Question

    Very few animals except dolphins, chimpanzees (黑猩猩)，and elephants have ever passed the mirror test for self-recognition. Scientists believe they have found a fish able recognize itself in a mirror. The result is surprising because this ability is usually only found in animals with bigger brains. Even humans don't usually pass the mirror test until they are about a year and a half old.

To test the wrasse (隆头鱼), a small fish in the sea, scientists put each wrasse in a tank with a mirror. They gave the fish a chance to get used to the mirror and watched their reactions. At first, the wrasses challenged the "other fish" by swimming up to the mirror and "fighting" them with the mouth. But soon the wrasses seemed to understand that something funny was happening. They began to swim toward the mirror upside down or in other unusual ways. It was like they were testing whether the fish in the mirror were really themselves.

Once the wrasses seemed used to the mirror, the scientists gave the wrasses a mark by putting the fish to sleep and injecting something under their skin. Some of the fish got a brown mark. Other fish got a clear "mark" that didn't have a color and couldn't be seen in a mirror.

After looking in the mirror, the wrasses with the brown marks would rub the area with the mark against the sand in the bottom of the tank. Then they would go back and look in the mirror again, as if checking if the mark was still there. But when wrasses with brown marks were put in tanks without mirrors, they didn't try to rub their marks away. And wrasses with clear "marks" didn't either, even when they could see themselves in the mirror.

The unexpected results are making some people look hard for other ways to explain how the wrasses reacted. So even though the wrasses seem to have passed the mirror test, the scientists will need some time to reflect on exactly what that means.

1.Why do the scientists feel surprised about the result?

A.The fish has a big brain.

B.Elephants failed to pass the mirror test.

C.Chimpanzees are as clever as dolphins.

D.The fish succeeded in passing the mirror test.

2.What did the scientists take notice of about the wrasses at first?

A.They swam in unusual ways.

B.They were unaware of themselves in the mirror.

C.They thought the mirror interesting.

D.They wanted to challenge themselves.

3.How did the fish with brown marks react in the mirror test?

A.They would rub the area with the mark against sand.

B.They would pay no attention to marks.

C.They would rest in the bottom of the tank.

D.They would swim upside down to the mirror.

4.Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Why Are Fish Smarter than Expected?

B.Do Colors Affect the Experiment?

C.How Is the Mirror Test Conducted?

D.Can Fish Recognize Themselves in the Mirror?

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.A

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了一项关于隆头鱼可以通过镜子实验的研究，并对其实验过程和方法进行了介绍。

1.细节理解题。由题干关键词surprised可将答案定位在第一段。由第一段中的句子“Scientists believe they have found a fish able recognize itself in a mirror. The result is surprising because this ability is usually only found in animals with bigger brains.”可知，科学家们相信他们已经发现了一种能在镜子里认出自己的鱼，这个结果令人惊讶，因为这种能力通常只在大脑较大的动物身上发现；说明对鱼能通过镜子实验，科学家很惊讶。故选D项。

2.推理判断题。由第二段中的句子“But soon the wrasses seemed to understand that something funny was happening. They began to swim toward the mirror upside down or in other unusual ways. It was like they were testing whether the fish in the mirror were really themselves.”可知，隆头鱼似乎明白发生了什么有趣的事情，它们开始倒向镜子或以其他不寻常的方式游泳，好像它们在测试镜子里的鱼是否真的是它们自己；从这可以推断出这种异于平常的行为可能是科学家注意到隆头鱼的原因。故选A项。

3.细节理解题。由题干关键词the fish with brown marks可将答案定位在第四段。由第四段第一句“After looking in the mirror, the wrasses with the brown marks would rub the area with the mark against the sand in the bottom of the tank.”可知，在照镜子后，棕色痕迹的隆头鱼会用水箱底部的沙子来摩擦有记号的区域；所以在镜子实验中，棕色痕迹的隆头鱼的反应是用沙子摩擦有记号的区域。故选A项。

4.主旨大意题。本篇文章主要讲述隆头鱼可以通过镜子实验，并就其实验方法和过程进行了说明，并且由第一段中的句子“Scientists believe they have found a fish able recognize itself in a mirror.”，第二段的最后一句“It was like they were testing whether the fish in the mirror were really themselves.”和最后一段最后一句“So even though the wrasses seem to have passed the mirror test, the scientists will need some time to reflect on exactly what that means.”可知，文章主要是关于隆头鱼是否能在镜子中识别出自己的研究。故选D项。