Arbeitsblatt: New World 3, Unit 2, Reading comp. test

How Do Dolphins Communicate? Dolphins communicate with one another in many different ways: by creating sounds, making body contact with one another and through the use of body language. Voice: dolphins communicate using clicking sounds and whistles. Each dolphin communicates at slightly different vocal pitch, this allows them to understand which dolphin is speaking. This is especially important when dolphins are in groups, where mother may lose her child or when two friends cannot find one another. Body language can be used to indicate number of things such as warning of nearby predator (Feind), to show to other dolphins that they have found food, to demonstrate their level of fitness and more things. How does dolphins echolocation work? Echolocation is biological sound used by dolphins and other marine animals to see objects in their environment. Echolocation means that an animal makes sound and then measures the time this sound takes to go to nearby object and back to the animal. By using echolocation, dolphins can find out how far away an object is, if it is above or below them, how large it is and more things. This is extremely important for dolphins because their vision is often limited underwater and they need to be able to locate food while traveling in the pitch black ocean. Without it, dolphins would have much more difficult time trying to find food and avoiding (vermeiden) dangers in the ocean. How dolphins use body language to communicate Tail slapping and flipper slapping Tail slapping happens when dolphin takes its tail or flippers out of the water and slaps it hard against the water, creating loud slapping noise. Tail/flipper slapping may be used to show aggression, warn nearby dolphins of danger, and as sign of playful communication among dolphins. The meaning of dolphins tail or flipper slapping may be dependent upon how loud and repetitively the dolphin slaps its tail or flippers against the water. Dolphins have also been trained by humans to slap their tails/flippers as way to communicate specific need, for example the need to eat or the wish to play. Quelle: Bumping and physical contact Dolphins are extremely social creatures and part of their communication involves physical contact with one another. Harsh bumping or charging can be sign of aggression such as to scare away their rivals during mating periods. Light bumping or touching can indicate friendly loving gesture. Jumping and leaping Dolphins can often be seen jumping or leaping out of the ocean, especially when in group with other active dolphins. Jumping can be both used as playful gesture when dolphins want to show their youthfulness, but also as way to watch out for potential dangers in the distance. Jumping can also be used as way to conserve energy because it requires less energy to jump through the ocean than it does to continually swim through the ocean. How man-made sounds may be affecting the dolphins environment Sound is extremely important to the survival of the dolphins. Dolphins have very good sense of hearing which they use to communicate with one another, listen out for predators or threats in the area and find food. In the last years, man-made technology became more and more, there are new sounds being created and emitted in the ocean which can confuse (verwirren) dolphins sense of hearing and direction. Some of these man-made sounds include large motors from ships, sonar, loud planes and variety of marine tools which may interfere with dolphins sense of hearing and ability to echo-locate. One example of artificial man-made sound is the use of sonar, which humans use to locate objects underwater and navigate the ocean. Although sonar is great invention that has helped many people safely travel through the ocean, studies have shown that there is the possibility that sonar may end up confusing dolphins and whales because it makes them lose their sense of direction. Quelle: (verkürzt und vereinfacht) Reading Test: Dolphins Date: Name: (Answer the questions in English) 1) Dolphins can only communicate through body language. (1 P.) true false not in the text 2) Give two examples: what can dolphins say with their body language? (2 P.) 3) Every dolphin has different voice, so the dolphins know who is speaking. (1 P.) true false not in the text 4) How do dolphins do echolocation? (1 P.) with their eyes with their voices and ears 5) Explain: why is echolocation so important for dolphins? (2 P.) 6) What can dolphins do to show that they are aggressive? Name two things. (2 P.) 7) The film Flipper is about boy from California who often plays with dolphin. (1 P.) true false not in the text 8) What is the meaning of the word slap slapping? (Errate das Wort aus dem Textzusammenhang, du darfst hier auf Deutsch antworten) (1 P.) 9) What do dolphins do when they want to be friendly to another dolphin? (1 P.) They make slapping noise with the flipper. They bump lightly into the other dolphin. 10) Why are dolphins jumping? (Name two things.) (2 P.) 11) Some dolphins that were trained by humans slap with their tail when they are hungry. (1 P.) true false not in the text 12) How do people disturb (stören) the communication of the dolphins? (Give two examples) (2 P.) 13) What is sonar? (1 P.) technology that helps people and their ships to navigate in the ocean. special fish that is food for dolphins.