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Autobiography
literally: actually, without exaggeration
co-evolved: evolved at the same time, having a close ecological relationship and acting as agents of natural selection for each other
practically: almost, nearly
ACTIVITY 3.3
My notes
Interpret the Text using Close Reading
Learning Target
• Express inferences and conclusions drawn based on close reading of grade-level texts and viewing of multimedia using some frequently used verbs (e.g., shows that, based on).
Read and annotate
Read “Dogs Make Us Human” from Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson and annotate the text as you read.
■ Use the My Notes area to write questions or ideas you have about the story. ■ Underline words and phrases that add detail.
■ Put a star next to the authors’ central idea about animals.
■ Put an exclamation mark next to details that directly support the central idea. ■ Circle unknown words.
“Dogs Make Us Human”
from Animals in Translation
by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
1 The aborigines have a saying: “Dogs make us human.” Now we know that’s probably literally true. People wouldn’t have become who we are today if we hadn’t co-evolved with dogs.
2 I think it’s also true, though in a different way, that all animals make us human. That’s why I hope we will start to think more respectfully about animal intelligence and talent. That would be good for people, because there are a lot of things we can’t do that animals can. We could use their help.
3 But it would be good for animals, too. Dogs first started living with people because people needed dogs and dogs needed people. Now dogs still need people, but people have forgotten how much they need dogs for anything besides love and companionship. That’s probably okay for a dog who’s been bred to be a companion animal, but a lot of the bigger breeds and practically all of the mix breeds were built for work. Having a job to do is a part of their nature; it’s who they are. The sad thing is, now that hardly anyone makes his living herding sheep, most dogs are out of a job.
4 It doesn’t have to be that way. I read a little story on the Web site for the American Veterinary Medical Association that shows the incredible things animals are capable of doing, and would do if we gave them a chance. It was about a dog named Max who had trained himself to monitor his mistress’s blood sugar levels even while she was asleep. No one knows how Max was doing this, but my guess is people must smell slightly different when their blood sugar is low, and Max had figured that out. The lady who owned him was a severe diabetic, and if her blood sugar levels got low during the night Max would wake up her husband and bug him until he got up and took care of her.
5 You have to think about that story for only five seconds to realize how much dogs have to offer. Dogs and a lot of other animals.
76 SpringBoard® English Language Development grade 6
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