第二篇 Baby TalkBabies normally start to talk when they are 13 to 15 months old. Ryan Jones is only eight months old, but he is already “talking” with his parents. When lie is hungry, he opens and closes his hand. This means milk. He also knows the signs for his favorite toy and the word more.Ryan is not deaf, and his parents are not deaf, but his mother and father are teaching him to sign. They say a word and make a sign at the same time. They repeat this again and again. When 1 Ryans parents think that he will be a happier baby because he can communicate with them.Ryan s parents are teaching Ryan to sign because of a man named Joseph Garcia. Although Garcia was not from a deaf family, he decided to learn American Sign Language (ASL). First, he took courses in ASL. Then he got a job helping deaf people communicate with hearing people. In his work, he saw many deaf parents sign to their infants. He noticed that these babies were able to communicate much earlier than hearing children. 2 When they were one year old, they could use as many as 50 signs.Garcia decided to try something new. He taught ASL to parents who were not deaf. The families started to teach signs to their infants when they were six or seven months old. 3 More and more parents took Garcias ASL classes. Like Ryans family, they were excited about signing with their babies. They wanted to give their babies a way to communicate before they could use spoken words.Some people worry about signing to babies. They are afraid that these babies wont feel a need to talk. Maybe they will develop spoken language later than other babies. 4 In fact, one study found just the opposite. Signing babies actually learned to speak earlier than other children. As they grow older, these children are more interested in books. They also score higher on intelligence tests1.There is still a big question for parents: Which are the best signs to teach their babies? Some parents make their own signs. Other parents want to teach ASL. 5 There，s no clear answer, but we do know this: All signing babies and their families are talking quite a lot!詞匯：normally Aid:m(a)li/adv.正常地;通常地，一般地 infant /infant / n.嬰兒;幼兒;未成年人 communicate /kafmju:nikeit/ 通信;交流;感染 opposite /bpazit/ adj.相反的;n.對立面，反義詞注釋：1 intelligence test：智力測試練習(xí)：A However, research does not show this.B All parents want to teach babies to sign.C Ryan learns a new sign, his family is very excited.D These babies started using signs about two months later.E It can be useful because many people understand it.F They talked with signs by the time they were eight months old.答案與題解：1. C第二段主要是討論Ryan學(xué)習(xí)手語的過程，當(dāng)他學(xué)會一種新的手勢時，父母非常高興。2. F這一段講的是嬰兒在學(xué)習(xí)手語過程中的共同規(guī)律。題目前一句講Garcia注意到學(xué)習(xí)手 語的嬰兒比普通嬰兒更早開始交流，后一句講嬰兒1歲時能使用的手勢多達50種，因此, 此處應(yīng)填“這些嬰兒從8個月起就開始用手語交流”。3. D這一段講有些家庭在嬰兒六七個月的時候開始教他們手語。D選項中的these babies 指代這些嬰兒，符合題意。