Another subtle but crucial difference can be seen in communication. The
great apes---chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and
orang-utans---communicate almost exclusively for instrumental reasons,
that is, for the express purpose of making others do what they want.
Human infants, in addition to similar reasons of obtaining their wishes,
gesture and talk in order to convey information to others---they want to
be supportive. They also simply want to share their emotions and
attitudes freely---as when an infant points out a passing bird to its
mother and squeals with pleasure. This unprompted sharing of information
and attitudes can be seen as a forerunner of adult gossip, which itself
ensures that members of a group can pool their knowledge and know who is
or is not behaving cooperatively.
1. According to the writer, what do apes mainly use communication for?
A. To signal their real intentions.
B. To establish stronger social bonds.
C. To get others to act in a certain way.
D. To warn other animals of immediate danger.
2. Why does the writer give the example of an infant pointing to a
A. To show the happy nature of human childhood.
B. To demonstrate the instinctive mother-child bond.
C. To indicate the development of compassion in humans.
D. To illustrate the early signs of a human social phenomenon.