# Dolphin intelligence - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 4） - 考频：高频 - 最近考试：2025.10.8/2022.3.26/2022.1.22/2017.7.15 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/af8c595e-2194-4ae7-94e2-09faaf7e1940（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:00,700 Part four. You will hear part of a biology lecture about dolphins and how views divide over their level of intelligence. First, you have some time to look at questions thirty-one to forty. 00:00:21,180 Now listen carefully and answer questions thirty-one to forty. 00:01:09,540 In today's lecture, we'll dive into the topic of dolphin intelligence, discussing dolphin behavior and their physical structure in an attempt to shed light on the question: how intelligent are dolphins? 00:01:24,260 Well, concerning body size, dolphin brains are among the largest in the animal kingdom, more extensive than chimpanzees, and certain species like bottlenose dolphins have brains even bigger than humans. However, some current tests suggest that they do not possess the same cognitive abilities as humans despite having a similar brain size. For instance, dolphins are often trapped in gill nets originally intended for tuna fishing. These entanglement cases have led to unnecessary injury or deaths of dolphins, gradually depleting their numbers. Clearly, dolphins don't realize that they could just jump over these vertical barriers and swim to safety. 00:02:11,780 People often mistakenly view dolphins eternal smile as signs of intelligence and joy. Actually, this is not a facial expression at all, but a fixed design of their head. Unlike human beings with greater than forty facial muscles, dolphins have no such powers with which to form an expression. 00:02:33,140 On the other hand, small-brained animals are sometimes underrated for their level of intelligence. Pigeons and rats are typical examples of small brain animals which can perform tasks so complex that most humans would have trouble with them. Over the last few decades, scientists have conducted countless studies on the cognitive abilities of these overlooked animals with quite surprising results. Pigeons are aware of their bodies when they see their reflections in the mirror. Pigeons are also trained under specific conditions and gradually form instinctive reactions. In an experiment in two thousand and nine, a group of twelve pigeons was given a reward like food and water every time they pecked a key on a lab table. All birds successfully performed the trick. These test results indicate that brain size is probably not the sole factor in determining intelligence. 00:03:33,360 Another argument steers the attention to the correlation between intelligence and the constituents of brains rather than their sheer sizes. It's been found that dolphin brains are comprised chiefly of fatty cells, which serve as a protective barrier between the systemic blood and the extracellular environment of the central nervous system. They are also essential components of nerve cell membranes affecting problem-solving skills performance. 00:04:06,540 Now, the second mainstream view is that dolphins are highly intelligent. Research into the behavior of dolphins in the wild and in captivity has yielded incredible data on the intelligence of these marine mammals. Studies show that dolphins not only have the ability to learn as individuals, but those individuals can then pass their new knowledge on to others. 00:04:32,180 Let's take a look at some typical examples. Among these are tested with Billy, a dolphin trapped in a sea loch and rescued. Billy spent three weeks in rehabilitation and was released back into the wild. There, researchers noticed that Billy had started tail walking, a skill only mastered by captive dolphins who imitated the keepers. Billy had not been trained to tail walk, but had learnt the skill simply by observing other dolphins in the rehab center. 00:05:04,740 Another study involves a female dolphin named Karen. Karen was given a test in which she was rewarded with a fish for every piece of litter she brought to researchers. To maximize its bounty, she quickly learned to take a newspaper, keep it at the bottom of a tank, and tear off smaller pieces to get more fish. 00:05:27,540 Over the past hundred years, researchers have proven that dolphins are extremely social species and have evolved to have highly developed brains. These factors are the most significant contributors to their intelligence and become the means of survival for dolphins. 