The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers

Jan 20, 2023

The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers is a topic of the IELTS Academic Reading section. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers”. The topic named The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers has 13 questions. Three types of questions as given in this particular topic are, True/False/Not Given, no more than three words, and choose the correct paragraph. The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers checks the reading capability of the candidates.

The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. Similar kinds of topics like Knighthoods Reading Answers are included in the IELTS reading practice papers. The candidates can take the practice papers into consideration for getting a good score in the IELTS Reading section.

Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

The Culture of Chimpanzee Reading Answers

Humankind’s nearest relative is even doser than we thought: chimpanzees display remarkable behaviours that can only be described as social customs passed on from generation to generation.

Researchers have studied the similarities between chimpanzees and humans for years, but in the past decade they have determined that these resemblances run much deeper than anyone first thought. For instance, the nut cracking observed in the Tai Forest is far from a simple chimpanzee behaviour; rather it is a singular adaptation found only in that particular part of Africa and a trait that biologists consider to be an expression of chimpanzee culture. Scientists frequently use the term “culture” to describe elementary animal behaviours, but as it turns out, the rich and varied cultural traditions found among chimpanzees are second in complexity only to human traditions.
During the past two years, an unprecedented scientific collaboration, involving every major research group studying chimpanzees, has documented a multitude of distinct cultural patterns extending across Africa, in actions ranging from the animals’ use of tools to their forms of communications and social customs. This emerging picture of chimpanzees not only affects how we think of these amazing creatures but also alters human beings’ conception of our own uniqueness and hints at ancient foundations for extraordinary capacity for culture.
Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes have coexisted for hundreds of millennia and share more than 98 percent of their genetic material, yet only 40 years ago we still knew next to nothing about chimpanzee behaviour in the wild. That began to change in the 1960s, when Toshisada Nishida of Kyoto University in Japan and Jane Goodall began their studies of wild chimpanzees at two field sites in Tanzania. Goodall’s research station at Gombe—the first of its kind—is more famous.
In these initial studies, as the chimpanzees became accustomed to close observation, the remarkable discoveries began. Researchers witnessed a range of unexpected behaviours, including fashioning and using tools, hunting, meat eating, food sharing and lethal fights between members of neighbouring communities. In the years that followed, other primatologists set up camp elsewhere, and, despite all the financial, political and logistical problems that can beset African fieldwork, several of these out-posts became truly long-term projects. As a result, we live in an unprecedented time, when an intimate and comprehensive scientific record of chimpanzees’ lives at last exists not just for one but for several communities spread across Africa.
As early as 1973, Goodall recorded 13 forms of tool use as well as eight social activities that appeared to differ between the Gombe chimpanzees and chimpanzee populations elsewhere. She ventured that some variations had what she termed a cultural origin. But what exactly did Goodall mean by “culture”? The diversity of human cultures extends from technological variations to marriage rituals, from culinary habits to myths and legends. Animals do not have myths and legends, of course. But they do have the capacity to pass on behavioural traits from generation to generation, not through their genes but by learning. For biologists, this is the fundamental criterion for a cultural trait: it must be something that can be learned by observing the established skills of others and thus passed on to future generations.
What of the implications for chimpanzees themselves? We must highlight the tragic loss of chimpanzees, whose populations are being decimated just when we are at last coming to appreciate these astonishing animals more completely. The bushmeat trade is particularly alarming: logging has driven roadways into the forests that are now used to ship wild-animal meat— including chimpanzee meat—to consumers as far afield as Europe. Such destruction threatens not only the animals themselves but also a host of fascinatingly different ape cultures.
Perhaps the cultural richness of the ape may yet help in its salvation, however. Some conservation efforts have already altered the attitudes of some local people. A few organizations have begun to show videotapes illustrating the cognitive prowess of chimpanzees. One Zairian viewer was heard to exclaim, “Ah, this ape is so like me, I can no longer eat him.”
How an international team of chimpanzee experts conduct the most comprehensive survey of the animals ever attempted? Scientists have been investigating chimpanzee culture for several decades, but too often their studies have contained a crucial flaw. Most attempts to document cultural diversity among chimpanzees have relied solely on officially published accounts of the behaviours recorded at each research site. But this approach probably overlooks a good deal of cultural variation for three reasons.
Firstly, scientists typically don’t publish an extensive list of all the activities they do not see at a particular location. Yet this is exactly what we need to know—which behaviours were and were not observed at each site. Second, many reports describe chimpanzee behaviours without saying how common they are; without this information, we can’t determine whether a particular action was a once-in-a-lifetime aberration or a routine event that should be considered part of the animals’ culture. Finally, researchers’ descriptions of potentially significant chimpanzee behaviour frequently lack sufficient detail, making it difficult for scientists working at other spots to record the presence or absence of the activities.
To remedy these problems, the two of us decided to take a new approach. We asked field researchers at each site for a list of all the behaviours they suspected were local traditions. With this information in hand, we pulled together a comprehensive list of 65 candidates for cultural behaviours.
Then we distributed our list to the team leaders at each site. In consultation with their colleagues, they classified each behaviour in terms of its occurrence or absence in the chimpanzee community studied. The key categories were customary behaviour, habitual, present, absent, and unknown. We should note, however, that certain cultural traits are no doubt passed on by a combination of imitation and simpler kinds of social learning. Either way, learning from elders is crucial to growing up as a competent wild chimpanzee.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14 – 18

Reading Passage has eleven paragraphs A-K.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-K, in boxes 14—18 on your answer sheet.

