The idea that dogs are more intelligent than cats has been called into question.

Japanese scientists say cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, suggesting they may be just as smart.A study - involving 49 domestic cats - shows felines can recall memories of pleasant experiences, such as eating a favourite snack.

Dogs show this type of recollection - a unique memory of a specific event known as episodic memory.

Humans often consciously try to reconstruct past events that have taken place in their lives, such as what they ate for breakfast or a family wedding.These memories are linked with an individual take on events, so they are unique to that person.

Saho Takagi, a psychologist at Kyoto University, said cats, as well as dogs, used memories of a single past experience, which may imply they have episodic memory similar to that of humans.

"An interesting speculation is that they may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experience like humans," she told BBC News.

The Japanese team tested 49 domestic cats on their ability to remember which bowl they had already eaten out of and which remained untouched, after a 15-minute interval.

The researchers suggest cats may remember for much longer periods than the short time tested.And they say cats can match dogs on various mental tests, including responding to human gestures, facial expressions and emotions.

Saho Takagi said the research may have practical applications.

"Understanding cats more deeply helps to establish better cat-human relationships," she said."Cats may be as intelligent as dogs, as opposed to the common view of people that dogs are much smarter."

Prof Laurie Santos, of Yale University, said the experiment nicely shows that cats are remembering information about where they searched before and also which locations used to have food.

Dogs Are More Intelligent Than Cats, According to Science

New research published in the journal Frontiers of Neuroanatomy says dogs could be brainier than cats.

Scientists at Vanderbilt University wanted to compare the brains of different mammals to understand the relationship between brain size and density. They examined the neuronal density and brain sizes of eight mammals: cats, dogs, bears, lions, hyenas, ferrets, mongoose, and raccoons. Brain density measures the number of neurons—those small, grey brain cells that determine our thoughts and behavior—located in the cerebral cortex, which is a common indicator of intelligence.

The findings revealed that dogs’ brains contain twice as many neurons as those of cats. Dogs’ cortical neurons outnumbered cats’ by 530 million to 250 million, to be exact. Meanwhile, golden retrievers won the day for the most cortical neurons of all animals studied, with 627 million.

Comprehension

Text 1

  1. Recent Japanese research shows that dogs aren't as intelligent as cats.
  2. Cats can remember single past experiences just as well as dogs.
  3. Cats may enjoy pleasant memories just as much as humans.
  4. Cats remember past experiences for considerably longer than dogs do.
  5. Cats are as good as dogs at responding to human emotions.

Text 2

  1. Dogs have considerably more brain cells than cats.
  2. Cats have nowhere near as many brain cells as golden retrievers (a type of dog).

Grammar

Underline the comparative structures relevant to the answers.

Comprehension

Text 1

  1. Recent Japanese research shows that dogs aren't as intelligent as cats.
  2. Cats can remember single past experiences just as well as dogs.
  3. Cats may enjoy pleasant memories just as much as humans.
  4. Cats remember past experiences for considerably longer than dogs do.
  5. Cats are as good as dogs at responding to human emotions.

Text 2

  1. Dogs have considerably more brain cells than cats.
  2. Cats have nowhere near as many brain cells as golden retrievers (a type of dog).

Grammar

Underline the comparative structures relevant to the answers.

Answers

Japanese scientists say cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, suggesting they may be just as smart.A study - involving 49 domestic cats - shows felines can recall memories of pleasant experiences, such as eating a favourite snack.

Dogs show this type of recollection - a unique memory of a specific event known as episodic memory.

Humans often consciously try to reconstruct past events that have taken place in their lives, such as what they ate for breakfast or a family wedding.These memories are linked with an individual take on events, so they are unique to that person.

Saho Takagi, a psychologist at Kyoto University, said cats, as well as dogs, used memories of a single past experience, which may imply they have episodic memory similar to that of humans.

"An interesting speculation is that they may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experience like humans," she told BBC News.

The Japanese team tested 49 domestic cats on their ability to remember which bowl they had already eaten out of and which remained untouched, after a 15-minute interval.

The researchers suggest cats may remember for much longer periods than the short time tested. And they say cats can match dogs on various mental tests, including responding to human gestures, facial expressions and emotions.

Saho Takagi said the research may have practical applications.

"Understanding cats more deeply helps to establish better cat-human relationships," she said."Cats may be as intelligent as dogs, as opposed to the common view of people that dogs are much smarter."

Prof Laurie Santos, of Yale University, said the experiment nicely shows that cats are remembering information about where they searched before and also which locations used to have food.

Dogs Are More Intelligent Than Cats, According to Science

New research published in the journal Frontiers of Neuroanatomy says dogs could be brainier than cats.

Scientists at Vanderbilt University wanted to compare the brains of different mammals to understand the relationship between brain size and density. They examined the neuronal density and brain sizes of eight mammals: cats, dogs, bears, lions, hyenas, ferrets, mongoose, and raccoons. Brain density measures the number of neurons—those small, grey brain cells that determine our thoughts and behavior—located in the cerebral cortex, which is a common indicator of intelligence.

The findings revealed that dogs’ brains contain twice as many neurons as those of cats. Dogs’ cortical neurons outnumbered cats’ by 530 million to 250 million, to be exact. Meanwhile, golden retrievers won the day for the most cortical neurons of all animals studied, with 627 million.

Comprehension answers

Text 1

  1. Recent Japanese research shows that dogs aren't as intelligent as cats.False
  2. Cats can remember single past experiences just as well as dogs.True
  3. Cats may enjoy pleasant memories just as much as humans.True
  4. Cats remember past experiences for considerably longer than dogs do.False
  5. Cats are as good as dogs at responding to human emotions.True

Text 2

  1. Dogs have considerably more brain cells than cats.True
  2. Cats have nowhere near as many brain cells as golden retrievers (a type of dog).True

Grammar

Underline the comparative structures relevant to the answers.