Like many creatures, humpback whales migrate long distances for feeding and mating purposes. How animals manage to migrate long distances is often puzzling. In the case of humpback whales, we may have found the answer: they may be navigating by the stars, much as early human sailors did. What we know about humpback whales makes this a distinct possibility.
First, humpback whales seem to be intelligent enough to use stars to navigate by. Whales' brains have a high degree of complexity—a common determiner of intelligence. This suggests that the whales' brain power far exceeds that of most other animals. The whales' well-developed cognitive ability seems to provide a sound basis for the ability to use a complex, abstract system of sensory stimuli such as the night sky for orientation.
Second, humpback whales migrate in straight lines. Animals can maintain movement in a straight direction for long distances only if they orient themselves by some external objects or forces. Many birds and other terrestrial creatures, for example, use physical landmarks to help them stay on track as they migrate. Whales, which swim in the open ocean, cannot rely on land features; they could, however, rely on stars at night to provide them with external signs by which to maintain direction over long distances.
Third, humpback whales exhibit an unusual behavior: they are sometimes observed floating straight up for minutes at a time, their heads above the water as though they were looking upward. The behavior is known as spy-hopping, and it is very rare among marine animals. One explanation for the function of spy-hopping is that the whales are looking at the stars, which are providing them with information to navigate by.
The reading states that humpback whales can migrate long distances by navigating by the stars. However, the professor disagrees with this idea and presents some evidence to refute it.
First, the reading suggests that humpback whales are intelligent because their brains have a high degree of complexity, so they can use stars to navigate. However, the professor refutes this by saying there is no connection between intelligence and navigating ability. For example, some birds like ducks, can navigate and find their destination, but they just have general cognition ability.
Second, the reading states that if whales want to move in a straight direction for a long time, they have to orient themselves by external objects or forces. They need landmarks to help them stay on track as they migrate. Therefore, whales rely on stars to provide them with external signs to keep the right direction. The professor cast doubt on this idea by saying that whales have bio magnetite in their brains and can use it to find their path with the help of the earth's magnetic field.
Third, the reading claims that humpback whales sometimes go above the water and look upward. This behavior is not common among other marine animals. So, this behavior represents whales looking at the stars to find the information to navigate. The professor dismisses this because other animals, which do not migrate, also have this behavior. For example, sharks get their heads out of the water to hunt their prey. In addition, whales get outside the ocean during the day, which is not happening just at night. As a result, this behavior is not related to looking at stars.
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Transition Words or Phrases used:
also, but, first, however, if, look, second, so, therefore, third, for example, in addition, as a result
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 5.0 10.4613686534 48% => More to be verbs wanted.
Auxiliary verbs: 5.0 5.04856512141 99% => OK
Conjunction : 7.0 7.30242825607 96% => OK
Relative clauses : 7.0 12.0772626932 58% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 29.0 22.412803532 129% => Less pronouns wanted
Preposition: 38.0 30.3222958057 125% => OK
Nominalization: 9.0 5.01324503311 180% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1377.0 1373.03311258 100% => OK
No of words: 275.0 270.72406181 102% => OK
Chars per words: 5.00727272727 5.08290768461 99% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.07223819929 4.04702891845 101% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.45080118457 2.5805825403 95% => OK
Unique words: 146.0 145.348785872 100% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.530909090909 0.540411800872 98% => OK
syllable_count: 415.8 419.366225166 99% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 3.25607064018 154% => OK
Article: 8.0 8.23620309051 97% => OK
Subordination: 1.0 1.25165562914 80% => OK
Conjunction: 1.0 1.51434878587 66% => OK
Preposition: 1.0 2.5761589404 39% => More preposition wanted as sentence beginning.
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 16.0 13.0662251656 122% => OK
Sentence length: 17.0 21.2450331126 80% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 33.4661676175 49.2860985944 68% => OK
Chars per sentence: 86.0625 110.228320801 78% => OK
Words per sentence: 17.1875 21.698381199 79% => OK
Discourse Markers: 6.5 7.06452816374 92% => 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 : 1.0 4.45695364238 22% => More negative sentences wanted.
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 9.0 4.27373068433 211% => Less facts, knowledge or examples wanted.
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.206408723735 0.272083759551 76% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0736330601752 0.0996497079465 74% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0843146400297 0.0662205650399 127% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.145731030698 0.162205337803 90% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0503969011545 0.0443174109184 114% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 10.8 13.3589403974 81% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 62.68 53.8541721854 116% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 8.7 11.0289183223 79% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.48 12.2367328918 94% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 7.58 8.42419426049 90% => OK
difficult_words: 54.0 63.6247240618 85% => More difficult words wanted.
linsear_write_formula: 8.5 10.7273730684 79% => OK
gunning_fog: 8.8 10.498013245 84% => OK
text_standard: 9.0 11.2008830022 80% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 75.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 22.5 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.