Soal dan Pembahasan TBI (Reading Comprehension) Bagian 8

        In the remote Turkish village of Kuskoy, whistling is as important as talking. In fact, whistling is talking because the villagers speak and sing in whistles. Kuskoy parents begin to teach their boys and girls the language of whistling about the time the children learn to talk.  lt  is  considered  so  important  that  the village schoolmaster includes it as one of the subjects taught along the Turkish language.

        This  art  of  communication has  developed through the  centuries. The  village of  Kuskoy spreads out across two hills that separated by a deep valley. The villagers had to find an easy way to communicate where their voices could not   carry.   They   developed   a   high-pitched whistle that could be heard for live miles. As a result, Kuskoy, which means "bird village" in Turkish, has come to be known as a whistle paradise.

        The whistler forms his "speech" with the tongue curled around his teeth so the "words" are forced through lips that are not rounded in the usual whistling style; they are stretched flat across the face. The palm of the left hand is cupped about the mouth, and air is forced from the lungs. To someone who has not heard the sound before, it is like the terrifying whistle of a steam locomotive.

        Whistling is so much a part of everyday life here that men and women speak, disagree and make love in whistles. A village wise an recently told the story of a young man that eloped. The news was sent over the "mountain telephone" whistle. The lover's adventure was quickly known. At weddings, the Kuskoy whistle becomes more musical,  Kuskoyans  "sing"  to the melody played on the kemenche, a string instrument.

        lt is a little wonder. then, that the children of Kuskoy study whistling in school. Wouldn’t it be great fun to start the class day with the school song — whistle of course!

Source: NEW YORK TIMES