职称英语考试理工类的AB级阅读理解(3)

　　A Dolphin and an Astronomer 　　One day in 1963, a dolphin named Elvar and a famous astronomer, Carl Sagan, were playing a little game. The astronomer was visiting an institute which was looking into the way dolphins communicate with each other. Sagan was standing on the edge of one of the tanks where several of these friendly, highly intelligent creatures were kept. Elvar had just swum up alongside him and had turned on his back. 　　Dolphins have bigger brains in proportion to their body size than humans have, and it has been known for a long time that they can make a number of sounds. What is more, these sounds seem to have different functions, such as warning each other of danger. Sound travels much faster and much further in water than it does in air. That is why the parts of the brain that deal with sound are much better developed in dolphins than in humans. But can it be said that dolphins have a language, in the real sense of the word? Scientists dont agree on this. 　　16 The astronomer was not interested in the way dolphins communicate with each other. 　　17 The dolphin leapt up into the air because Sagan was too near the water.