Question

【题目】Dogs can tell how other dogs are feeling from the way their tails are wagging(摇摆)，according to researchers who monitored the animals’ heart rate as they watched dogs’ movies. The Italian team found that dogs had higher heart rates and became more anxious when they saw others wag their tails more to the left，but not when they wagged more to the right, or failed to wag at all.

The curious form of communication is probably not intentional, or consciously understood, but is instead an automatic behavior that arises from the structure of the brain, said Giorgio. “It’s not something they clearly and exactly understand,” Giorgio told The Guardian. “It’s just something that happens to them.”

Giorgio traces the effect back to the way the two halves of the brain process different experiences. In a previous study, his team showed that when a dog had a positive experience, activity rose in the left side of the brain, bringing about more tail wagging to the right. Or else more tail wagging to the left. The effect is barely visible to the human eye because dogs tend to wag their tails too fast, but it can be seen with slow motion video, or in some larger types.

In the latest study, the researchers wanted to find out whether the direction of tail wagging had any effect on other dogs. To get an answer, they fitted dogs with vests that recorded their heart rates, and played them movies of other dogs wagging their tails one way and then the other. To ensure the dogs reacted only to tail wagging, and not appearance? they repeated the experiment with dogs that appeared only as shadows.

“When dogs saw other dogs wagging their tails to the right, there was quite a relaxed reaction and no evidence of an increased heart rate. But when the wagging was to the left we saw an increase in heart rate and a series of behaviors typically associated with stress, anxiety and being more watchful, “Giorgio said. The anxious animals held their ears up, breathed, and kept their eyes wide open. The study appears in the latest issue of Current Biology.

【1】What does the text focus on?

A. Animal protection. B. Animal welfare.

C. Animal tests. D. Animal psychology.

【2】What leads to dogs’ wagging tail to the left or right according to Giorgio?

A. Their automatic behavior. B. Their conscious response.

C. Their increasing heart rate. D. Their selective preference.

【3】At what time do dogs have more tail wagging to the right?

A. When they run quickly. B. When they feel hungry.

C. When they play with their owners. D. When they feel stressed.

【4】What may be the best title for the text?

A. How dogs communicate with each other

B. Some reasons why dogs feel seriously anxious

C. Dogs’ different behaviors in different situations

D. Dogs’ communicating ways of tail wagging

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】C

【4】D

【解析】本文是一篇说明文。它讲述的是动物心理学。研究表明狗交流的方式是通过摇动尾巴。

【1】目的意图题。根据第一段Dogs can tell how other dogs are feeling from the way their tails are wagging(摇摆)，according to researchers who monitored the animals’ heart rate as they watched dogs’ movies. The Italian team found that dogs had higher heart rates and became more anxious when they saw others wag their tails more to the left，but not when they wagged more to the right, or failed to wag at all.由此可知本文讲的是动物心理学。故D选项正确。

【2】推理判断题。根据第二段中The curious form of communication is probably not intentional, or consciously understood, but is instead an automatic behavior that arises from the structure of the brain可知，根据乔治的说法，他们的自动行为会导致狗狗在左右摇摆。故A选项正确。

【3】推理判断题。根据第三段中when a dog had a positive experience, activity rose in the left side of the brain, bringing about more tail wagging to the right. 他的研究小组表明，当一只狗有了积极的体验，活动在大脑的左侧上升，，所以狗狗的尾巴会更多向右摆动。结合选项，可知C选项正确。

【4】主旨大意题。根据第三段中In a previous study, his team showed that when a dog had a positive experience, activity rose in the left side of the brain, bringing about more tail wagging to the right. Or else more tail wagging to the left.和第四段中In the latest study, the researchers wanted to find out whether the direction of tail wagging had any effect on other dogs可知，狗交流的方式是通过摇动尾巴。故D选项正确。