Question

Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．

The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．

Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．

Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．

Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．

Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．

1.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain．

B. Bee population has been increasing．

C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine．

D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers．

2.After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel ____________.

A．annoyed B．angry C．nervous D．excited

3.Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?

A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination

B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination

C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar

D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory

4.What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?

A．Science B．Education

C．Culture D．Sports

Answer 1

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：文章介绍了发表在科学杂志最近的一项研究。人类不是唯一从咖啡中获得时髦。研究发现一些花的花蜜，比如来自柠檬等的花蜜，含有低剂量的咖啡因。

1.1】C细节理解题。根据第二段第二句They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．他们发现一些花的花蜜，比如来自柠檬等的花蜜，含有低剂量的咖啡因。因此可知选C。

2.2】D态度推断题。根据文章最后一段可知，蜜蜂对生态和农业生产有比较大的影响，所以当Jonh读完这篇文章后，当然是excited了，生活有希望了，故选D。

3.3】B细节排序题，查看先后顺序。根据第三段（caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are）和第四段第一句Improved memory led to the better pollination．可知答案选B

4.4】A推理判断题。根据第一段第二句According to a recent study published in the journal Science．根据发表在科学杂志最近的一项研究。可知选A。

考点：考查科教类阅读。