Humans have long been fascinated by elephants, the largest land animal in the modern world. Social animals that live in herds, elephants are native to both Africa and Asia. Their large ears, long trunk, and long life span have made elephants one of the most captivating creatures on Earth. Our long-standing interest in elephants has led to several beliefs about surprising elephant behaviors
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Elephants Are Aware of Approaching Death
One of the popular beliefs is that when elephants become old and weak, they know that they are nearing the end of their lives. They demonstrate this by breaking away from their herds and going off alone to certain locations often found near bodies of water—so called “elephant graveyards”—to die alone. The idea that old elephants seem aware that they will die soon is supported by the discovery of many sites containing bones exclusively of elderly elephants.
Representing Objects through Art
Additionally, elephants seem to have artistic ability. Elephants can be taught to hold a paintbrush in their trunk and use it to paint on a canvas. Some elephants have been known to paint drawings that represent recognizable things: flowers, other elephants, even themselves. This talent makes elephants the only animal other than humans to produce art representing the world around them.
Fear of Mice
Finally, it has long been believed that elephants have a fear of mice. In 77 C.E., the Roman philosopher and scientist Pliny the Elder wrote that elephants are more afraid of mice, small mammals that can do elephants no harm, than of the much more dangerous animals with which elephants normally share an environment, such as lions or tigers. In a recent scientific experiment in which a herd of elephants was confronted with several mice, the elephants backed away from the mice and left the area to avoid them.
In the reading, the author introduces three beliefs about surprising elephant behaviors. However, the speaker disagrees with these beliefs by saying that these beliefs are based on misunderstanding.
To begin with, the writer assumes that elephants can realize approaching death. When elephants are old and weak, they will break away from herds and die alone in elephant graveyards. Nevertheless, the lecturer casts doubt on the belief by asserting that breaking away from herds dose not necessarily mean old elephants are aware of approaching death. In fact, old elephants have difficulty in chewing. They break away from herds to look for soft vegetation which are often located near water, or so-called elephant graveyards.
Apart from that, the reading puts forward that elephants are capable of painting drawings that represent recognizable things. Yet, the professor argues against the belief by pointing out that the elephants are actually trained to paint and they do not know what the painting represents. As a matter of fact, elephant trainers do tricks. They teach the elephants certain patterns of strokes by touching the elephants' ears which is very sensitive. The elephants actually do not know what the painting they draw represents.
Finally, the writer claims that elephants have a fear of mice. Nonetheless, the professor doubts the belief by presenting that the elephants are not afraid of mice itself. The elephants back away simply because they are not familiar with the mice, which is a natural instinct. In addition, the elephants in Zoo which are familiar with the mice did not have a fear of mice. If only the elephants know the mice will not pose a threat, the elephants do not mind.
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, finally, however, if, look, nevertheless, nonetheless, so, apart from, in addition, in fact, as a matter of fact, to begin with
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 11.0 10.4613686534 105% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 3.0 5.04856512141 59% => OK
Conjunction : 4.0 7.30242825607 55% => More conjunction wanted.
Relative clauses : 14.0 12.0772626932 116% => OK
Pronoun: 18.0 22.412803532 80% => OK
Preposition: 35.0 30.3222958057 115% => OK
Nominalization: 2.0 5.01324503311 40% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1444.0 1373.03311258 105% => OK
No of words: 277.0 270.72406181 102% => OK
Chars per words: 5.21299638989 5.08290768461 103% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.07962216107 4.04702891845 101% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.70691688601 2.5805825403 105% => OK
Unique words: 138.0 145.348785872 95% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.498194945848 0.540411800872 92% => More unique words wanted or less content wanted.
syllable_count: 424.8 419.366225166 101% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 3.0 3.25607064018 92% => OK
Article: 12.0 8.23620309051 146% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 1.25165562914 240% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 2.5761589404 194% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 17.0 13.0662251656 130% => OK
Sentence length: 16.0 21.2450331126 75% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 32.1212021303 49.2860985944 65% => OK
Chars per sentence: 84.9411764706 110.228320801 77% => OK
Words per sentence: 16.2941176471 21.698381199 75% => OK
Discourse Markers: 8.05882352941 7.06452816374 114% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 6.0 4.33554083885 138% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 10.0 4.45695364238 224% => Less negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 1.0 4.27373068433 23% => More facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.21818654611 0.272083759551 80% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0948464681718 0.0996497079465 95% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0440190856009 0.0662205650399 66% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.130631016773 0.162205337803 81% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0519018657717 0.0443174109184 117% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 11.3 13.3589403974 85% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 63.7 53.8541721854 118% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 8.4 11.0289183223 76% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.64 12.2367328918 103% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.45 8.42419426049 88% => OK
difficult_words: 53.0 63.6247240618 83% => More difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 7.0 10.7273730684 65% => OK
gunning_fog: 8.4 10.498013245 80% => OK
text_standard: 8.0 11.2008830022 71% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 60.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 18.0 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.