4. A前文講有些人擔(dān)心嬰兒學(xué)習(xí)手語會導(dǎo)致其會話能力發(fā)展緩慢，后文講的是研究表明并 不是這樣，因此空格處應(yīng)填表示轉(zhuǎn)折的句子。5. E E選項是對前文中ASL的解釋，ASL是通用手語，因此能被更多的人理解。選項中的 it即指代ASL。第二篇 嬰兒語嬰兒通常在1 15個月的時候開始說話。Ryan Jones剛剛8個月，但他已經(jīng)開始和父母“說 話” 了。他餓的時候，就會把手一張一合，這個動作表示牛奶。他還懂得表示他最喜歡的玩 具以及“更多”這個詞。Ryan不是聾啞人，他的父母也不是，但他們正在教他手語。他們在說話的同時做出相應(yīng) 的手語姿勢，并不斷重復(fù)。當(dāng)Ryan學(xué)會一個新的手勢時，家人都非常高興。Ryan的父母認為， 因為能和父母交流，Ryan會成為一個更快樂的嬰兒。Ryan的父母之所以教Ryan手語，是因為一名叫Joseph Garcia的人。Garcia也不是聾啞人, 但他決定學(xué)習(xí)美國手語(ASL)。最開始的時候，他參加了一門相關(guān)課程的學(xué)習(xí)。之后，他得到 了一份幫助聾啞人和正常人交流的工作，在工作中，他看到很多聾啞人父母用手語與他們的 幼子交流。他注意到，這些孩子能比正常孩子更早地與他人交流。他們8個月大的時候就能 通過手語進行交流，而到了 1歲的時候，他們能使用多達50種手勢。Garcia決定進行一些新的嘗試，他向非聾啞人父母教授美國手語。這些家庭在孩子六七個 月的時候就教孩子手語，而孩子們在大約兩個月之后就開始使用這些手語了。越來越多的父 母前去參加的美國手語課程。和Ryan的家人一樣，他們對于能和孩子通過手語交流感到非常 興奮。他們想讓孩子在會說話之前學(xué)會一種交流的方式。有些人對此很擔(dān)憂，他們擔(dān)心這些小孩會覺得開口說話沒有必要，這樣他們的語言能力發(fā) 展可能比其他孩子慢。然而，研究表明，事實并非如此。實際上，有一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，事實正 好相反，掌握手語的孩子實際上比其他孩子更早開口說話。隨著年齡的增長，他們對閱讀的 興趣更強，在智力測試中獲得的分數(shù)更高。對于父母來說，還有一個大問題：哪種手語對孩子來說是最好的?有的父母使用自己創(chuàng)造 的手勢，還有些父母使用美國手語，這種手語懂的人多，因此更有用。目前對于這個問題還 沒有明確的答案，但是我們確切地知道：會用手語的嬰兒和他們的家人會“說”很多話!第三篇 Common Questions about DreamsDoes everyone dream?Yes. Research shows that we all dream. We have our most vivid dreams during a type of sleep called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. During REM sleep, the brain is very active. The eyes move quickly back and forth1 under the lids, and the large muscles of the body are relaxed. REM sleep occurs every 90-100 minutes, three to four times a night, and it lasts longer as the night goes on. 1 We dream at other times during the night, too, but those dreams are less vivid.Do people remember their dreams?A few people remember their dreams. However, most people forget nearly everything that happened during the night 一 dreams, thoughts, and the short periods of time when they were awake.2 It seems that the memory of the dream is not totally lost，but for some reason it is very hard to bring it back2. If you want to remember your dream, the best thing to do is to write it down as soon as you wake up.Are dreams in color?Most dreams are in color. However, people may not be aware of it for two reasons ： They don，t usually remember the details of their dreams, or they don，t notice the color because it is such a natural part of our lives. 3 Do dreams have meaning?Scientists continue to debate this issue.3 4 Some people use dreams to help them learn more about their feelings, thoughts, behavior, motives, and values. Others find that dreams can help them solve problems. Its also true that artists, writers, and scientists often get creative ideas from dreams.How can I learn to understand my dreams?The most important thing to remember is that your dreams are personal. The people, actions, and situations in your dreams reflect your experience, your thoughts, and your feelings. Some dream experts believe that there are certain types of dreams that many people have, even if they come from different cultures or time periods. Usually, however, the same dream will have different meanings for different people. For example, an elephant in a dream may mean one thing to a zookeeper and something very different to a child whose favorite toy is a stuffed elephant. 