▶ Your Answer :
Both the reading and the listening passages deals with the same topic: theories about how dogs became domesticated animals. However, their perspective is very different. According to the reading, dogs are the tamed version of wolves, they were domesticated about 16,000 years ago, and their origin was from China. On the other hand, the professor casts doubt on the writer’s idea.
Firstly, the reading points out that ancient people have trained wolves to become dogs in their current form. However, in the lecture, the professor points out that it would have been very challenging and difficult for men to deal with the aggressive nature of wolves that gets even more severe as they grow older. He explains that the hunting style of men and wolves are fundamentally different to cope with each other. To illustrate, he mentions that ancient people used traps to capture other animals, while wolves are used to chase down and attack their prey.
In addition, the writer says that dogs were domesticated starting at about 16,000 years ago, according to researchers’ calculated estimation. However, the professor refutes this argument by saying that the period when dogs were domesticated is approximately 26,000 years ago, which is 10,000 years earlier than the writer’s assertion. To support, he cites an evidence where footprints of a young boy with a dog was found in the French cave. Finally, according to the reading, domesticated dogs have been originated from China to spread around the world. However, the professor says that the origin was not centered on China but is evident across many other countries around the globe. Based on the oldest scattered dog bones found in different locations, he states that recent DNA analysis proves that there are 4 distinct ancestors of dogs that have emerged not only in China, but in different countries. |