問題詳情

Many of the most flexible examples of tool use in animals come from primates (the order that includes humans, apes, and monkeys). For example, many wild primates use objects to threaten outsiders. But there are many examples of tool use by other mammals, as well as by birds and other types of animals.Tools are used by many species in the capture or preparation of food. Chimpanzeesuse sticks and poles to bring out ants and termites from their hiding places. Among themost complex tool use observed in the wild is the use of stones by Ivory Coastchimpanzees to crack nuts open. They select a large flat stone as an anvil (a heavy blockon which to place the nuts) and a smaller stone as a hammer. Stones suitable for use asanvils are not easy to find, and often a chimpanzee may carry a haul of nuts more than40 meters to find a suitable anvil. The use of tools in chimpanzees is especially interestingbecause these animals sometimes modify tools to make them better suited for theirintended purpose. To make a twig more effective for digging out termites, for example,a chimp may first strip it of its leaves.Surprisingly, there is also a species of bird that uses sticks to probe holes in the searchfor insects. One of the species of Galapagos finch, the woodpecker finch, picks up orbreaks off a twig, cactus spine, or leaf stem. This primitive tool is then held in the beakand used to probe for insects in holes in trees that the bird cannot probe directly with itsbeak. Birds have been seen to carry twigs from tree to tree searching for prey.Tools may also be used for defense. Hermit crabs grab sea anemones with their clawsand use them as weapons to repel their enemies. Studies have demonstrated that thesecrabs significantly improve their chances against predators such as octopus by means ofthis tactic. Also, many species of forest-dwelling primates defend themselves by throwingobjects, including stones, at intruders.
40. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) Primates are superior to other animals in using tools.
(B) The use of stones as tools is similar across different animal species.
(C) Birds and primates use tools that are different from those of sea animals.
(D) Many animals have developed effective ways of using tools.

參考答案

答案：D[無官方正解]
難度：簡單0.714286
統計：A(1),B(1),C(0),D(5),E(0)

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