5 Then look for links between your dreams and what is happening in your daily life. If you think hard and you are patient, perhaps the meaning of your dreams will become clearer to you.詞匯：vivid /vivid/ adj.清晰的，生動的，逼真的 lid /lid/ n.眼瞼(=eyelid) motive /mautiv/ n.動機 stuffed/stAft/ adj.填充的，塞滿了的注釋：1. back and forth：來回地，反復(fù)地。2. bring it back：回憶起它來。bring back:使回憶起來，帶回來、拿回來，使恢復(fù)。3. Scientists continue to debate this issue.科學(xué)家們不斷地討論這個問題?！癲ebate”作動詞“爭 論,辯論,討論”講,既可以是不及物動詞也可以是及物動詞，作不及物動詞時常與“about/ on/upon” 搭配。練習(xí)：A However, people who spend time thinking about their dreams believe that they are meaningful and useful.B The final REM period may last as long as 45 minutes.C People who are very aware of color when they are awake probably notice color more often in their dreams.D Our most powerful dreams dont happen during deep sleep.E To learn to understand your dreams, think about what each part of the dream means to you or reminds you of.F Sometimes, though, people suddenly remember a dream later in the day or on another day.答案與題解：1. B文中第一部分主要介紹快速眼動睡眠期，而且前一句正好提到每晚快速眼動睡眠期的 間隔時間、出現(xiàn)頻率及其持續(xù)時間的情況。2. F題目所在的前一句提到大多數(shù)人會忘記晚上所發(fā)生的幾乎所有事情，而后一句中又提 到人們對夢的記憶好像沒有完全丟失，由此可以推斷出中間這一句應(yīng)該說的是人有時會記 起自己的夢。3. C文中第三部分提到夢是彩色的，前面主要講的是人們可能意識不到這個問題以及意識 不到的原因，由此可以推斷后面應(yīng)該會提到那些可以意識到這個問題的人。因此，答案為 C。4. A文中第四部分講的是夢的意義，縱觀六個選項與部分主題相關(guān)的只有選項A,而且后 面主要提到人們會利用夢做些什么，這也就意味著人們會思考他們的夢而且相信夢是有意 義的。5. E由第五部分的標題就可以鎖定選項E,而且后一句講的是要尋找夢與現(xiàn)實的聯(lián)系，正 好與選項E的意思相吻合。第三篇 關(guān)于夢的常見問題每個人都會做夢嗎?是的。研宄表明我們都會做夢。在一種叫作快速眼動(REM)的睡眠期里，我們會有最清 晰生動的夢。在這種睡眠期里，大腦非?；钴S，眼睛在眼瞼下面來來回回地快速移動，而且 身體的大肌肉會得到放松?？焖傺蹌铀咂诿扛?0100分鐘會出現(xiàn)一次，一晚會出現(xiàn)34次, 而且隨著入夜?jié)u深，每次持續(xù)的時間也會變長。最后一次快速眼動睡眠期可能會持續(xù)長達45 分鐘。我們在夜晚的其他時間段也會做夢，但是那些夢沒有快速眼動睡眠期里的夢清晰生動。 人們會記得他們的夢嗎?一些人會記得他們的夢。然而，大多數(shù)人會忘記晚上所發(fā)生的幾乎所有的事一一夢、思想 以及他們醒著時的短暫時光。但是，有時人們會在當(dāng)天晚些時候或改天突然想起他們的夢。 他們對夢的記憶好像并沒有完全消失，但出于某種原因卻很難回憶起來。如果你想記住自己 的夢，最好的辦法是一醒來就把它寫下來。夢是彩色的嗎?大多數(shù)夢是彩色的。然而，人們可能不會意識到這一點。這是基于兩方面的原因：人們通 常不會記住夢的細節(jié)，或者因為顏色是我們生活中的自然組成部分，所以不會注意到。那些 在醒著的時候意識到顏色的人可能會更經(jīng)常注意到夢的顏色。夢有意義嗎? 科學(xué)家們不停地討論這個問題。然而，那些花時間思考他們夢的人相信夢是有意義的、有 用的。有些人借助夢更多地了解自己的情感、思想、行為、動機和價值觀。其他人發(fā)現(xiàn)夢可 以幫助自己解決問題。藝術(shù)家、作家和科學(xué)家也確實經(jīng)常從夢中獲得創(chuàng)作的靈感。 我如何學(xué)會理解自己的夢? 要記得最重要的一點就是夢是個人的。夢里的人、行為以及情景都能反映你的經(jīng)歷、思想 以及情感。有些夢境專家認為某些類型的夢是很多人都有的，即使他們來自不同的文化或時 期。然而，通常對于不同的人，同一個夢會有不同的意義。比如，做夢夢到大象對于一個動 物園管理員來說意味著一回事，而對于一個最喜歡大象毛絨玩具的小孩來說就意味著截然不 同的事。為了學(xué)會理解自己的夢，首先要思考一下夢的每一部分對你意味著什么或者讓你想 起了什么。然后尋找夢與日常生活中所發(fā)生事情的聯(lián)系。