Question

A "moo, moo" here and a "moo, moo" there may sound like noisy nonsense, but cows aren't just mooing to make a racket, scientists say. They're actually talking to each other. Sometimes, they're even talking about the weather!

Cows understand some human words. They can respond when called by name and follow basic commands, like "Go to the milking shed!" Now, thanks to the work of some Australian researchers, people can understand cow-moo-nication, too.

Cows make mooing sounds in two ways. When the cows are close together, they keep their mouths closed and make quiet sounds through their noses. When they're communicating with cows that are farther away, they open their mouths to moo loudly. And not all moos are alike. Scientists recorded and analyzed hundreds of these cow sounds for five months using a specially made microphone. Then, they learned how to speak "moo."

The scientists watched what the cows were doing when they made different moos. Then they matched each moo to something the cow was experiencing. Cows that were given food made one type of mooing sound, while cows that seemed sad about being separated from their herd made another sound. When they were mooing about happy things, like food at mealtime, their moos were deep and rich. When there was bad weather, the cows appeared to groan about it to each other using a specific sound with an even lower pitch.

Cows don't just have moos with different meanings. They also have distinct voices and personalities, researchers say. Some cows are shy, and other cows are chatty, mooing nonstop. And, as with people, each cow's voice has its own sound. Ever hear a human voice and know who's talking without seeing the person's face? Cows can do this with each other, too!

Scientists already knew that calves and their mothers communicated with each other. The Australian researchers were the first to determine that cows communicate with others in their herds throughout their lives, too. The scientists hope their work, nicknamed "Google Translate for Cows," will help farmers better understand their animals so they can keep them healthy and happy.

Other researchers' work may help with that, as well. One study found that cows like gentle, soothing human voices better than the sound of people shouting, and they also preferred live human voices over recorded voices. Another study found that cows that are given names seemed happier and more relaxed than cows without names.

So why does it matter what the cows are saying and whether farmers can understand them or not? Good relationships between cows and farmers are a win for the animals and for humans: Researchers say that treating cows as individuals by naming them, speaking softly, and tuning in to their chatter to understand their needs makes cows happier—and calm, content cows produce more milk. In fact, cows with names were shown to make significantly more milk than unnamed cows!

Next time you hear cows, listen closely—you might be able to tell what kind of moooood they're in!

Think about the article. What kind of moos do cows make at mealtime?

Cows make a mooing sound that has a high pitch at mealtime.
Cows make a mooing sound that is quiet and shy at mealtime.
Cows make a mooing sound that is rich and deep at mealtime.
Cows make a mooing sound that sounds like a groan at mealtime.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Cows make a mooing sound that is deep and rich at mealtime.

Answer 2

The author probably wrote this article in order to __________.

introduce the reader to some ways people can teach commands to cows
introduce the reader to methods used to get cows to produce more milk
explain the reason why some cows are louder and more chatty than others
explain the benefit of learning more about how cows communicate

Answer 3

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

explain the benefit of learning more about how cows communicate

Answer 4

ased on the article, which of these is true about cows?

Cows that are happy and calm produce more milk.
Cows communicate in voices that are all the same.
Cows that do not have a name will produce more milk.
Cows communicate with farmers but not with each other.

Answer 5

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Cows that are happy and calm produce more milk.

Answer 6

Which is the closest synonym for the word content?

humble
satisfied
popular
delicate

Answer 7

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

satisfied