People can often see a talking parrot on a TV show, in a movie, or even in someone’s home. The parrot has learned        (copy) sounds that people make. Dolphins, bats, and some apes also copy sounds. Now we can add elephants       this list of copycats (盲目的模仿者).
Dr. Joyce Poole is a zoologist,         studies the sounds of elephants. While she was in Kenya, she would hear strange noises         (make) by Mlaika after sunset. Mlaika was      8-year-old African elephant       it lived near a highway.
Dr. Poole says that she couldn’t tell the difference between Mlaika’s call and the          (distance) truck noise. Why did        copy the sounds of the trucks driving by? Animals that are able to copy sounds may enjoy        (practice) new sounds. When they are kept outside of their natural environment, they may copy unusual sounds.
So far Dr. Poole        (spend) 18 years with two female Asian elephants. Asian elephants make sounds like birds to talk with one another.
Parrots, dolphins, humans, and elephants show that being a copycat is one way that animals and people make new friends and keep old ones.