TPO 01 Integrated Writingnext19 51 HIDE TIMEDirections You have 20 minutes to plan and write your response Your response will be judged on the basis of the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the points in the lecture and the

2020-TPO 51-Integrated

The reading and the lecture are both contradicting each other, in terms of certain beliefs about elephant behaviors. The author of the article reveals three theories about the elephant's behavior. However, the lecturer casts doubt about the claim mentioned in the article and refutes all the theories explained in the article.
According to the article, the first dispute focuses on the assumption that elephants can feel their death ahead of time and would prefer to boycott themselves from other elephants and live alone near water spots. Nonetheless, the speaker negates the argument presented in the passage. Furthermore, he discusses that it is fact that elderly elephants live near water spots, but it does not mean they want to live alone from their groups. As the elephant grows older, gradually their teeth become weaker, and can only chew soft vegetation which is easily available near the river. Therefore, eventually, older elephants like to move to such places and die in those places as well.
Moreover, another passage highlights that elephants have an artistic ability and can paint some figures, while the narrator refutes this by asserting that elephants are always trained to draw some lines, yet it neither represents any figures or pictures nor it shows their ability to paint. Moreover, a trainer beside them continuously manages their painting by touching their ears. In reality, the elephant's ears are very sensitive, and by touching them, the trainers can force them to take the paintbrush, and guide them while painting. Hence, the reading theory is absolutely unconvincing.
Last but not least, the text explains that elephants are afraid of mice. On the contrary, the speaker again opposes the theory and describes that elephant's reaction towards mice is obvious because mice are unfamiliar to them, and in such case, mice might threaten them by being fearful for them. As a result, elephants usually back away from mice and try to avoid them. But, once mice will get familiar with them, elephants would stop reacting this way which proves elephants do not fear of mice.