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An Unusual Orphan

Washoe was an orphan chimpanzee born in Africa in 1965 who was adopted by American researchers Allen and Beatrix Gardner. They taught her American Sign Language to study animal communication, avoiding speech so she would learn through sign like a deaf human. Washoe learned over 350 signs and taught signs to younger chimps she was given to care for. She lived with the Gardners and later at a primate institute in Oklahoma until her death in 2007 at age 42.

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155 views3 pages

An Unusual Orphan

Washoe was an orphan chimpanzee born in Africa in 1965 who was adopted by American researchers Allen and Beatrix Gardner. They taught her American Sign Language to study animal communication, avoiding speech so she would learn through sign like a deaf human. Washoe learned over 350 signs and taught signs to younger chimps she was given to care for. She lived with the Gardners and later at a primate institute in Oklahoma until her death in 2007 at age 42.

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Đào Nguyễn Duy Tùng
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AN UNUSUAL ORPHAN

Read the following article.


She was born in West Africa in 1965. She was an orphan; her mother died when she was very
small. She didn't stay in Africa. She came to the United States when she was only ten months
old. Allen and Beatrix Gardner, an American couple in Nevada, adopted her and named her
Washoe. Did she learn to speak English with her new American family? Well, not exactly.
Washoe was a chimpanzee. And the Gardners were language researchers.
The Gardners, who were interested in animal communication, understood that nonhuman
primates can't make human sounds. So they taught Washoe American Sign Language (ASL).
The Gardners avoided using speech around her so that she could learn the way a deaf child
learns. Washoe was the first nonhuman to acquire a human language.
Washoe lived at home with the Gardners. She liked to look through books, magazines, and
catalogs. She especially liked shoe catalogs! Then, when she was five years old, language
researchers Roger and Deborah Fouts took her to the Primate Institute at the University of
Oklahoma. There were other chimps there that could communicate with American Sign
Language. When Washoe met other chimps for the first time, she didn't like them. She called
them "black cats" or "black bugs." Eventually she started to interact and "talk" to them.
Researches wanted to see if Washoe would communicate with baby chimps using ASL.
Washoe had two baby chimps, but they died when they were very young. Researchers gave
her a male baby chimp, Loulis, to take care of. Washoe quickly "adopted" him. She started
signing to Loulis. She even taught him signs by taking his hands and showing him how to say
"food." During her life, Washoe learned about 350 signs and taught signs to younger chimps.
Washoe died in 2007 at the age of 42.
*primate: a member of the highest order of animals, including humans, apes, monkeys, and
lemurs
EXERCISE 1. Listen and fill in the blanks
1. Washoe ______ born in Africa. She ____ born in the United States.
2. She _____ her human trainers. At first she ____ other chimps. Why ___ other chimps?
3. ____ baby chimps? Yes, she ____. She ____ two babies but they ___.
4. Who___ her American Sign Language? The Gardners ___ her ASL.
5. How long ____ with the Gardners? She ___ with them for three years.
6. The Gardners ___ speech around Washoe. Why ___ speech around her?
EXERCISE 2. Use a form of the underlined words to complete the sentences.
1. Washoe lived with the Gardners. She didn't live in a zoo
2. The Gardners took care of her at home. Who ___ care of her at the Primate Institute?
3. She started to communicate with other chimps, but she __ immediately.

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4. She felt comfortable with humans. At first, she ___ comfortable with other chimps. Why
___ comfortable with other chimps?
5. Researchers gave her a baby chimp-Loulis. Why __ her a baby chimp?
6. She taught Loulis to make signs. How many signs ___?
7. Washoe ___ very old when she died. She was only 42.
8. When ___? She died in 2007
EXERCISE 3. Read the conversation and fill in the blanks with the simple past by using
context clues.
A: Did you like the story about Washoe?
B: Yes, I_______. I liked it very much. Washoe was the first animal to learn human
communication. But she ___ the only one. There ___ many more studies with chimps and
gorillas after that. I. ___ a program on TV a few years ago about Koko, a gorilla. Like
Washoe, she ___ to make about one thousand signs using American Sign Language.
A: Wow! That's amazing. When ___?
B: She didn't die. She's alive and living in California.
A: ___ born in Africa?
B: No, she wasn't. She was born at the San Francisco Zoo.
A: When___ to train her?
B: They began to train her when she ___ one year old
A: ___ anything else interesting from the TV program?
B: Yes, I learned a lot of interesting things. For example, when Koko wants something, she
asks for it. One time she __ a cat and her trainers ___ her a stuffed cat. But she ___ happy
with it. She didn't ___ a stuffed animal. She wanted a real cat.
A: _______ it to her?
B: Yes, they ___. They gave her a baby kitten. In fact, she had a choice of kittens and she ___
a gray male kitten. She even ____ him a name: "All Ball."
A: That's so sweet. So now she has All Ball to play with.
B: Unfortunately, no. One day All Ball ____ away from Koko's cage. He ran into the street,
and a car hit and killed him.
A: Who__ her about the death of her kitten?
B: Her trainers told her. She ___ very sad. She signed "Bad, bad, bad."
A: What else ___?
B: She signed "cry, sad."
A: Did they give her another kitten?
B: Yes. They __ her two kittens.
A: Wow! What a great story.
EXERCISE 4
Fill in the blanks with the correct tense and form of the verb given. Answers may vary.
A: What are you reading_? You seem very involved in that article.

2
B: I am. It (be) ___ a very interesting article about American Indian languages. Many of them
(disappear) ___ little by little. They (become) ___ extinct. In fact, this article mentions two
languages that already (become) ___ extinct more than 50 years ago when the last speakers
(die) ____.
A: (that/mean ) ___ that all the members of the tribe are gone?
B: No. The tribes aren't extinct. Just the languages. The older people (not/speak) ___ their
native language with their children when they were small, so the younger generation never
(learn) ____ to speak it. When the older members (die) ___, that was the end of the language.
Today's tribal members just (speak) ___ English
A: (the Enduring Voices Project/record) ___ the voices of the tribe members before they (die)
___?
B: The Enduring Voices Project just (start) ___ a short time ago. So now there (be) __ no
record of their languages.
A: I wouldn't want my language to disappear. When I (have) ___ kids, I (speak) ___ my
language with them all the time.
B: Me too. If they (are) ___ bilingual, they (have) ___ more opportunities.
A: Some of my friends already have kids. They tell me that their children only (want) ___ to
speak English. They (not/want) ___ to speak their language at home anymore.
B: That's sad. Excuse me but I (need) ___ to continue reading this article now. I have to write
a paper about disappearing languages for my English class.
A: I'd like to know more about the article.
B: Give me your e-mail. I (send) ___ you the link.
A: Thanks.

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