Passage:
Altruism is a type of behavior in which an animal sacrifices its own interest for that of another animal or group of animals. Altruism is the opposite of selfishness; individuals performing altruistic acts gain nothing for themselves.
Examples of altruism abound, both among humans and among other mammals. Unselfish acts among humans range from the sharing of food with strangers to the donation of body organs to family members, and even to strangers. Such acts are altruistic in that they benefit another, yet provide a little reward to the one performing the act. In fact, many species of animals appear willing to sacrifice food, or even their life, to assist other members of their group.
The meerkat, which is a mammal that dwells in burrows in grassland areas of Africa, is often cited as an example. In groups of meerkats, an individual acts as a sentinel, standing guard, and looking out for predators while the others hunt for food or eat food they have obtained. If the sentinel meerkat sees a predator such as a hawk approaching the group, it gives an alarm cry alerting the other meerkats to run and seek shelter. By standing guard, the sentinel meerkat gains nothing—it goes without food while the others eat, and it places itself in grave danger. After it issues an alarm, it has to flee alone, which might make it more at risk to a predator, since animals in groups are often able to work together to fend off a predator. So the altruistic sentinel behavior helps ensure the survival of other members of the meerkat’s group.
Listening Script:
You know, often in science, new findings force us to re-examine earlier beliefs and assumptions.
And a recent study of meerkats is having exactly this effect. The study examined the meerkat’s behavior quite closely, much more closely than had ever been done before. And some interesting things were found . . . like about eating habits . . . it showed that typically meerkats eat before they stand guard—so the ones standing guard had a full stomach! And the study also found that since the sentinel is the first to see a predator coming, it’s the most likely to escape . . . because it often stands guard near a burrow, so it can run immediately into the burrow after giving the alarm.
The other meerkats, the ones scattered about looking for food, are actually in greater danger. And in fact, other studies have suggested that when an animal creates an alarm, the alarm call might cause the other group members either to gather together or else to move about very quickly, behaviors that might actually draw the predator’s attention away from the caller, increasing that animal’s own chances of survival.
And what about people—what about some human acts that might be considered altruistic? Let’s take an extreme case, uh, suppose a person donates a kidney to a relative, or even to a complete stranger. A selfless act, right? But . . . doesn’t the donor receive appreciation and approval from the stranger and from society? Doesn’t the donor gain an increased sense of self-worth? Couldn’t such non-material rewards be considered very valuable to some people?
Que: Summarize the points made in the lecture you just heard, being sure to specifically explain how they cast doubt on points made in the reading.
In the given passage altruism is a type of unselfish behavior in which animals or mammal sacrifice their interest for other animals or the group. But, the lecturer strongly opposes the idea with the following examples for three reasons.
Firstly, according to the passage meerkats guard their community sacrificing the food while another group is hunting or having food. However, the lecturer tells that meerkat eating habitat is that they are full stomach before the guarding. Moreover, they stand just near to their shelter so that at the time of predator attack they can hide in it.
Meerkat alarming behavior arises further conflict that by alarming cry voice they garner at one place or they hide into their shelters. This draws more attention to the predator and it is more pernicious to meerkat. so according to the lecturer, the altruistic behavior of issuing an alarm is deleterious than conducive to the survival of members.
secondly, the passage says that this altruism is seen in humans too. lecturer contradicts this point by rendering one example of kidney donation of the man. At the first glance kidney donation to another person without any anticipation seems valid and shows the factor of altruism but, when the receiver appreciates the donor when society appreciates him it increases the self-worth of the person and shows nonmaterial things, and hence, the argument does not hold the water.
In totality, altruism seems plum fact but, it is not a plausible and viable fact which can be seen often in mammals or human being. It is more unique and seldom a quality or emotion of any living organism of sacrificing without any expectations or anticipation.
Grammar and spelling errors:
Line 3, column 217, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: So
...r and it is more pernicious to meerkat. so according to the lecturer, the altruist...
^^
Line 4, column 1, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Secondly
... conducive to the survival of members. secondly, the passage says that this altruism is...
^^^^^^^^
Line 4, column 69, Rule ID: UPPERCASE_SENTENCE_START
Message: This sentence does not start with an uppercase letter
Suggestion: Lecturer
...at this altruism is seen in humans too. lecturer contradicts this point by rendering one...
^^^^^^^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, first, firstly, hence, however, if, moreover, second, secondly, so, while
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 11.0 10.4613686534 105% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 2.0 5.04856512141 40% => OK
Conjunction : 15.0 7.30242825607 205% => Less conjunction wanted
Relative clauses : 9.0 12.0772626932 75% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 23.0 22.412803532 103% => OK
Preposition: 33.0 30.3222958057 109% => OK
Nominalization: 7.0 5.01324503311 140% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1402.0 1373.03311258 102% => OK
No of words: 277.0 270.72406181 102% => OK
Chars per words: 5.06137184116 5.08290768461 100% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.07962216107 4.04702891845 101% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.60429219527 2.5805825403 101% => OK
Unique words: 156.0 145.348785872 107% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.563176895307 0.540411800872 104% => OK
syllable_count: 433.8 419.366225166 103% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.6 1.55342163355 103% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 4.0 3.25607064018 123% => OK
Article: 5.0 8.23620309051 61% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 4.0 2.5761589404 155% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 13.0 13.0662251656 99% => OK
Sentence length: 21.0 21.2450331126 99% => OK
Sentence length SD: 59.8210348708 49.2860985944 121% => OK
Chars per sentence: 107.846153846 110.228320801 98% => OK
Words per sentence: 21.3076923077 21.698381199 98% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.0 7.06452816374 85% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.09492273731 122% => OK
Language errors: 3.0 4.19205298013 72% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 4.0 4.33554083885 92% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 4.0 4.45695364238 90% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 5.0 4.27373068433 117% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.215323620852 0.272083759551 79% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0735624593475 0.0996497079465 74% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.122840389658 0.0662205650399 186% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.1242939413 0.162205337803 77% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.144476814614 0.0443174109184 326% => More connections among paragraphs wanted.
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 13.1 13.3589403974 98% => OK
flesch_reading_ease: 50.16 53.8541721854 93% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 11.5 11.0289183223 104% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 12.07 12.2367328918 99% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.9 8.42419426049 106% => OK
difficult_words: 74.0 63.6247240618 116% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 7.5 10.7273730684 70% => OK
gunning_fog: 10.4 10.498013245 99% => OK
text_standard: 12.0 11.2008830022 107% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 80.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 24.0 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.