Passage 1The intelligence of dolphins is well documented by science. Studies show that dolphins can understand signlanguage, solve puzzles, and use objects in their environment as tools. Scientists also believe that dolphinspossess a sophisticated language: numerous instances have been recorded in which possess transmittedinformation from one individual to another. A recent experiment proved that even recognize themselves ina mirror – something achieved by very few animals. This behavior tells us that dolphins are aware that theyhave individual personalities and indicates that their intelligence may be very close to our own.Passage 2Are dolphins unusually intelligent? Dolphins have large brains, but we know that large brain size alonedoes not determine what kind of intelligence a creature has. Some researchers have suggested that dolphinshave big brains because they need them – for sonar and sound processing and social interactions. Othershave argued that regardless of brain size, dolphins have an intelligence level somewhere between a dog anda chimpanzee. The fact is, we don’t know. Just as human intelligence is appropriate for human needs,dolphin intelligence is right for the dolphin’s way of life. Until we know more, all we can say is that dolphinintelligence is different.Which point of view do you agree with? Explain why by presenting an argument as learned from the lesson.

The study of cetaceanintelligence has added to our understanding of dolphin behavior. Even thoughcetaceans, which are marine animals including dolphins, whales, and porpoises,are widely considered intelligent species, conclusions about the type andextent of dolphin intelligence have not yet been reached. However, there areseveral things that we do know about the ways in which dolphins communicate andbehave in groups.Researchers study thelevel of communication among dolphins because communication systems can offerinsight into an animal’s intelligence. Dolphins produce two primary types ofvocalizations called clicks and whistles. Dolphins generally use clicks for thepurposes of echolocation and whistles for communication. Dolphins emit clicksas rapid broadband bursts that are sent out into their environment and thenecho back, giving them information about their surroundings. Whistles differfrom clicks by being sent out as narrow-band frequency modulated signals, whichare for communications such as contact calls. Strong evidence supports the ideathat dolphins use signature whistles to identify and call to each other.One hypothesis calledthe “acoustic flashlight” hypothesis maintains that dolphins may be able tolearn passively about their surroundings by listening in on the echolocationinspections of other dolphins. Scientists are researching this idea by lookingat how dolphins participate in postural pointing, an activity that humansperform when they point a finger to direct another person towards an object orlocation.Communication is alsoan important part of how dolphins behave in groups, which can range in sizefrom a pair of dolphins to a pod of hundreds of individuals. Researchers havenoticed that large packs rely on a highly organized method of communicationwhen responding to predators, such as sharks. When a group of dolphins reactsto an unexpected disturbance, it will quickly move in near-unison to avoid thethreat. In this way, dolphins rely on visual and auditory cues to communicatetheir location and to interpret the locations of others in the pod.

It can be inferred from the passage that if another animal does not have a communication system as highly advanced as that of a dolphin, then

Activity 3: ArgumentsActivity Time: 20 minutesObjectives: This exercise is designed to help students think laterally and discover new ways of looking at the world.Suggested Materials: Stationery supplies (colored pencils, markers) and paper for the printout of this template.Activity Description: Read the following two passages and answer the following question.Passage 1The intelligence of dolphins is well documented by science. Studies show that dolphins can understand signlanguage, solve puzzles, and use objects in their environment as tools. Scientists also believe that dolphinspossess a sophisticated language: numerous instances have been recorded in which possess transmittedinformation from one individual to another. A recent experiment proved that even recognize themselves ina mirror – something achieved by very few animals. This behavior tells us that dolphins are aware that theyhave individual personalities and indicates that their intelligence may be very close to our own.Passage 2Are dolphins unusually intelligent? Dolphins have large brains, but we know that large brain size alonedoes not determine what kind of intelligence a creature has. Some researchers have suggested that dolphinshave big brains because they need them – for sonar and sound processing and social interactions. Othershave argued that regardless of brain size, dolphins have an intelligence level somewhere between a dog anda chimpanzee. The fact is, we don’t know. Just as human intelligence is appropriate for human needs,dolphin intelligence is right for the dolphin’s way of life. Until we know more, all we can say is that dolphinintelligence is different.Which point of view do you agree with? Explain why by presenting an argument as learned from the lesson.

It can be inferred from the passage that if another animal does not have a communication system as highly advanced as that of a dolphin, then:1 pointa. the other animal will be less likely to survive a shark attackb. the other animal is probably a whale or porpoisec. the other animal probably does not travel in a group with others of its kindd. the other animal does not engage in postural pointing

According to the passage, rapid communication enables dolphins to:1 pointa. work in unison to locate food sourcesb. move quickly as a group to escape a perceived threatc. establish relationships quickly with their peersd. have more highly organized hunting patterns