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Question

The text describes how people’s understanding of whales’ communication has changed from the past to now. How have peoples’ understanding changed? Audio

In the past, scientists were not interested in studying whale songs, but now, because of popular movies about whales, scientists are interested. Audio

In the past, seafarers thought whale songs were songs from ghosts, but now, scientists record and study whale songs to understand them. Audio

In the past, seafarers thought whale songs were whales’ way of communicating, but now, scientists think whale songs are songs from ghosts. Audio

In the past, whales could not sing, but now, whales have had to learn how to sing and scientists have begun to study them. Audio

Answer 1

People's understanding of whale communication has evolved significantly over time. Initially, scientists showed little interest in studying whale songs. However, increased public interest, fueled by popular movies about whales, has spurred scientific inquiry into these vocalizations.

In the past, seafarers believed whale songs were the voices of ghosts. This misconception reflected a lack of understanding regarding the natural behaviors of whales. Now, scientists actively record and analyze these songs, aiming to decipher their meaning and function in whale communication.

Overall, the shift has moved from superstition and indifference towards a scientific curiosity and dedicated research into the complex vocalizations of whales.