0
Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Which word?

Hi all

Multiple choice vocabulary question:

Trained macaques studied themselves in mirrors, _________ debate over animals' capacity for self-recognition.

A) exaggerating
B) fuelling
C) declining
D) revolting
E) arguing

I think both A and B are correct. But there is only one correct option. What do you think?
  

Top answer

B

  • B
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

8 Answers
0
Hi fivejedjon:

Trained macaques studied themselves in mirrors, fueling debate over animals' capacity for self-recognition.

Can you please help me understand the meaning? I can understand it in parts, but not as a whole.

...the monkeys looked at themselves in the mirror.
...there is a debate if animals are
0
Mr. Tommeaning
Some background information is missing, but it can be inferred to some extent.

Some researchers in animal behavior believe that animals have no capacity for self-recognition.
The fact that certain animals (the macaques) studied themselves in mirrors seems to prove those researchers wrong.
The discovery of this behavior in macaqu
0
Thanks for all your comments. Emotion: smile
0
CalifJimThe discovery of this behavior in macaques will increase discussion between researchers with different beliefs about animal self-recognition.
Exactly.

The idea behind 'fuelling' is 'providing/adding fuel to keep alive the flame' of the debate that is already burning. You can't really 'exaggerate' a debate.
0
Thanks, 5jj and CJ.

One more question.

Debate is a noun in this sentence, isn't it? Wouldn't it work better with a?

Trained macaques studied themselves in mirrors, a fueling debate over animals' capacity for self-recognition.

Tom
0
Debate is the direct object of fuelling, do it would be fuelling a debate, not a fuelling debate.. This is possible, though I think debate is better treated as a non-count noun here.
0
Ah-ha...so fueling is a verb here?

I was under the impression that fueling was the adjective of debate, ipso facto my question about 'a fueling debate'.

Something like this:

Whether television is good or bad for children -- a fueling debate among parents.

Thanks again 5jj

Tom

Related Questions