Question

For years,Hagelin has studied what role scents（气味）play in wild birds’ behavior.In 2010,Hagelin heard Jan Straley,a marine biologist,talk about the behavior of whales.Straley mentioned that whales often leap into the air,but nobody knew why.

The mystery interested Hagelin.So Hagelin asked Straley whether they might leap to smell the air—maybe to locate food or look for danger.Straley replied that it was an interesting idea but there wasn't much evidence that whales have a sense of smell.To investigate the idea further,the two scientists teamed up.

In the summer of 2011,they set up a post on the coast of southern Alaska.The researchers spent hours monitoring the direction of the whales and of the wind.The whales headed into the wind half of the time.This didn't prove that whales leap to smell,but it suggested that it is possible.

Meanwhile,other researchers in Alaska were studying a region of the brain called the olfactory bulb（嗅觉球）in whales.Olfaction means the ability to smell.Humans also process smells in the olfactory bulb.

In identifying a scent,you might think the nose does all of the work.However,the major role of a nose is to draw chemicals on the air and pass them across sensing cells.As chemicals come into contact,they give signals that travel directly to the bulb and then in the brain for further interpretation.

The researchers discovered that the bulb in a whale was more complex than the one in a human.In whales,this smell-processing center takes up a share of the brain six times larger than it does in humans.

The brain research suggested that whales probably can smell just as well as people—and possibly better than humans can.It is supposed that a good sense of smell could help them find food more easily.

However,Hagelin is not sure of that.Now he is planning a new study that will examine whether whales do use the sense of smell to find food.

1.Hagelin and Straley set up a post with the purpose of finding______.

A. how whales look for food in groups

B. whether whales can get out of danger

C. how whales head into the wind

D. whether whales leap to smell the air

2.We can learn from the text that the olfactory bulb in a whale______.

A. is smaller than the one in a human

B. draws chemicals spreading in the air

C. is more complex than the one in a human

D. processes smells better than the one in a human

3.It is implied in the text that Hagelin______.

A. hasn't got any evidence that whales have a sense of smell so far

B. doesn't know whether whales hunt their food in groups

C. isn't sure that the sense of smell can help whales find food

D. isn't sure whether humans can smell as well as whales

4.In which section of a newspaper can we read this text?

A. Education.    B. Science.

C. Culture.    D. Agriculture.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.C

4.B

【解析】本文主要谈论的是关于对鲸鱼嗅觉的研究。鲸鱼的嗅球比人类的嗅球复杂得多。这种嗅觉是否能帮助找到食物还有待研究。

1.D

推理判断题。根据第二段第一句The mystery interested Hagelin.So Hagelin asked Straley whether they might leap to smell the air和第三段第一句In the summer of 2011,they set up a post on the coast of southern Hagelin 和 Straley 建立一个标杆是为了看看是否鲸鱼会飞跃起来闻到空气。故选D。

2.C

细节理解题。根据第六段第一句The researchers discovered that the bulb in a whale was more complex than the one in a human.可知鲸鱼的嗅球比人类的嗅球复杂得多。故选C。

3.C

推理判断题。根据最后两段中It is supposed that a good sense of smell could help them find food more easily.However,Hagelin is not sure of that可知Hagelin在暗示我们这种嗅觉能帮助鲸鱼找到食物还不能确定。故选C。

4.B

推理判断题。纵观全文，再根据最后一段However,Hagelin is not sure of that.Now he is planning a new study that will examine whether whales do use the sense of smell to find food.可知这篇文章最有可能来自报纸的“科学”栏目。故选B。