The Language of Whales
Lexile: 820 | Grade: 5
Passage
Whales may not speak like humans, but they have a complex way of communicating. Scientists have discovered that whales use a variety of sounds to send messages to one another—clicks, whistles, and long, low songs that can travel for miles underwater.
One of the most famous examples is the humpback whale. These whales are known for their haunting songs, which can last up to 30 minutes and follow specific patterns. Male humpbacks often sing to attract mates, but scientists believe these songs may also serve other purposes, like marking territory or keeping social bonds.
What’s fascinating is that these songs change over time. A song that is common one year might sound completely different the next. It’s as if the whales are part of a musical tradition, where each generation adds new parts and drops old ones.
Some researchers have even tried to understand whale sounds as a kind of language. While it’s not the same as human language, whale communication shows signs of structure, meaning, and even regional 'dialects'—just like people from different areas might have different accents.
Studying whale communication isn’t easy. The ocean is vast and deep, and sounds can bounce or fade. But with underwater microphones and tracking tools, scientists are slowly piecing together the secret conversations of these gentle giants. Every discovery brings us closer to understanding how life communicates beyond the world of words.
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Questions
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Whales use songs to scare away predators.
- B. Scientists are trying to understand how whales communicate through sounds.
- C. Whale songs never change and always sound the same.
- D. All animals can talk like humans if we listen closely.
Q2: What does the passage suggest about humpback whale songs?
- A. They are exactly the same across all oceans.
- B. They always stay the same over time.
- C. They change over time and may have different purposes.
- D. They are not important to the whales.
Q3: What is meant by the phrase 'regional dialects' in the passage?
- A. Different whale species speak different languages.
- B. Whales in different areas make slightly different sounds, like human accents.
- C. Only young whales use these special sounds.
- D. Dialects are something only humans use when writing.
Q4: Why is studying whale communication challenging?
- A. Whales do not make any noise.
- B. Whale sounds are too loud to record.
- C. The ocean is big and sounds don’t always travel clearly.
- D. Scientists don’t have any tools to study whales.
Q5: What idea does the author want readers to think about in the last sentence?
- A. Whale sounds are just noise, not communication.
- B. Communication happens in many ways, not just with words.
- C. People should avoid making sounds in the ocean.
- D. Only humans truly understand each other.
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Answers & Reasoning
Q1: What is the main idea of the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage focuses on how whales communicate using sounds and how scientists are studying this unique form of communication.
Q2: What does the passage suggest about humpback whale songs?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The passage explains that humpback whale songs follow patterns, can change yearly, and may have more than one purpose.
Q3: What is meant by the phrase 'regional dialects' in the passage?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The passage compares whale communication to human accents, suggesting that whale sounds vary based on where they live.
Q4: Why is studying whale communication challenging?
✅ Correct Answer: C
💡 Reasoning: The text mentions the ocean's size and how sound can bounce or fade, making it hard to track whale communication.
Q5: What idea does the author want readers to think about in the last sentence?
✅ Correct Answer: B
💡 Reasoning: The sentence encourages readers to see that meaningful communication can exist even without spoken language, as in the case of whales.
Printable Comprehension Practice
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