江苏大学 研究生英语口语课作业 (2)

news article：China Daily
Japanese whale whisperer teaches beluga to "talk"
A Japanese researcher says he has taught a beluga whale to "talk" by using sounds to identify three differ ent objects, offering hope that humans may one day be able to hold conversations with sea mammals.
Nack, a whale at the Kamogawa Sea World marine park near Tokyo, emits a short, high-pitched sound w hen he sees a swimming fin, a long, high-pitched sound when he sees goggles and a short, low-pitched s ound when he sees a bucket.
He correctly chooses the right object when the three sounds are played back to him.
Tokai University professor Tsukasa Murayama started training Nack after he became dissatisfied with ha nd-signals currently used to communicate with dolphins and whales.
"I have always wanted to talk to whales, and as I thought more and more about it, I realized that they alr eady communicated through sound," he told reporters.
"That is why I thought I could train them to name certain items using sounds they already make."
Murayama said he hoped one day to train whales to express their feelings in a way that humans could un derstand.
"It would be great if they would be able to tell us not only of their likes and dislikes but also their desires , like whether they are hungry or if their backs are itchy. So the next step would be to teach them a wider range of vocabulary," he added.
However, to expand communication, Murayama said humans needed to use special equipment to produc e and detect ultrasonic sounds.
"At the moment we are only using limited sounds audible for us among their wide sound range. But wha les communicate better through ultrasonic sounds than through human-audible sounds, especially under water," he explained.
Japan has come under growing pressure from international environmental groups to put an end to whale hunts, which they say are cruel and violate a 1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling.
Japan considers whaling to be a cultural tradition which it says it only undertakes for scientific research. Meat from the hunts is available in Japanese supermarkets and restaurants, although appetite for what is now a delicacy is fading.
2、Summarize ：A beluga whale named Nack could emits a short, high-pitched sound , a long, high-
pitched sound and a short, low-pitched sound when it sees different things.The researcher wants to teach Nack more.but it may be difficult .And，the author hope that whale hunt is cruel and viol ate which should be forbidden.
Some questions :
How do you feel about the topic?A: This topic is interesting for me .I like this kind of topic. Whales are very lovely and tactile.We should protect them.We should not hunt them .If whales could communicat with human beings,it must be fun.
Does this issue affect your daily life?A:No,it's not affect my daily life,however,protecting animal s is very important and affect everyone's life.
What is your opinion about the issue?A:In my opinion,it is difficult to talk with whales ,only if we use some special equipments to produce and detect ultrasonic sounds.And I hope that those w hale hunters could hear whales' voice.so that they will understand their crime!
Do you think this is an important issue?A:Yes,I do think it is an important issue.protecting ani mals is very important issue.and understanding animals' meaning is also important.。