如果你認真思考而且有耐心，或許 你會更清晰地理解夢的意義。第六篇 The Apgar TestThe baby was bom at 3:36 p. m. At 3:37，she scored 4 out of 10 on her first test. At 3:41，she scored 8 out of 10. The doctor was glad.Another baby, bom at 8:24 p. m.，scored 3 out of 10 on his first test He scored 4 out of 10 on his second test. He took another test at 8:34 and scored 5. 1 He called for help1.These newborn babies took a test called the Apgar test. This test helps doctors diagnose problems. 2 Most babies take two tests. The first is at 1 minute after birth, and the second is at 5 minutes after birth. If a babys score at 5 minutes is less than 6，the baby takes another test at 10 minutes after birth.The Apgar test is not an intelligence test. Its a test that shows a babys health right after it is bom. The Apgar test measures things such as a babys color, heart rate, and breathing. The test has five parts, and the score for each part can be 0，1，or 2. 3A doctor named Virginia Apgar developed the test. Apgar went to medical school at Columbia University in New York City in 1929. She faced many challenges because she was the first woman in the program. However, she was one of the best students in her class. After medical school，she started treating patients2.Apgar also became a researcher in anesthesiology, a new topic in medicine at the time3. During her studies, she learned how to give patients anesthesia. 4In the 1940s，many women started to have anesthesia when they gave birth. Apgar had a question: How does anesthesia affect newborn babies? In 1949, when Apgar was a professor at Columbias medical school, she created her simple test. She wrote a paper about her methods in 1953. Soon after, people started using the Apgar test around the world.In her work, Apgar saw that many newborns had problems. She wanted to help these babies survive. She stopped practicing medicine in 1959，and she went back to school to get a masters degree in public health. 5Today，the Apgar test is still used all over the world. Newborn babies dont know it, but Virginia Apgar is a very important person in the first few minutes of their lives.詞匯：diagnose /fdaiagnauz/ vt. & vi.診斷(疾病) anesthesiology /，aenis，0izi，3bd3i/ n.麻醉學(xué)called for help：需要幫助，求救。call for：需要，要求，提倡;來找(某人)，來取(某物)。 she started treating patients：她開始治療病人。treat sb.有三種意思，分別是“對待某人” “治 療某人”和“款待某人”。treat作“治療”講，是普通用語的治療，意義廣泛，cure多用 于疾病方面，heal多用于創(chuàng)傷或外傷方面。at the time ：當(dāng)時，在那時。同義短語有 at that point, at that time, on the occasion。練習(xí)：A Doctors add the scores together for the total Apgar score.B She spent the rest of her life doing research and raising money to help newborn babies.C A score of 10 is uncommon.D The doctor was worried.E They decide if a baby is normal or needs special care.F Anesthesia is a procedure that makes patients lose consciousness, so they do not feel any pain during surgery.