A problem of research on chimpanzee culture which is only based on official sources

Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: Most attempts to document cultural diversity among chimpanzees have relied solely on officially published accounts of the behaviours recorded at each research site.
Keyword : officially, published
Keyword Location: Paragraph H, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The author states that how the scientists were facing difficulties in assessing the behaviours of these animals. This problem was faced since the previous official documents lacked crucial information regarding their routine actions.

A new system designed by two scientists aiming to solve the problem

Answer: J
Supporting Sentence: To remedy these problems, the two of us decided to take a new approach.
Keyword : remedy, two, new approach
Keyword Location: Paragraph J, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author states multiple issues that were faced to study the chimpanzees. To solve this problem, two scientists took an approach which is mentioned in paragraph J..

Reasons why previous research on ape culture is inadequate

Answer: I
Supporting Sentence: Finally, researchers’ descriptions of potentially significant chimpanzee behaviour frequently lack sufficient detail, making it difficult for scientists working at other spots to record the presence or absence of the activities.
Keyword : difficult, activities
Keyword Location: Paragraph I, last sentence
Explanation: The author mentions the difficulties the scientists face on ape culture research. Two reasons are stated and the whole paragraph talks about this. Hence, the correct answer is Paragraph I.

Classification of data observed or collected

Answer: K
Supporting Sentence: In consultation with their colleagues, they classified each behaviour in terms of its occurrence or absence in the chimpanzee community studied.
Keyword : classified, behaviour, community studied
Keyword Location: Paragraph K, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author in the last paragraph mentions that the scientists classified data and each behabiour. The author also mentions categories like customary behaviour, habitual, present, absent, and unknown. Hence, Paragraph K is the correct answer.

An example showing cognitive powers of animals leading to indication of change in local people’s attitude toward preservation

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: One Zairian viewer was heard to exclaim, “Ah, this ape is so like me, I can no longer eat him.”
Keyword : viewers, cognitive
Keyword Location: Paragraph G, last sentence
Explanation: The author states that few organizations showed videotapes illustrating the cognitive prowess of chimpanzees. He also states that a viewer exclaimed that the ape is like me and hence I cannot east him. This means the apes will be preserved.

Questions 19-22

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?

In boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet, write

True - If the statement is true
False - If the statement is false
Not Given - If the information is not given in the passage

Research found that chimpanzees will possess the same complex culture as humans.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: There is no information in the passage regarding the statement. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

Human and apes ancestors lived together long ago and share most of their genetic substance.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes have coexisted for hundreds of millennia and share more than 98 percent of their genetic material, yet only 40 years ago we still knew next to nothing about
chimpanzee behaviour in the wild.
Keyword : 98 percent, share, genetic
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, first sentence
Explanation: The passage states that humans and apes have coexisted for ages. Also, we share 98% of the genetic materials. This means that most of the genetic substance is shared. Hence, the statement is True.

Jane Goodall has observed many surprising features of complex behaviours among chimpanzees.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: As early as 1973, Goodall recorded 13 forms of tool use as well as eight social activities that appeared to differ between the Gombe chimpanzees and chimpanzee populations elsewhere.
Keyword : Goodall, tools, social activities
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 1st sentence
Explanation: The paragraph E talks about the behaviours of the chimpanzees. Goodall recorder many social activities of the chimpanzee population. Hence, the statement is True.

Chimpanzees, like humans, derive cultural behaviours mostly from genetic inheritance.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: For biologists, this is the fundamental criterion for a cultural trait: it must be something that can be learned by observing the established skills of others and thus passed on to future generations.
Keyword: fundamental criteria, cultural trait
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, last sentence
Explanation: The author states in the passage that the behaviours were passed on to the future generations. Hence, they do not derive it from genetic inheritance.

Questions 23 – 26

Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND / OR A NUMBER from passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.

When did the unexpected discoveries of chimpanzee behaviour start?

Answer: in the 1960s
Supporting Sentence: Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes have coexisted for hundreds of millennia and share more than 98 percent of their genetic material, yet only 40 years ago we still knew next to nothing about
chimpanzee behaviour in the wild.
Keyword : knew, nothing
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author states that we had no idea about the behaviour of the chimpanzees. In the next line, he states that this changed in 1960. Hence, the discoveries started in 1960.

Which country is the research site of Toshisada Nishida and Jane Goodall?

Answer: Tanzania
Supporting Sentence: That began to change in the 1960s, when Toshisada Nishida of Kyoto University in Japan and Jane Goodall began their studies of wild chimpanzees at two field sites in Tanzania
Keyword : began their studies, Toshisada Nishida, Jane Goodall
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The paragraph C states that two scientists started their research of wild chimpanzees in two field sites in tanzania. Hence, Tanzania is the correct answer.

What did the chimpanzees have to get used to in the initial study?

Answer: close observation
Supporting Sentence: In these initial studies, as the chimpanzees became accustomed to close observation, the remarkable discoveries began.
Keyword : initial studies, accustomed
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 1st sentence
Explanation: The author says that in the initial studies, the chimpanzees were accustomed to close observations. This led to the remarkable discoveries. Hence, the chimpanzees had to get used to close observations in the
initial studies.

What term did Jane Goodall use in 1973 to explain groups of chimpanzees using tools differently?

Answer: cultural origin
Supporting Sentence: She ventured that some variations had what she termed a cultural origin.
Keyword : variations, tools
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 2nd sentence
Explanation: Jane Goodwill found that the chimpanzees used various tools. She termed it as cultural origin. Hence, cultural origin is the correct answer.