Question

Sharing with the Chimps

Picture this: a large-brained animal smiles at herself in a mirror. She uses a tool to crack open a nut. She hugs her close friends. She tickles her children playfully. She shakes her fists when she gets angry.

Did you picture a human? The large-brained animal is actually a chimpanzee! The paragraph describes a chimp, but it also describes a human almost perfectly. That’s because humans and chimpanzees are a lot alike.

Just how similar are humans and chimpanzees? The answer begins with DNA. DNA is in our cells. It is the material that determines how a living thing looks and acts. Humans and chimpanzees share more than 98 percent of their DNA. In terms of DNA, chimps are closer to humans than they are to gorillas! Like people, chimps live in family groups. They make and use tools. They can even learn sign language. Humans and chimps are very close relatives.

The small difference in DNA leads to major differences, however. Take physical strength. Chimps can be as much as six times stronger than humans. Even if a person spent 12 hours a day lifting weights, that person wouldn’t be as strong as a chimp!

Chimps may be stronger than humans, but they’re not as smart. For example, scientists spent many years teaching sign language to a chimp called Nim. However, Nim could use sign language only to ask for things. “Give orange me!” was one of his common demands. Humans, on the other hand, can use language in more advanced ways. We speak in complex sentences. We talk about the past and plan for the future. A chimp could help you with that jar you can’t open. She just might not laugh at your jokes.

1. According to the author, which animal does the first paragraph describe?

A
a human

B
a chimpanzee

C
a gorilla

D
an orangutan

Answer 1

B — a chimpanzee. The passage explicitly states the large-brained animal described is actually a chimpanzee.