16.If you have ever had a cat,or have watched one of the many funny cat videos online,you'll know that cats have a mind of their own.A lot of the things they do are hard to understand---they like to climb up tall furniture,fit themselves in small spaces and attack small objects for no reason at all.
Now scientists have managed to figure out what exactly is going on in the brains of our little friends.According to Tony Buffington,a professor at Ohio State University in the US,cats'strange behavior largely comes from their way of life back in the wild."Cats today still have many of the same instincts(本能)that allowed them to live in the wild for millions of years."he said in a TED Talk."To them,our homes are their jungles."
In the wild,cats are hunters.Their bodies and great balancing abilities allow them to climb to high spots to better look at the environment.Even though they don't have to hunt any more in human houses,they still keep the old habit of viewing the living room from,for example,the top of the refrigerator.
Cats'hunting instinct is also what makes them attack small things like keys and USB drives.In the wild,they hunt whatever they can get,and most of the animals they kill are small.
However,cats can also be prey.This explains why they like to stay in small spaces like drawers or washing machines---they are hiding,or they think they are hiding,from more dangerous animals.This is also why cats prefer a clean box:a smelly one could easily show enemies where they are.
Knowing how cats'minds work is not only useful for better understanding them.It may also help cats'owners to better meet cats'needs.For example,owners could try to make climbing easier for cats by moving their furniture around.They could also use"food puzzles"to make eating feel more like hunting instead of just giving food to the cats.
28.According to Tony Buffington,D.
A.cats are more used to living in the wild than in humans'homes
B.cats'strange behavior is hard for people to understand
C.cats'instincts are as helpful to them today as they were millions of year ago
D.cats behave strangely mainly because of some instincts in the wild
29.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?A
A.Cats attack keys and USB drives because they have a habit of hunting small animals
B.Cats enjoy staying in small spaces because they usually live in small caves in the wild
C.Cats'preference for a clean box probably has something to do with their hunting instincts
D.Cats like to climb up high because they want to hide from dangerous animals
30.The underlined word"prey"in Paragraph 5 probably meansB.
A.an animal that is too lazy B.an animal that is hunted
C.an animal that keeps itself clean D.an animal that likes hiding games
31.This article is mainly written toC.
A.tell cat owners how to make life easier for cats
B.describe cats'past wild experience to readers
C.explore the reasons behind cats'strange behavior
D.compare cats'behavior in human homes with that in the wild.
分析 本文是一篇说明文,如果你曾经有过一只猫,或者看过网上的猫咪搞笑视频,你会知道猫有自己的性格,他们的很多事情都难以理解--他们毫无理由地喜欢爬上高大的家具,在小空间和攻击小物体.本文以此展开谈论,主要探索了猫奇怪行为的原因.
解答 28.D;细节理解题.根据"According to Tony Buffington,a professor at Ohio State University in the US,cats'strange behavior largely comes from their way of life back in the wild."可知,猫的奇怪行为主要是由于在野外的天性.故选D.
29.A;细节理解题.根据"Cats'hunting instinct is also what makes them attack small things like keys and USB drives"可知,猫攻击键和USB驱动器,因为他们捕猎小动物的习惯.故选A.
30.B;词义猜测题.根据此句的后一句"This explains why they like to stay in small spaces like drawers or washing machines---they are hiding,or they think they are hiding,from more dangerous animals."可推测出,猫也是被捕食的动物.故prey意为"被捕食的动物".故选B.
31.C;主旨大意题.阅读全文,根据文章内容可知,本文主要解释了猫的奇怪行为的原因.故选C.
点评 本文是一篇说明文阅读,做题时应结合文章上下文内容并根据所给选项的含义进行分析,从而得出正确答案.切记胡乱猜测,一定要做到有理有据.