Totheuntrainedeyeitmightseemlikejustabitofamonkeytrick.ButwhenMillythemandrill(山魈西非洲产的大狒狒)coversherfacewithherhandsheisactuallysendingaseriousmessagetoherfellows:“Leavemealone!”
Expertsbelievethe15-year-oldmandrillinventedthegesturetowarnothermonkeysatColchesterZootogivehersomespace.Andsurprisinglythesignalhasbeenpickedbyothermembersofthegroupwhouseitwhentheytoorequiresolitude.
BiologistMarkLaidrebelievesthebehaviorisevidenceofsocialcultureamongthemandrills.Importantlythesignlanguageisunlikelytohavebeeninfluencedbyhumanactivitiesbecausemandrillsdonotcopyhumans.Mr.Laidreexpectsfurtherresearchwilluncoverothermonkeysusingculturalgestures—theabilitytocommunicatewiththehandsinameaningfulway.“Bycoveringtheireyeswiththeirhandspossiblyconveyedtoothersthattheywantedtobeleftaloneandthismessagemayhavebeenrespectedasa‘donotdisturb’sign”saidMr.Laidre.
Whilethehandisinplaceothermonkeysarenotlikelytoapproachortouchthemonkey.Thosewhoranklowerinthesocialorderalsousethetechniquetoavoidattacksfrommorepowerfulgroupmembers.AsthediscoveryappearstobeuniquetoColchesterZooitsuggestsitisalocalphenomenonthatarosenaturallyinthecommunityof25mandrills.
Curator（园长）SarahForsythsaid:“WebelieveMillymadeupthesignalandoverthepastfiveyearssomeoftheyoungermandrillshavepickeditup.We’renotsurewhyshestarteddoingitbutitcouldbeassimpleas‘Ican’tseethemsotheycan’tseeme’.Itreallydoesshowyouhowintelligentmandrillsare.”
1.What’sthetextmainlyabout?
A.Howhumansinfluencedmonkeys.
B.Amonkeyinventedagesture.
C.Anewsocialculturewasdiscovered.
D.Howexpertsmadethenewdiscovery.
2.Whatdoestheunderlinedword“solitude”inthesecondparagraphmean?
A.Aloneness.B.Comfort.
C.Protection.D.Respect.
3.AccordingtoMarkLaidre_____.
A.humanactivitiesaffectmandrills’signlanguage
B.animalsareslowinpickingupinformation
C.mandrills’socialculturehasnothingtodowithhumans
D.mandrillsarethela