Question

“A good book might clarify something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn’t think possible. The Soul of an Octopus(章鱼)delivers on all three, ”the magazine New Scientist commented.

After writing about birds, pigs and tigers, US naturalist Sy Montgomery decided to choose these many-footed animals as the subject of her latest book, The Soul of an Octopus: a surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness.

“Here is animal with poisonous liquid like a snake，a beak(喙)like a parrot，and ink like an old-fashioned pen. It can weigh as much as a man and extend as long as a car, yet it can pour its baggy; boneless body through an opening the size of all orange. It can change color and shape. It has a tongue covered with teeth. It can taste with its skin.” Montgomery explained to the National Geographic on why octopuses inspired her.

What Montgomery is able to show in The Soul of an Octopus is that octopuses are creatures who exhibit personality, intelligence and emotion, despite having nervous systems completely different from our own. She uses different experiments to show that they possess consciousness as well as individual personalities. For example, based on her research, she finds out that Octavia, an octopus caught in the wild, is friendly and good at multi-tasking. And Kali, another octopus，who has been living at the New England Aquarium, is playful and loves exploring.

Montgomery is a good storyteller. Through her study of, and communication with, these extraordinary creatures she shares what she learns from both science and her experiences. Her skillful writing presents facts together with personal description, which makes the book very informative but easy to read.

1.Why is The Soul of an Octopus thought highly of ?

A. It is themed with a many-footed animal.

B. It mainly explores consciousness and wonders.

C. It compares octopuses with birds, pigs and tigers.

D. It offers new knowledge and changes your viewpoints.

2.Octopuses impress Montgomery greatly because.

A. they have unique physical functioning

B. their liquid can be used as good ink

C. they behave more like snakes and parrots

D. their body can be shrunk to the size of an orange

3.What does Montgomery think of octopuses according to Paragraph 4?

A. They are friendly with each other.

B. They are similar to humans in a way.

C. They communicate with humans well.

D. They have different nature from humans.

4.Which of the following best describes the book?

A. Vivid but unreal.    B. Scientific and readable.

C. Boring and ridiculous.    D. Interesting but fictional

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.B

4.B

【解析】本文对“章鱼的灵魂”这本书进行了详细的介绍。

1.细节理解题。根据“A good book might clarify something you knew little about, transform your world view, or move you in ways you didn’t think possible. The Soul of an Octopus(章鱼)delivers on all three, ”the magazine New Scientist commented. 可知人们对“章鱼的灵魂”评价很高是因为它为人们提供了新的知识并且改变了人们的观点，所以选D。

2.细节理解题。根据“Here is animal with poisonous liquid like a snake，a beak(喙)like a parrot，and ink like an old-fashioned pen. It can weigh as much as a man and extend as long as a car, yet it can pour its baggy; boneless body through an opening the size of all orange. It can change color and shape. It has a tongue covered with teeth. It can taste with its skin.” 可知章鱼给Montgomery留下很深的印象是因为它独特的身体功能，所以选A。

3.推理判断题。根据What Montgomery is able to show in The Soul of an Octopus is that octopuses are creatures who exhibit personality, intelligence and emotion, despite having nervous systems completely different from our own. 可Montgomery认为章鱼在某种程度上和人类有些相似，所以选B。

4.细节理解题。根据Her skillful writing presents facts together with personal description, which makes the book very informative but easy to read. 可知这本书既具有教育性，又读起来津津有味，所以选B。