答案與題解：1. D由第二段的前半部分可知這個嬰兒三次健康測試的分數(shù)都不理想，而且最后一句提到 他需要救助，說明他的情況不容樂觀，所以醫(yī)生應(yīng)該擔(dān)心。因此，答案為D。2. E第三段中第二句話提到這項測試幫助醫(yī)生診斷新生兒的問題，即醫(yī)生可以根據(jù)測試結(jié) 果判斷新生兒的健康狀況。因此，答案為E。3. A順承本段倒數(shù)第二句的句意可知選項A和選項C都可以，但選項C說10分的成績不 常見，這一點由全文其他地方推斷不出來。因此，答案為A。4. F本段第二句話最后提到阿普加學(xué)習(xí)給病人實施麻醉，而選項F講的是麻醉是什么，正 好與本段第二句話句意吻合。因此，答案為F。5. B本段主要講的是阿普加幫助新生兒的愿望以及她為此所做的努力，縱觀六個選項符合 段意的只有選項B。因此，答案為B。第六篇 阿普加測試下午3:36, 個嬰兒出生了。3:37時，她的第一次健康測試成績是4分(總分10分)。3:41 時，她的成績是8分，醫(yī)生感到非常高興。另一天晚上8:24,另外一個嬰兒出生了。他的第一次測試成績是3分，第二次成績是4分。8:34時又進行了一次測試，成績是5分。醫(yī)生非常擔(dān)心，這個嬰兒需要救助。這些新生兒進行的是一項叫作阿普加的測試。這項測試幫助醫(yī)生診斷新生兒的問題，他們 根據(jù)測試成績判斷新生兒是正常的還是需要特殊護理。大多數(shù)的嬰兒會接受兩次測試。第一 次是在出生后1分鐘，第二次是在出生后5分鐘。如果嬰兒在第二次測試中的成績少于6分，那他們需要在出生10分鐘后再進行一次測試。阿普加測試不是一項智力測試。它是一項在嬰兒出生后表明其健康狀況的測試。這項測試 會測量諸如嬰兒的皮膚顏色、心率、呼吸一類的項目，總共包括五部分，每一部分的成績可以是0分、1分或2分。醫(yī)生把每一部分的成績加起來就是這項測試的總分。一位名叫弗吉尼亞阿普加的醫(yī)生設(shè)計了這項測試。1929年，阿普加去紐約的哥倫比亞 大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)院就讀。由于是這個學(xué)科里的第一位女性，使她面臨了許多挑戰(zhàn)。然而，她卻是班 上最好的學(xué)生之一。完成醫(yī)學(xué)院的學(xué)業(yè)后，她開始給患者治療。阿普加還是麻醉學(xué)方面的研宄者，當(dāng)時麻醉學(xué)是一項新的醫(yī)學(xué)課題。在求學(xué)過程中，她學(xué) 會了如何給患者實施麻醉。麻醉會使病人失去意識，因而他們在手術(shù)過程中不會感到任何疼20世紀40年代，許多婦女在分娩時開始使用麻醉。但阿普加有個疑問：麻醉是如何影響 新生兒的呢? 1949年，當(dāng)阿普加在哥倫比亞醫(yī)學(xué)院擔(dān)任教授時，她創(chuàng)造了這項簡單測試。1953 年，她寫了一篇關(guān)于該測試方法的論文。不久之后，人們開始在世界范圍內(nèi)使用阿普加測試。在工作中，阿普加發(fā)現(xiàn)許多新生兒都有健康問題。她想幫助這些新生兒活下來。1959年， 她中止了行醫(yī)，回到學(xué)校攻讀公共衛(wèi)生碩士學(xué)位。她把自己的余生都奉獻給了醫(yī)學(xué)研宄以及 籌集資金幫助新生兒。今天，阿普加測試仍然在全世界范圍內(nèi)被廣泛運用。雖然新生兒們并不知道，但弗吉尼 亞阿普加卻是他們生命的前幾分鐘里非常重要的一個人。第七篇 lee Cream Taster Has Sweet JobJohn Harrison has what must be the most wanted job in the United States. Hes the official taster for Edys Grand Ice Cream, one of the nations best-selling brands. Harrisons taste buds are insured for $1 million. 1 And when he isnt doing that, he travels, buying Edys in supermarkets all over the country so that he can check for perfect appearance，texture, and flavor.After I interviewed Harrison, I realized that the life of an ice cream taster isnt all Cookies n Cream 一 a flavor that* he invented, by the way. No, its extremely hard work, which requires discipline and selflessness.For one thing，he doesnt swallow on the job. Like a coffee taster, Harrison spits. Using a gold spoon to avoid “off flavors, he takes a small bite and moves it around in his mouth to introduce it to all 9,000 or so taste buds. 2 Then he breathes in gently to bring the aroma up through the back of his nose. Each step helps Harrison evaluate whether the ice cream has a good balance of dairy, sweetness, and added ingredients 一 the three-flavor components of ice cream. Then, even if the ice cream tastes heavenly, he puts it into a trash can. A full stomach makes it, impossible to judge the quality of the flavors.During the workweek, Harrison told me that he has to make other sacrifices, too: no onions, garlic, or spicy food, and no caffeine. Caffeine will block the taste buds, he says, so his breakfast is a cup of herbal tea. 3Harrisons family has been in the ice cream business in one way or another1 for four generations, so Harrison has spent his entire life with it2. However, he has never lost his love for its cold, creamy sweetness. 