托福听力

🎧 听力原文

Narrator: Listen to a conversation between a student and his biology professor. Student: Professor, I wanted to ask about the research paper you mentioned in class—the one on animal communication. Professor: Ah, yes. What's on your mind? Student: I'm interested in studying bird songs, but I'm not sure how to narrow the topic. I've read that some birds have regional dialects—like their songs vary by location. Professor: Exactly. That's a great angle. For example, the white-crowned sparrow has distinct dialects based on geographic populations. In fact, a classic study showed that young sparrows learn their songs from adult males in their local area, not from an innate template. Student: So, dialects are learned, not genetic? Professor: Mostly learned, though there may be a slight genetic bias. But the key is social learning early in life. I'd suggest focusing on how dialects affect mate selection or territory defense. Student: That sounds promising. Do you have any recommended sources? Professor: Yes, check out the work by Marler and Tamura from the 1960s. They did pioneering research on this. Also, recent studies on urban noise and song adaptation could add a modern twist. Student: Great, thanks! I'll start there.