(1) Many animals produce sounds that resemble human music. In the I 960s, Cornell researchers Katy and Roger (2) Payne, found that humpback whales create songs consisting of long, intricate sequences; similarly, researchers have observed chimpanzees producing signature rhythms with their hands or feet. To better understand the complexity of animal musicality, a group of scientists at the Australian National University recently examined another species known for its rhythmic (3) patterns: the Australian palm cockatoo.

[l] The birds actually fashion their own instruments in order to create these sounds. [2] They use their extremely strong beaks to break off and trim tree branches (to a length of approximately four inches) or shape seedpods to use as drumsticks. [3] Then, they begin performing. [4] The palm cockatoo is the only known nonhuman species that both constructs and plays an instrument. (4)

To confirm (5) their understanding of the evolution of music, scientists conducted a study of cockatoos' drumming. Over seven years, they recorded 131 percussion sequences from eighteen wild cockatoos in Kutini -Payamu (Iron Range) National Park in Australia. According to a 2017 article in Science Advances, (6) a sequence was defined as "continuous drumming," or tapping, "with less than [five seconds] between taps." The scientists measured the average temporal spacing between each tap in a sequence as well as the interval variance within each (7) sequence. The scientists' goal in conducting these measurements was to learn how consistent and patterned the beats were. These values were then statistically compared to those that would result if the cockatoos' tapping (8) could be purely random.

Analyzing the data from the recordings, the scientists found strong evidence that the patterns were nonrandom: the tapping sequences were repetitious and showed significant spacing consistency. The rhythmic structures of the sequences for each cockatoo (9) also differed from cockatoo to cockatoo, with each bird displaying unique cadences. For example, some cockatoos tapped at relatively slow, unchanging rates, whereas others displayed faster rates with more variety. Some even intermixed slower rates with faster ones. The cockatoos thus appeared to demonstrate not only a specific context for performance, a persistent beat, and (10)  to demonstrate repeating elements but also individualized styles of drumming. By studying the cockatoos' ability to create unique rhythms to attract a mate, scientists are hopeful that they can increase their understanding of the capacity for music-a characteristic that humans and nonhuman animals such as the palm cockatoo (11) shares. 

In China, calligraphy- the ancient practice of artistically writing Chinese characters - has long been revered as a supreme form of visual art. Chinese calligraphy also (12) serves the more practical purpose (13) in communicating language in a variety of scripts. While the commonly used standard script is composed of careful strokes and distinct characters, cursive script styles may (14) not be used by every calligrapher. Texts written in cursive styles often require a trained eye, such as that of a skilled calligrapher, to decipher. Contemporary artist Wang Dongling creates abstract calligraphic paintings that use these cursive scripts to push texts beyond the boundary of intelligibility.

[I] Wang's paintings not only link together individual characters but also, in a major break with (15) established calligraphic approaches, overlap entire columns of text. [2] During a 2016 performance at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Wang created Dao Ke Dao, which involved painting sections of a classic philosophical text, the Daode Jing,on a large, transparent plastic canvas in front of a live audience. [3] Dr. Hongxing (16) Zhang expert calligrapher and senior curator of the museum, was able to read the script as

Wang began to paint. [4) By the time Wang had completed the piece, however, Dr. Zhang's trained eye could no longer (17) anticipate the multilayered characters. (18) 

To further explore calligraphy’s aesthetic potential, Wang (19) sometimes draws on the traditions of action painting, whereby paint is randomly applied to a canvas. For a 2015 piece entitled In the Realm of Zen, Wang composed calligraphic paintings using white acrylic paint on eight immense clear sheets. Holding a model text written in standard script in one (20) hand; he used the other to reproduce the text in a sprawling cursive script on each sheet. Once dry, the sheets were hung one in front of the other from the gallery ceiling. When viewed from the front, the text of the entire series was visible through the clear layers, which made the characters appear to blend into a swirling white mass. Additionally, a reflective stainless-steel floor installed beneath the sheets made the writing appear to extend into the ground, further obscuring the individual characters.

 (21) Although they are recognizable as calligraphy to some extent, abstract works such as Dao Ke Dao and In the Realm of Zen ultimately disrupt easy readings of the texts (22) in that they are based. It is perhaps this abstract quality of Wang's work that has allowed global audiences to appreciate the artist's reinterpretation of the age-old craft. Freed from needing to be familiar with the language, viewers can appreciate Wang's works on many levels.

