On-Line Tutorial
Wk 3 Day 1  Assignment

 A. Read more about animal tool use and intelligence.

Go to http://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/index.html. Skim the list of today's headlines,  and find an article about tool use and birds. (Look here if you need help.)

Read the article and answer these questions (to be discussed in class).

  1. What is the article about? What is the name of the crow?

  2. Why is "Betty" special? How did she surprise researchers?

  3. In ¶ 1, what is a common thing that crows do?

  4. In ¶ 2 what did one crow do that surprised researchers?

  5. Is this behavior unusual? 

  6. (¶ 4) The researchers would describe the behavior as being
    a. never before seen by people
    b. seen and confirmed by people
    c. sometimes reported by people

  7. What does the expression "work out" mean in¶ 5?

  8. What does the expression "come to light" mean in ¶ 7? (Hint: Choose one --  be injured, begin, be discovered.)

  9. What does the expression "make off with" mean in ¶ 7? 

  10. What does the word "devise" mean in ¶ 8?

  11. According to ¶ 10-11, Betty learned to make tools from wire
    a. because she was trained by the researchers
    b. because she watched other crows and "modeled" their actions 
    c. because she used her experience and found a new solution.

  12. Some researchers feel that Betty's behavior means that 
    a. she may be as smart as apes (primates -- the monkey family)
    b. she may be less intelligent than apes
    c. she may be more intelligent that apes 

Next, think about the most important points that the author wants us to understand. Write a 5-8 sentence summary. Don't forget to use correct form and a correct citation of your source. 

B.  In-the lab reading practice. You may choose from Townsend Press software or TOEFL reading practice on the computer or Jamestown Readers (by skill and level) or Multi-Cultural cards in the reading room.  Level 5 and 6 students may do TASP reading practices.

(Mark problem questions so that you can talk to me about them and we can decide how to find the answer from the text.)

 OLT Index                              Home                               Calendar