00:05:46,360 In two thousand and eight, researchers tracked a group of around four hundred dolphins. One female dolphin in the group was having a lot of trouble swimming and kept flipping upside down or sinking into the water. The other dolphins crowded around it. They paddled side by side with the injured female on their backs. By keeping the wounded female above water, they may have helped it to breathe, avoiding drowning. 00:06:15,280 So how do they communicate with each other? Well, scientists have discovered through observation and meticulous testing that every dolphin has a different sound, resembling the whistle that other dolphins recognize as a particular individual. Dolphins can emit a wide variety of sounds. The frequency levels range ten times beyond what humans can hear. 00:06:39,860 But of course, there are other means of communication for dolphins besides sound. During mating season, male dolphins stroke females with flippers after a fight to affirm social bonds. 00:06:55,100 That is the end of part four. You now have one minute to check your answers to part four. ## 题目与答案 ### 31. Point 1: Not highly intelligent Research on the size of dolphin brains: · Dolphins cannot find a way of escaping barriers such as fishing 31_____ for catching tuna. Point 1: Not highly intelligent Research on the size of dolphin brains: · Dolphins cannot find a way of escaping barriers such as fishing 31_____ for catching tuna. **答案**：nets 原文定位：For instance, dolphins are often trapped in gill nets originally intended for tuna fishing 同义替换：「catching」↔「intended for」；「escaping barriers」↔「trapped in」 ### 32. · People wrongly thought dolphins to be smart and happy as they often have a 32_____ . · People wrongly thought dolphins to be smart and happy as they often have a 32_____ . **答案**：smile 原文定位：People often mistakenly view dolphins' eternal smile as signs of intelligence and joy 同义替换：「wrongly thought」↔「mistakenly view」；「smart and happy」↔「intelligence and joy」；「often have」↔「eternal」 ### 33. · Small-brained animals such as pigeons and 33_____ can perform various complex tasks: · Small-brained animals such as pigeons and 33_____ can perform various complex tasks: **答案**：rats 原文定位：Pigeons and rats are typical examples of small brain animals which can perform tasks so complex 同义替换：「such as」↔「typical examples of」 ### 34. - Pigeons are 34_____ of themselves. - Pigeons are 34_____ of themselves. **答案**：aware 原文定位：Pigeons are aware of their bodies when they see their reflections in the mirror ### 35. - Pigeons are trained to conditional responses and 35_____ reactions. - Pigeons are trained to conditional responses and 35_____ reactions. **答案**：instinctive 原文定位：Pigeons are also trained under specific conditions and gradually form instinctive reactions ### 36. Counter argument · Fatty cells in dolphins brains are linked to protective function and problem-solving skills. Point 2: Highly intelligent Research on dolphin behavior: · Billy can imitate the keepers` 36_____ through other dolphins. Counter argument · Fatty cells in dolphins brains are linked to protective function and problem-solving skills. Point 2: Highly intelligent Research on dolphin behavior: · Billy can imitate the keepers` 36_____ through other dolphins. **答案**：actions 原文定位：Billy had started tail walking, a skill only mastered by captive dolphins who imitated the keepers. Billy had not been trained to tail walk, but had learnt the skill simply by observing other dolphins in the rehab center 同义替换：「skill」↔「actions」 ### 37. · Karen hides a 37_____ for more food. · Karen hides a 37_____ for more food. **答案**：newspaper 原文定位：she quickly learned to take a newspaper, keep it at the bottom of a tank, and tear off smaller pieces to get more fish 同义替换：「hides」↔「keep」；「food」↔「fish」 ### 38. · For the past century, dolphins have been seen as 38_____ animals. · For the past century, dolphins have been seen as 38_____ animals. **答案**：social 原文定位：Over the past hundred years, researchers have proven that dolphins are extremely social species 同义替换：「for the past century」↔「over the past hundred years」；「animals」↔「species」 ### 39. · Each dolphin produces a unique sound, like the 39_____ . · Each dolphin produces a unique sound, like the 39_____ . **答案**：whistle 原文定位：every dolphin has a different sound, resembling the whistle that other dolphins recognize as a particular individual 同义替换：「unique」↔「different」；「like」↔「resembling」 ### 40. · They touch each other to make up after a 40_____ . · They touch each other to make up after a 40_____ . **答案**：fight 原文定位：During mating season, male dolphins stroke females with flippers after a fight to affirm social bonds 同义替换：「touch each other」↔「stroke females with flippers」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。