symbolic systems. Captive hobnobs have a remarkable capacity to understand human speech, but thus far no apes have talked back— perhaps because they lack humanoid brains or vocal tracts.

7. Text-related Information Sign language: the use of a systematic, organized group of gesture as a medium of communication, where spoken language is unusable for one or several reasons. For example, sign language may be used where those involved in the exchange cannot hear, where they speak different languages, or, where they are engaged in rituals that require symbolic gestures in place of words. The most widely used sign languages are those employed by the deaf. American Sign Language, or ASL, is one of the commonly used languages in the United States.

8. Text-related Information Washoe: Project Washoe (1966— 1970) was the first successful attempt to teach a nonhuman primate to use symbols in communicating. Researchers taught a young chimpanzee more than 130 hand-signs of the American language of the deaf. Since then studies of language use among a variety of nonhuman primates indicate that these animals are capable of suing sounds as symbols to exchange information regarding objects in their natural environment.

9. Pre-reading Activity • 1.What is culture? • What makes human beings different from animals? • A. The ability to use tools. • B. The learning and sharing of behavior. • C. The use of language. • 3. Doyou think animals have a culture? If yes, give an example.

10. Pre-reading Activity Cultureis usually defined as learned behavior acquired by individuals in a social group. It is a set of behavioral rules that are transmitted from one generation to another within human society.

11. Pre-reading Activity According to the author, none of the three choices is considered as a dividing line between human beings and animals.

12. Pre-reading Activity Yes. For example, man not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. Of course, there are limits to the culture of animals.

13. Intensive Study • Introduction • Outline of the Text • Language Points • Summary of the Text

14. Introduction to Text A As we know, culture is usually defined as learned behaviour acquired by individuals in a social group. It is a set of rules that are transmitted from one generation to another within human societies. What is the point of asking whether animals have a culture? We used to think that animals were unable to use tools, that they couldn’t learn or be taught in the way we do. However, the author in this passage not only raises such a surprising question, but also goes into great details and ends his passage with something that might surprise us all — “Perhaps the most important thing we have learned from studies of other animals is that the line dividing us from them is not as clear as we used to think.”

15. Outline of the Text A. The Definition of Culture ( Para.1) B. Some Aspects of Human Behavior Found in Certain Animals ( Paras.2—5) • the ability to use tools • the ability to teach and learn 3. the ability to use language C. Conclusion:( Para.6) Animals may also have a culture, though it is limited when compared with that of human beings.

16. Intensive Study Do Animals Have a Culture? 1Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in humans, or if some animals have culture too. When we speak of culture, we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Culture includes the beliefs and attitudes we learn. It is the patterns of behaviour that help people to live together. It is also the patterns of behaviour that make one group of people different from another group.

17. Intensive Study 2 Our culture lets us make up for having lost our strength, claws, long teeth, and other defenses. Instead, we use tools, cooperate withone another, and communicate in language. But these aspects of human behaviour, or “culture”, can also be found in the lives of certain animals.

18. Intensive Study 3We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Lately, however, we have found that this is not the case. Chimpanzees can not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. This is a major step up from simply picking up a handy object and using it. For example, chimps have been seen stripping the leaves and twigs off a branch, then putting it into a termite nest. When the termites bite at the stick, the chimp removes it and eats them off the end― not unlike our use of a fork!

19. Intensive Study 4 For some time we thought that although human beings learned their culture, animals could not be taught such behaviour. Or even if they could learn, they would not teach one another in the way people do. This too has proven to be untrue. A group of Japanese monkeys was studied at the Kyoto University Monkey Centre in Japan. They were given sweet potatoes by scientists who wanted to attract them to the shore of an island. One day a young female began to wash her sweet potato to get rid of the sand. This practice soon spread throughout the group. It became learned behaviour, not from humans but from other monkeys. Now almost all monkeys who have not come into contact with this group do not. Thus we have a “cultural” difference among animals.

20. Intensive Study 5We have ruled out tool use and invention as ways of telling animal behaviour from human behaviour. We have also ruled out learning and sharing of behaviour. Yet we still have held onto the last feature ― language. But even the use of language can no longer separate human culture from animal culture. Attempts to teach apes to speak have failed. However, this is because apes do not have the proper vocal organs. But teaching them language has been very successful if we are willing to accept other forms than just the spoken word. Two psychologists trained a chimpanzee named Washoe to use Standard American Sign Language. This is the same language

21. Intensive Study used by deaf people. In this language, “talk” is made through gestures, and not by spelling out words with individual letters. By the time she was five years old, Washoe had a vocabulary of 130 signs. Also, she could put them together in new ways that had not been taught her originally. This means she could create language and not just copy it. She creates her own sentences that have real meaning. This has allowed two-way talk. It permits more than one-way command and response.