4 On these occasions3，he does swallow, and he eats about a quart (0.95 liters) each week. By comparison4, the average person in the United States eats 23.2 quarts (21. 96 liters) of ice cream and other frozen dairy products each year.Edy，s ice cream is available in dozens of flavors. So what flavor does the best-trained ice-cream taster in the country prefer? Vanilla! In fact, vanilla is the best-selling variety in the United States.5 “It，s a very complex flavor，Harrison says.詞匯：taste bud 味蕾 texture Aekstja/a/ n.質(zhì)地 aroma /arauma/ n.芳香 vanilla /vamla/ n.香草注釋：1. in one way or another：以某種方式，用這樣或那樣的方式2. has spent his entire life with it：為此他已付出一生。spend.with sth.:花(時間等)在某事 上3. on these occasions：在這種場合下4. by comparison：相比之下練習(xí)：A However, you should never call it plain vanilla.B He even orders ice cream in restaurants for dessert.C Next he smack-smack-smacks his lips to get some air into the sample.D This is a small price to pay for what he calls the worlds best job.E In his younger days，he would help out at the ice cream factory his uncle owned.F He gets to sample 60 ice creams a day at Edy，s headquarters in Oakland, California.答案與題解：1. F文中第一段講了 Harrison的工作情況。后文提到他休假時的情況，所以此處應(yīng)為對他 工作狀態(tài)的介紹。2. C第二段主要介紹了他工作時品嘗冰淇淋的過程。前文介紹了剛?cè)肟谥械那闆r，此處應(yīng) 該是后續(xù)介紹。3. D第四段講了他為此工作做出的犧牲。4. B此處前文講到他仍然愛吃冰淇淋，所以此處B選項最符合原文。5. A根據(jù)后文講“香草是一種復(fù)雜的口味”可以推斷此處應(yīng)為A選項。第七篇 冰淇淋品嘗師 份甜蜜的職業(yè)約翰哈瑞森擁有一份可能是美國人最想要的工作。他是一名職業(yè)的冰淇淋品嘗師，供職 于美國最暢銷的冰淇淋品牌之一 Edys Grand Ice Cream =哈瑞森已經(jīng)給味蕾投保了 100萬美元。 他每天要在位于加州奧克蘭的Edys總部嘗試60種冰淇淋樣品。休假時，他會去旅行，并且 到全國各地的超市買來Edys產(chǎn)品，以便檢査外觀，質(zhì)地和口味是否完美。在采訪完哈瑞森之后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)一個冰淇淋品嘗師的生活并不像他發(fā)明的奶油曲奇味雪糕那 樣甜。這是一個需要克制和無私的艱難工作。首先，工作時他不能咽下冰淇淋，只能像咖啡品嘗師那樣吐出。為了避免其他味道的混入, 他用金制的湯匙舀取冰淇淋，咬一小口在口中攪動，讓大約9 000個味蕾全部都能感覺到味道, 然后他不斷哂嘴唇好讓空氣進入口中。接著，他輕輕吸一口氣，讓冰淇淋的芳香竄入鼻中。 每一個步驟都有助于哈瑞森判斷出這款冰淇淋的牛奶、甜度和添加劑這三種成分是否已達到 完美的平衡。即使這個冰淇淋嘗起來極其美味，他接下來也會把它扔到垃圾桶里。飽腹感是 不可能判斷出口味的品質(zhì)的。哈瑞森告訴我說，在工作周，他也不得不做出很多犧牲：不能吃洋蔥、大蒜或辣的食物以 及含咖啡因的食物。因為咖啡因會限制味蕾，所以他早飯時只喝一杯花草茶。這只是他為了 自己口中世界上最好的工作所付出的一個小代價。哈瑞森的家族中已經(jīng)有四代人以這樣或那樣的方式在冰淇淋行業(yè)工作，所以他已經(jīng)為此付 出了一生。但他并沒有失去對這種涼爽油膩的甜品的愛。他甚至?xí)诓蛷d中點冰淇淋作為甜 品。在這些時候，他會咽下它們，他每周大概會吃掉一夸脫(0.95升)的冰淇淋。而美國普 通人平均每年要吃掉23.2夸脫(21. 96升)的冰淇淋和其他冰凍奶制品。Edys的冰淇淋有幾十種口味。哪種口味才是這個國家最有經(jīng)驗的冰淇淋品嘗師的最愛 呢?香草味的!事實上，香草口味是全美最暢銷的。但是，你不能稱它是純香草口味?！斑@是 個很復(fù)雜的口味，”哈瑞森說道。第十四篇 Primer on SmellIn addition to bringing out1 the flavor of food, what does the sense of smell do for us?Smell “gives us information about place, about where we are，” says Randall Reed, a Johns Hopkins University professor whose specialty is the sense of smell. 