Themostfamousanimalsaidtobecapableofcountingwasahorsein...

来源：语文精选馆 2.2W

问题详情：

The most famous animal said to be capable of counting was a horse in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century called Clever Hans. The horse’s owner 21 that animals could think and reason as we can and that this 22 could come from training them. He trained Clever Hans to give the 23 to arithmetic (算术的) problems; the horse gave the correct answer by 24 the right number of times with its forefoot. The animal gave the correct answers not only to additions But to other arithmetic, too. It also gave the right answers when the questions were shown to it on a card.

This 25 was talked about so much that scientists studied the horse’s 26 . The committee, after a(n) 27 study, found that Clever Hans’ owner and trainer was 28 . He had not deliberately trained his horse to stop tapping by giving it a slight 29 . Members of the committee got the right answer from Hans 30 when the owner wasn’t there, 31 that this type of trickery (诡计) hadn’t happened.

It looked as if the horse really could think and 32 . But soon after this another scientist found that if the horse was asked questions to which none of the people there knew the answers, then the animal 33 gave a correct answer. The questions were asked by showing the horse a card that the questioner himself had not 34 .

This biologist soon discovered that the horse had actually 35 to very slight unconscious (下意识的) movements of head or body made by a questioner who knew the 36 number of taps. He counted the taps to himself, and when the horse got to the right number, the questioner’s tension (紧张感) was 37 by a small, unconscious movement of his head or body. The horse then 38 tapping. Questioners who didn’t know the answer didn’t do this. The horse had really 39 itself to answer these very small 40 during its training.

21.A. remembered B. believed C. expected D. doubted

22.A. ability B. knowledge C. method D. chance

23.A. answers B. information C. explanations D. facts

24.A. jumping B. dropping C. moving D. tapping

25.A. problem B. case C. program D. model

26.A. interests B. hobbies C. ability D. habits

27.A. simple B. careful C. general D. extra

28.A. independent B. creative C. honest D. patient

29.A. praise B. trust C. hint D. attention

30.A. even B. nearly C. still D. only

31.A. knowing B. considering C. proving D. pretending

32.A. work B. count C. play D. argue