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Animals' Intuitive Awareness of Quantities

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Huy Khánh Hà
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64 views2 pages

Animals' Intuitive Awareness of Quantities

Uploaded by

Huy Khánh Hà
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

READING COMPREHENSION

Read the following passage carefully and answer the following questions:
Certain animals have an intuitive awareness of quantities. They know without analysis the
difference between a number of objects and a smaller number. In his book The Natural History of
Selbourne (1786), the naturalist Gilbert White tells how he surreptitiously removed one egg a day
from a plover's nest, and how the mother laid another egg each day to make up for the missing one.
He noted that other species of birds ignore the absence of a single egg but abandon their nests if
more than one egg has been removed. It has also been noted by naturalists that a certain type of
wasp always provides five-never four, never sixcaterpillars for each of their eggs so that their
young have something to eat when the eggs hatch. Research has also shown that both mice and
pigeons can be taught to distinguish between odd and even numbers of food pieces. These and
similar accounts have led some people to infer that creatures other than humans can actually count.
They also point to dogs that have been taught to respond to numerical questions with the correct
number of barks, or to horses that seem to solve arithmetic problems by stomping their hooves the
proper number of times.
Animals respond to quantities only when they are connected to survival as a species-as in the case
of the eggs-or survival as individuals-as in the case of food. There is no transfer to other situations
or from concrete reality to the abstract notion of numbers. Animals can "count" only when the
objects are present and only when the numbers involved are small-no more than seven or eight. In
lab experiments, animals trained to "count" one kind of object were unable to count any other type.
The objects, not the numbers, are what interest them. Animals' admittedly remarkable
achievements simply do not amount to evidence of
counting, nor do they reveal more than innate instincts, refmed by the genes of successive
generations, or the results of clever, careful conditioning by trainers.

12. What is the main idea of this passage?


(A) Careful training is required to teach animals to perform tricks involving numbers.
(B) Animals cannot "count" more than one kind of object.
(C) Of all animals, dogs and horses can count best.
(D) Although some animals may be aware of quantities, they cannot actually count.
13. Why does the author refer to Gilbert White's book in line 3?
(A) To show how attitudes have changed since 1786
(B) To contradict the idea that animals can count
(C) To provide evidence that some birds are aware of quantities
(D) To indicate that more research is needed in this field
14. The word "surreptitiously" in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) quickly (B) secretly (C) occasionally (D) stubbornly
15. The word "abandon" in line 8 is closest in meaning to
(A) vacate (B) rebuild (C) move (D) guard
16. The word "odd;' as used in line 14, refers to which of the following?
(A) Unusual numbers
(B) Numbers such as 1, 3, 5, and so on
(C) Lucky numbers
(0) Numbers such as 2, 4, 6, and so on
17. The author mentions that all of the following are aware of quantities in some way EXCEPT…
(A) plovers (B) mice (C) caterpillars (D) wasps
18. The word "accounts" in line 15 is closest in meaning to
(A) invoices (B) reasons (C) reports (D) deceptions
19. According to information in the passage, which of the following is LEAST likely to occur as a
result of animals' intuitive awareness of quantities?
(A) A pigeon is more attracted by a box containing two pieces of food than by a box
containing one piece.
(B) When asked by its trainer how old it is, a monkey holds up five fingers.
(C) When one of its four kittens crawls away, a mother cat misses it and searches for the
miSSing kitten.
(D) A lion follows one antelope instead of a herd of antelopes because it is easier to hunt a
single prey.
20. How would the author probably characterize the people who are mentioned in line 15?
(A) As mistaken (B) As demanding (C) As clever (D) As foolish
21. The word "admittedly" in line 29 is closest in meaning to
(A) improbably (B) arguably (C) apparently CD) undeniably
22. In line 31, the word "they" refers to
(A) numbers (B) animals (C) achievements (D) genes
23. Where in the passage does the author mention research that supports his own view of animals'
inability to count?
(A) Lines 3-6 (B) Lines 12-14 (C) Lines 15-16 (D) Lines 27-28
24. Choose the sentence that best paraphrase the underlined sentence in paragraph 1: “Research
has also shown that both mice and pigeons can be taught to distinguish between odd and even
numbers of food pieces.”
A. Studies indicate that mice and pigeons have an innate ability to tell apart odd and even numbers
of food pieces.
B. Research has also demonstrated that both mice and pigeons can be trained to recognize the
difference between odd and even amounts of food.
C. Findings suggest that pigeons, but not mice, can be taught to distinguish between even and odd
numbers of food items.
D. Experiments have proven that certain animals are capable of recognizing different quantities of
food.

Common questions

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Certain wasps instinctively provide a fixed number of caterpillars (exactly five) for their eggs, ensuring food availability for their young. This behavior supports the argument that animals respond to quantities tied to survival needs, showcasing an innate, species-specific instinct rather than evidence of counting in the abstract sense .

Training challenges the notion of natural counting as it shows that certain animals need specific conditioning to respond to numerical tasks, like dogs barking or horses stomping a particular number of times. These trained behaviors indicate an external imposition rather than intrinsic cognitive ability to abstractly grasp numeric concepts .

The passage illustrates animals' intuitive awareness by describing specific behaviors that give the impression of counting but do not involve abstract numerical understanding. Examples include certain birds replacing missing eggs, wasps provisioning a specific number of caterpillars for their eggs, and animals responding to small quantities linked to survival, such as food. This behavior is connected to innate instincts rather than true counting, as animals do not transfer quantity awareness to non-survival contexts or count beyond small numbers .

The passage distinguishes between instincts and learned behavior by stating that animals exhibit natural behaviors (e.g., provisioning eggs) that appear quantitative but are genetic rather than learned. Learned behavior in experiments, such as animals distinguishing odd and even numbers under training, clarifies that external conditioning does not equate to natural, abstract counting ability .

The passage refutes this argument by emphasizing that trained behaviors display momentary responses to direct stimuli and do not reflect genuine comprehension of abstract numbers. It argues these behaviors are the result of either species-specific instincts or conditioning tailored to the presence and direct purpose (e.g., survival) of objects, without extending to broader numeric ideas .

The author provides evidence such as the inability of animals to transfer counting abilities from one object type to another and animals' focus on the physical presence of objects rather than numbers. In lab experiments, animals trained to count one type of object could not count different types, and they only perceived quantities directly related to survival. Such evidence suggests no abstract numerical understanding exists in animals .

Survival dictates animals' sensitivity to quantities; they are only responsive to numerical differences crucial for survival, such as reproductive success or food availability. This sensitivity is context-specific and limits animals to perceiving quantities in concrete, present contexts rather than involving abstract numerical reasoning .

The passage implies that animal cognition is tightly woven with evolutionary adaptation, where innate abilities and seemingly numerical responses ensure survival and reproductive success. While these cognitive traits resemble counting, they are evolutionary results prioritizing tangible survival advantages over abstract reasoning, reflecting specialized adaptation to environments .

Plovers and other birds illustrate the passage's key point by responding differently to egg removal: plovers replace a missing egg one at a time, indicating awareness of quantity specific to survival. In contrast, other birds abandon nests if more than one egg is removed, reflecting a threshold of awareness linked directly to maintaining their offspring, further emphasizing that these behaviors are instinct-driven and not abstract counting .

The research described in lines 12-14, involving mice and pigeons being trained to distinguish odd and even numbers, is significant as it evidences the limitation that animals' numerical tasks are often context-specific and trained rather than inherently understood. This supports the author's view that true number comprehension is beyond animal capabilities and aligns with the argument against abstract counting .

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