1 “Whether we realize it or not, we collect a lot of information about who is around us based on smell，says Reed.Even at a distance, odors can warn us of2 trouble spoiled food, leaking gas, or fire. “Its a great alert，offers Donald Leopold, a doctor at Johns Hopkins. For example, if something in the oven is burning, everyone in the house knows it.With just a simple scent, smell can also evoke very intense emotion. Lets say, for example，that the smell is purple petunias. 2 Now lets imagine that your mother died when you were three, and she used to have a flower garden. You wouldnt need to identify the smell or to have conscious memories of your mother or her garden. You would feel sad as soon as you smelled that spicy odor.Compared with3 animals, how well do people detect smelts?That depends on what you mean by “how well”. We are low on receptor cells ： current estimates say that humans have roughly five million smell-receptor cells，about as many as a mouse.Reed says that, across species, there is a relatively good correlation between the number of receptor cells and how strong the sense of smell is. “You can hardly find the olfactory bulb in ahuman brain its a pea-sized object. In a mouse, it，s a little bigger. Its bean-sized in a rat, aboutthe size of your little finger in a rabbit, and the size of your thumb in a bloodhound.”Does that mean that our sense of smell is not very acute?Not exactly. While we may not have the olfactory range of other creatures, the receptors we do have are as sensitive as those of any animal. 4 A trained “nose，such as that of a professional in the perfume business, can name and distinguish about 10,000 odors. Reed says that a perfume expert can sniff a modem scent that has a hundred different odorants in it, go into the lab, and list the ingredients. “In a modest amount of time, he comes back with what to you or me would smell like a perfect imitation of that perfume. Its amazing.”What happens to4 our sense of smell as we age?Many people continue to have good olfactory function as they get older. 5 Leopold says that smell is generally highest in childhood, stays the same from the teens through the 50s, and drops starting at about 60 for women and 65 for men. “The average 80-year-old is only able to smell things half as well as the average 20-year-old,says Leopold.詞匯：scent /sent/ n.氣味，香味 petunia /patjurnia/ n. _ 隊花 olfactory /DlTaekt(0)ri/ adj.嗔覺的，味道的 sniff/snif v.嗔，聞，用力吸注釋：1. bring out：使 顯出，使 變得明顯2. warn of：發(fā)出關(guān)于 的警告。wamsb. ofsth.：警告某人某事3. compare with：與 相比4. happen to：發(fā)生于，發(fā)生在練習(xí)：A These flowers have a rich spiciness that no other petunia has.B Odors，or smells，can warn us about trouble.C Thats not the rule, however.D And smell tells us about people.E We can also think, and we make conscious (and successfu