22. Intensive Study 6Of course, there are limits to the culture of animals. As far as we know, no ape has formed social institutions such as religion, law, or economics. Also, some chimps may be able to learn sign language; but this form of language is limited in its ability to communicate abstract ideas. Yet with a spoken language we can communicate our entire culture to anyone else who knows that language. Perhaps the most important thing we have learned from studies of other animals is that the line dividing us from them is not as clear as we used to think.

23. Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in human, or if some animals have a culture too. Paraphrase: In recent days social scientists have begun to ask whether culture exists only in human society or whether some animals also have a culture.

24. When we speak of culture, we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Paraphrase: When we talk about culture, it refers to a way that a group of people share.

25. speak of : to talk about; mention Translate 我从未向任何人提到过这些事。 I have never spoken ofthese things to anyone before.

26. speak of : to talk about; mention Translate 谈到书，你读过《飘》吗？ Speaking of books, have you read Gone with the Wind?

27. have sth. in common: to share interests, characteristics, etc. Translate 他们有许多共同点。 They have a lotin common.

28. have sth. in common: to share interests, characteristics, etc. cf.in common: for or by all of a group Translate 布朗一家和克拉克一家共同拥有这个花园。 The Browns and the Clarks own the gardenincommon.

29. attitude: n.【C】a manner or way of feeling or behaving; opinion Translate 敌对的态度 a hostileattitude 观望的态度 a wait-and-seeattitude 冷漠的态度 anattitudeof indifference 你对新计划的态度是什么？ What’s yourattitudeto / towards the new plan?

30. It is the patterns of behaviour that help people to live together. Paraphrase: Culture is the ways that help people behave properly so as to live together.

31. be different from:be unlike; be of a different kind Translate 美国造的汽车和我们的不一样. American carsare different fromours.

32. be different from:be unlike; be of a different kind Translate 你的方法完全不同于我的方法。 Your methodisquite differentfrommine.

33. Our culture lets us make up for having lost our strength, claws, long teeth and other defenses. Paraphrase: Although we’ve lost our strength,claws, long teeth and other abilities that could protect us, our culture helps us to compensate for that.

34. make up for: to compensate for (what was bad before) with something good Translate 勤能补拙。 Hard work can oftenmakeupfora lack of intelligence.

35. make up for: to compensate for (what was bad before) with something good Translate 你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？ Do you think her beauty couldmakeupforher stupidity?

36. cooperate with: to work or act together for a shared purpose Translate 英、法两国合作制造这种新式飞船。 The Britishcooperatedwiththe French in building the new craft.

37. cooperate with: to work or act together for a shared purpose Translate 孩子们和父母一起为迎接客人做准备。 The childrencooperatedwiththeir parents in preparing for the guests.

38. We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Paraphrase: We thought that the distinct difference between human beings and other animals is that the former were able to use tools.

39. …we have found that this is not the case. … we have found that this is not true. Paraphrase:

40. be the case: to be true; be the actual condition Translate 她认为她是清白的，但事实并非如此。 She thought she was innocent, but itwasn’t really the case.

41. This is a major step up from simply picking up a handy object and using it. Paraphrase: This ( tool-making ) is more advanced than simply picking up an object nearby and using it.

42. handy:adj. （1）near; at hand Translate 商店就在附近。 The shops are quitehandy.

43. handy:adj. （2）useful and simple to use Translate 这是一只使用方便的小保险箱。 This is ahandylittle safety box.

44. handy: adj. （3）clever in using the hands Translate 我丈夫很善于修理收音机。 My husband is veryhandyat repairing radios.

45. …not unlike our use of a fork! Paraphrase: … very similar to our way of using a fork!

46. get rid of: to remove or throw something away Translate 毒药将把谷仓中的老鼠毒死。 Poison willget rid ofthe rats in the barn.

47. get rid of: to remove or throw something away Translate 我用除草剂除掉了花园中的杂草。 I used weed killerto get rid ofthe weeds in the garden.

48. Now almost all monkeys who have not come into contact with this group do not. Now those monkeys who have never got in touch with the experimental group do not have the habit (of washing the sweet potato to get rid of the sand). Paraphrase:

49. come into contact with: to get in touch with Translate 她和许多人有联系。 Shecomes into contact withmany people.

50. come into contact with: to get in touch with Translate 他在国外的时候， 接触到了许多新思想。 Hecame into contact withmany new ideas when he was abroad.