Topic
Humpack whale using stars for orientation
Instruction
Like many creatures, humpback whales migrate long distances for feeding and mating purposes. How animals manage to migrate long distances is often puzzling. In the case of humpback whales, we may have found the answer: they may be navigating by the stars, much as early human sailors did. What we know about humpback whales makes this a distinct possibility.
First, humpback whales seem to be intelligent enough to use stars to navigate by. Whales’ brains have a high degree of complexity’a common determiner of intelligence. This suggests that the whales’ brain power far exceeds that of most other animals. The whales’ well-developed cognitive ability seems to provide a sound basis for the ability to use a complex, abstract system of sensory stimuli such as the night sky for orientation.
Second, humpback whales migrate in straight lines. Animals can maintain movement in a straight direction for long distances only if they orient themselves by some external objects or forces. Many birds and other terrestrial creatures, for example, use physical landmarks to help them stay on track as they migrate. Whales, which swim in the open ocean, cannot rely on land features; they could, however, rely on stars at night to provide them with external signs by which to maintain direction over long distances.
Third, humpback whales exhibit an unusual behavior: they are sometimes observed floating straight up for minutes at a time, their heads above the water as though they were looking upward. The behavior is known as spy-hopping, and it is very rare among marine animals. One explanation for the function of spy-hopping is that the whales are looking at the stars, which are providing them with information to navigate by.
Content
The author of the passage posits that the humpack whales using the stars in the night sky to orient themselves while migrating, while the lecturer doesn’t agree this idea.
First, the author claims that the humpack whales possess high intelligence, which makes them have great cognitive ability to recognize the orientation of the stars in night sky and use the stars to find the direction. The lecturer cast doubt on this idea by claiming that some animal with medinum or low intelligence, such as ducks and birds, are also able to use stars to orient. Therefore, the ability to use stars for orientation seems not having much connection with intelligence.
Second, the author states that animals need external object or force to assist them in the long distance travel. For humpack whales, they travel in the open ocean, without land features, they can only rely on the night sky. However, the lecturer disputes this viewpoint by emphasize that the whales can rely on the magnetic field provided by earth based on some scientific researches.
Third, the author attributes the reason of the whale’s odd behavior, spy hopping, to looking the stars. However, the lecturer points out that the whale normally hopping during the time which the stars can’t be seen.
In conclusion, the author believes the whales using stars to find their direction in long distance traveling based on their intelligence, lacking land features for orientation and the reason of spy hopping. The lecturer disputes the reading passage by emphasizing that birds, which have lower intelligence , can use star to find the direction, and the existence of magnetic field and finally, the spy hopping often perform in day time.
Revision
Chatgpt - 1
The author of the passage posits that humpback whales use the stars in the night sky to orient themselves while migrating, while the lecturer doesn’t agree with this idea.
Firstly, the author claims that humpback whales possess high intelligence, giving them the cognitive ability to recognize the orientation of the stars in the night sky and use them to find direction. The lecturer casts doubt on this idea by asserting that some animals with medium or low intelligence, such as ducks and birds, are also able to use stars for orientation. Therefore, the ability to use stars for orientation seems not to have a strong connection with intelligence.
Secondly, the author states that animals need an external object or force to assist them in long-distance travel. For humpback whales, as they travel in the open ocean without land features, they can only rely on the night sky. However, the lecturer disputes this viewpoint by emphasizing that whales can rely on the magnetic field provided by the Earth based on some scientific research.
Thirdly, the author attributes the reason for the whale’s odd behavior, spy hopping, to looking at the stars. However, the lecturer points out that the whales normally hop during times when the stars can’t be seen.
In conclusion, the author believes that whales use stars to find their direction in long-distance traveling based on their intelligence, the lack of land features for orientation, and the reason for spy hopping. The lecturer disputes the reading passage by emphasizing that birds, which have lower intelligence, can use stars to find direction, and the existence of the magnetic field. Finally, the lecturer notes that spy hopping often occurs during the day.
Chatgpt - 2
The passage suggests that humpback whales use stars for orientation during migration, a theory disputed by the lecturer.
To begin with, the author contends that humpback whales’ high intelligence enables them to recognize and use the stars for navigation. However, the lecturer challenges this notion by citing examples of animals with medium or low intelligence, like ducks and birds, that also use stars for orientation. This implies that the ability to use stars may not be solely dependent on intelligence.
Moreover, the author argues that, lacking land features in the open ocean, humpback whales rely on the night sky for orientation during long-distance travel. Conversely, the lecturer introduces an alternative perspective, emphasizing that scientific research supports the idea that whales can rely on the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation.
Lastly, the author attributes the unusual behavior of spy hopping to the whales looking at the stars. In contrast, the lecturer points out that spy hopping often occurs during the day, when stars are not visible. This challenges the connection between spy hopping and the use of stars for navigation.
In conclusion, the author posits that humpback whales use stars for orientation during migration based on their intelligence, the lack of land features, and the behavior of spy hopping. However, the lecturer disputes these claims, highlighting the ability of less intelligent birds to use stars, the reliance on the Earth’s magnetic field, and the timing of spy hopping.