Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever heard of an animal called a bonobo? If so, what do you know about it? If not, what do you think it might look like?
- Do you know any animals that live in groups or families? If yes, what kind of animals are they? If no, what animals do you think might live in groups?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- aggressive /uh-GRES-iv/
- relative /REL-uh-tiv/
- publish /PUHB-lish/
- teamwork /TEEM-wurk/
- cooperation /koh-op-uh-REY-shuhn/
[adjective] – behaving in an angry and violent way towards another person
The dog became aggressive when it saw another dog.
[noun] – a member of a family
My cousin is my favorite relative.
[verb] – to make information available to the public, especially in a book or article
He will publish his first book next year.
[noun] – the activity of working together as a team
Good teamwork helps the group finish faster.
[noun] – the process of working together to achieve the same goal
Cooperation is important in a group project.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
A new study has shown that female bonobos in the wild often make coalitions to stop aggressive actions by males. This behavior was observed for 30 years in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the only place where wild bonobos live. Bonobos are close relatives of humans and live in groups where females lead. Even though males are usually bigger, groups of females were seen working together to chase males away, especially when food was nearby. This research was led by Harvard University and was published in Communications Biology. Experts believe that teamwork among females helps shape the social rules of bonobo groups.
The study found that female bonobos who are not family members can still collaborate to stay safe and gain higher status. This teamwork gives them dominance in the group, which is uncommon in the animal world. The researchers said this behavior might be similar to early human ancestors who also used solidarity to become leaders. The study gives important information about how animals, and possibly early humans, used group power to survive. These implications help scientists understand how cooperation can change social behavior and improve life in group societies.
The study found that female bonobos who are not family members can still collaborate to stay safe and gain higher status. This teamwork gives them dominance in the group, which is uncommon in the animal world. The researchers said this behavior might be similar to early human ancestors who also used solidarity to become leaders. The study gives important information about how animals, and possibly early humans, used group power to survive. These implications help scientists understand how cooperation can change social behavior and improve life in group societies.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What kind of study was done about bonobos?
- Where was the bonobo study observed?
- Who led the research about bonobos?
- How long did the researchers observe the bonobos?
- What actions did female bonobos try to stop?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever worked in a group to finish a task? If so, what did you do? If not, would you like to try? Why or why not?
- Have you ever seen animals working together in real life or on TV? If yes, what did you see? If not, which animals do you want to see?
- Do you agree that teamwork is important in both humans and animals?
- Why do you think female bonobos work together against males?
- What can people learn from bonobos about leadership and sharing?