Directions: READ the passage, and answer the question that follows.
Alex the Parrot. "Calm down," Alex, an African Gray parrot, told Doctor Irene Pepperberg, the scientist who owns him. "Don't tell me to calm down," Doctor Pepperberg snapped. Sometimes Doctor Pepperberg and Alex squabble like an old married couple. He even says, "I love you." For the last 22 years, Doctor Pepperberg has been teaching Alex, who is 23, to do complex tasks that only a few nonhuman species, chimpanzees, for instance, have been able to perform. But unlike those other creatures, Alex can talk! And, doctor Pepperberg says, Alex doesn't just imitate human speech, as other parrots do. Alex can think. So, just how smart is Alex? Doctor Pepperberg says he can identify 50 different objects and count up to 6. He can tell the difference between 7 different colors and 5 shapes. He can also compare objects by using the words "bigger," "smaller," "same," and "different." Although Alex's 100 word English vocabulary is much smaller than the 800 words known by another bird, Alex is unique; he means what he says and knows what he means. Not only is he learning a language unknown to most birds, he's also doing it in a university research lab, a totally unnatural environment for a bird. But sometimes Alex refuses to work hard, Perhaps tired of having studied (and being studied) for so many years. For example, Alex may give every possible answer except the correct one (which means he knows what the correct answer is). Or he may refuse to answer questions by shouting "NO!" and turning away. Alex's bad attitude may be the only reason why his success rate remains at 80 percent. Standard tests show that African Gray parrots have the intelligence of a 4 or 5 year old human child. Emotionally, though, these birds show the negative, self centered behavior of a typical 2 or 3 year old child. Although scientists have been unable to prove that parrots can definitely remember past events or anticipate future events, many pet owners' stories support this idea. Once, for example, Alex became tired of a visiting journalist and said, "Want to go back!" Then Alex returned to the table where he had been a few minutes before and ate another nut.
What question is not answered in the passage?
a.
Who is Alex’s teacher?
b.
What shapes can Alex identify?
c.
How many colors can Alex identify?
d.
Why might Alex have a bad attitude?
Please select the best answer from the choices provided
A
B
C
D
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