A primary goal of business is to make a profit, so companies might assume that charitable activities would (23) detract from there bottom lines. On the contrary, businesses can (24) crop many benefits from integrating charitable activities into their business plans. These efforts can include matching employee donations, providing employees time off to volunteer, and (25) including working directly with local nonprofits. Businesses should participate in charitable activities not only out of generosity but also because doing so can increase their customer base and employee productivity. Charitable acts can serve as unique forms of advertising. Many businesses depend on personal relationships and word-of-mouth referrals to promote their goods and services, and engaging in charitable work strengthens a business's reputation and relationships within a community. (26) For example, the moving company Gentle (27) Giant in Massachusetts participated in a charitable project, with the medical nonprofit group Partners in Health to donate medical supplies after a natural disaster.   Gentle Giant provided trucks and movers at no charge to collect donated items and transport them to Partners in Health, which distributed them to people in need. Gentle Giant's work helped build ties with local business leaders,   who then recommended the company to people in need of movers, thereby spreading positive information about its services.

(28) Given its attractiveness to workers, charitable giving may even increase employee productivity. A 2012 study revealed productivity increases among certain groups of employees who were provided incentives for charitable giving. In the experiment, students at the University of Southampton, England, (29) are paid to enter data electronically. They were given a small base reward for each entry and later offered the chance to either earn additional bonuses for themselves or provide a donation to charity. While those who were initially highly productive showed mostly decreases in their productivity, the other workers had substantial productivity gains. Among all workers, the study showed productivity (30) gains of 17 percent to 34 percent based on the different reward structures, but the largest effect recorded in the study- a 73 percent increase in productivity-occurred when workers with low initial productivity were (31) given a bonus of 10 pence as a personal incentive.

Charitable activity can take many forms, and each company should decide how much makes sense for its budget, workforce, and time constraints. Whatever form the giving takes, companies should consider (32) approaches and ways to increase and expand it. Because it can improve a company's image and motivate employees, (33) companies make good business sense when they give to charity.

In the mid -1800s, the US government lacked detailed information about the American Southwest. Seeking ways for the army to scout this territory, (34) a conclusion was made by government officials that camels could be used as pack animals in the region’s harsh climate and vast spaces. They reasoned that because camels were native to similarly arid environments, the animals could carry more gear and would require less water than horses and mules. In 1855, Congress approved a $30,000 budget (more than $800,000 in today's dollars) for the project, and the army's experimental camel program began.

(35) The idea of importing camels to the United States for military purposes was first proposed by an army officer in 1836. Because the camels behaved differently from the pack animals Americans were accustomed (36) to, and the army officers also hired camel drivers. In Smyrna (what is today the Turkish city of Izmir) they met the man who would lead the camel training (37) program; Hadji Ali, an Ottoman citizen of Greek and Syrian heritage. After the officials had acquired about fifty more camels, they and the camel drivers set sail for Texas.

When they arrived, Ali and his fellow drivers Mico Teodora and Yiorgos Caralambo began to train both the camels and the US soldiers who would work with them. Most of (38) them were not yet habituated to work, and Ali, who had (39) gained experience as a camel driver in the Ottoman military, was regarded by some as the only person who could control them. (40) The soldiers also needed to become accustomed to their new mounts. Ali taught them how to understand the camels; for example, he explained that they could tell whether camels were overworked based on the size and firmness of their humps. 

The camels were employed on an 1857 mission to chart the shortest route from Fort Defiance in what is now Arizona to the Colorado River. (41) The terrain was diverse: Ali coaxed the camels into crossing the river in an orderly fashion while soldiers struggled to get the horses and mules to do the same. Despite this early success, however, the camel (42) experiments' days' were numbered. (43) Escalating tensions between the North and South would eventually lead to the American Civil War. These escalating tensions left the US Congress with little interest in allocating funds to exploration, and the outbreak of the war brought the camel program to an end. Nonetheless, it had made its mark on the American Southwest. (44) Hadji Ali, whose original name was Filippou Teodora, changed his surname to "Tedro" when he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.