Question

    In your dreams, you may clearly see something or hear someone talking. But what about smells? Can you ever remember smells from your dreams?

A study published in 1896 looked at different sensory experiences in dreams. It found that visual（视觉的）experience mainly controls one's dreams. It takes up about 85 percent, while auditory（听觉的）experience makes up 69 percent and smell only 7 percent.

But why? Scientists from the University of Illinois, US, have a theory based on what is know about the brain.

In our brain, there is a special part called the cerebral cortex（大脑皮层）. It is linked to our feelings. As much as two-thirds of the cerebral cortex works in vision（视觉）. So vision appears often in dreams. Auditory experience is closely tied to , language, and language is processed entirely in the cerebral cortex.

Smell, on the other hand, has little to do with the cerebral cortex. It connects directly to the memory and emotional systems. That is why a smell can sometimes bring back a distant memory.

Another possibility is that perhaps smell is not easily affected by our imagination. For example, close your eyes and imagine your favorite dish. What do you get? It is easy to think about what it looks like. But it is not as easy to imagine its smell.

The vision and auditory senses arc part of a complex process inside the brain. But smell is a direct measurement of chemicals in the air. There is less imagination involved in smell. Therefore,smell might be less influenced by the brain activity that happens while dreaming. It is similar to taste and touch. That is why you don’t usually have the experience of taste and touch in your dreams.

1.Which experience mainly controls one's dreams, according to the 1896 study?

A.Smell. B.Vision. C.Hearing. D.Taste and touch.

2.Which of the following is TRUE about the US scientists’ brain theory?

A.Less than half of the cerebral cortex works in vision.

B.Auditory experience is not tied to language.

C.Smell has almost nothing to do with the cerebral cortex.

D.It’s difficult to imagine what things in your dreams look like.

3.According to paragraph 6 and 7, it’s easier to imagine a dish’s______.

A.look than its smell B.smell than its look C.taste than its smell D.smell than its taste

4.Why can we hear someone talking in our dreams?

A.Because auditory experience is closely tied to language which is processed entirely in the cerebral cortex.

B.Because auditory experience makes up 85 percent in controlling one’s dream.

C.Because auditory experience has little to do with the cerebral cortex.

D.Because auditory is not part of a complex process inside the brain.

5.What is the best tile for the story?

A.How does the cerebral cortex work B.Why can’t you smell in your dreams.

C.What experience happens most often in dreams. D.Why can’t you remember smells from your dreams.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.A

5.B

【解析】

本文是说明文。短文分析了人们在梦中经常遇到白天遇到的景象的原因是大脑皮层接受的刺激较多，而对于味觉的经历只有7%，进一步解释了人们为什么很少在梦中梦到可口饭菜的气味。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段第2句It found that visual（视觉的）experience mainly controls one's dreams.可知研究表明视觉的经验主要控制一个人的梦，故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据第五段第1句Smell, on the other hand, has little to do with the cerebral cortex.可知，味觉和大脑皮层几乎没有关系，故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据第6段的It is easy to think about what it looks like.可知很容易想像饭菜的样子；第7段的Therefore, smell might be less influenced by the brain activity that happens while dreaming.可知做梦时味觉被大脑皮层影响很小。所以人在梦中更容易想像饭菜的形状而不是味道，故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句Auditory experience is closely tied to language, and language is processed entirely in the cerebral cortex.可知听觉经验和语言密切相关，而语言完全由大脑皮层控制。这就是人们在梦中听见人在谈话的原因，故选A。

5.最佳标题。文章通过分析人类在做梦时，大脑皮层控制视觉和听觉的生物原理解释了人们经常想像在梦中和人交谈的原因，进一步分析了因为人的大脑对于味觉控制占据7%，所以很少记得在梦中想像到饭菜的气味，故选D。