Question

【题目】Life is full of funny moments, and not just for humans.

Over the years, studies by various groups have suggested that monkeys, dogs and even rats love a good laugh. People, meanwhile, have been laughing since before they could talk.

Jaak Panksepp, a professor at Bowling Green State University, US, said he would not be surprised if positive feelings could be produced in some animals. Dolphins, for example, have long attracted animal researchers because of the complex (复杂的) ways in which they communicate: a rich variety of sounds of different rhythms. A decade ago, researchers studying dolphins at the Kolmarden Wildlife Park in Sweden noticed a set of sounds the dolphins made during play-fighting. They concluded that the purpose of the sound was to suggest that the situation was pleasant and to prevent it from a real fight.

Panksepp has even seen evidence of joy in crayfish (小龙虾). When given small amounts of drugs such as cocaine (可卡因) in a certain place, they appear to connect that location with pleasure. “Given the chance, they will always return to that place, perhaps in the hope of getting more,” he says. Panksepp wasn’t sure it equals the same happiness that humans get from cocaine, but said it “could be in the same evolutionary category”.

More studies are needed to really understand animals’ laughter. Strangely enough, the answers may help with our own desires for cures for mental illnesses. Panksepp’s experiments may soon lead to a new antidepressant (抗抑郁) drug that works by using the pathways in the brain behind positive feelings and joy. Perhaps pleasure and laughter in the animal world will help solve the depression in our own species one day.

【1】Scientists are always interested in doing research on dolphins because dolphins ________.

A. understand humans’ sounds

B. show positive feeling while playing

C. make different sounds when they communicate

D. make a set of sounds during play-fighting games

【2】What do the underlined words “our own species” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Animals.

B. Humans.

C. Sounds.

D. Pleasure.

【3】From the passage we can learn that ________.

A. people learn to talk before they can laugh.

B. animals have a very good sense of location.

C. humans have known the animals’ happiness well.

D. there is still much left to learn about animals’ laughter.

【4】Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A. Animals Feeling Joy.

B. Man and Nature.

C. Sounds Made by Animals.

D. A Long Way to Go.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】B

【3】D

【4】A

【解析】这篇文章主要讲了快乐并不是人类的专属，动物也会感到快乐，甚至会笑，研究动物的笑声，还有很长的路需要走，可能未来的某一天，动物世界的笑声和快乐将会解决我们人类自己的沮丧。

【1】细节理解题。由Dolphins, for example, have long attracted animal researchers because of the complex (复杂的) ways in which they communicate: a rich variety of sounds of different rhythms.可知科学家对研究海豚很感兴趣是因为当海豚们交流时，它们使用不同的声音，选C。

【2】词义猜测题。由Strangely enough, the answers may help with our own desires for cures for mental illnesses.可知Perhaps pleasure and laughter in the animal world will help solve the depression in our own species one day.的意思是可能未来的某一天，动物世界的笑声和快乐将会解决我们人类自己的沮丧。“our own species”意思是人类，选B。

【3】推理判断题。由More studies are needed to really understand animals’ laughter.可知研究动物的笑声，还有很长的路需要走，选D。

【4】主旨大意题。这篇文章主要讲了快乐并不是人类的专属，动物也会感到快乐，甚至会笑，研究动物的笑声，还有很长的路需要走，可能未来的某一天，动物世界的笑声和快乐将会解决我们人类自己的沮丧。选A。