Question

【题目】七选五

【1】 . Still, all flavors are based on just four basic tastes: sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. Some food experts argue there is a fifth basic taste called umami（a Japanese word that can be translated roughly as "tasty" or "savory"）, but this theory remains controversial. 【2】

How can so few basic tastes give rise to the enormous number of flavors we experience? 【3】 Compare this to colors. There are only three basic colors—yellow, red, and blue—but when mixed in different ways and proportions, these three basic colors are sufficient to create the vast array of colors that we see every day.

Apart from being influenced by different combinations of the basic tastes, the experience of taste is also enriched by other sensations, such as odor (气味) and temperature. These functions together produce what we recognize as unique tastes. In fact, what we perceive as taste often involves smell more than the taste experienced through the tongue. 【4】 For example, cinnamon tastes quite mild to people who cannot enjoy its fragrant smell. The same is true of drinks, like hot coffee or tea, which taste best when they can be smelled and tasted.

【5】 The reason why hot, spicy foods like chili peppers are tasty is that they affect the lingual nociceptors. Nociceptors are small areas on the surface of the body that help protect us against injury. Nociceptors on the skin warn us of potential damage to the body. When we are pricked with a needle, for example, nocicptors represent that sensation as pain. A special kind of nociceptor called a lingual nociceptor is found on the tongue and, along with the other senses, helps us enjoy certain foods.

A. These are basic tastes that we are familiar with.

B. This is possible because the basic tastes combine in different proportions.

C. Each food we eat tastes different, and there are untold numbers of different tastes.

D. This is why foods with strong tastes often seem unattractive to people who, due to a stuffy nose, cannot smell them.

E. What can also contribute to the sensation of taste is our ability to feel pain.

F. So there are a small number of basic tastes that affect a big number of flavors.

G. Regardless of whether there are four or five basic tastes, the number is small.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】G

【3】B

【4】D

【5】E

【解析】

试题分析：本文属于说明文阅读，介绍了不同的味道是由四种基本的味道组成而来的，并介绍了影响味道的不同原因。

【1】C 根据横线后句Still, all flavors are based on just four basic tastes: sweet, bitter, salty, and sour.所有的味道都由四种基本的味道组成。说明前句应该介绍世界上由这四种味道组成的不同的风味。C项“Each food we eat tastes different, and there are untold numbers of different tastes.”每种食物都有不同的味道，但是不同的味道都是由基本的味道组成的。故C项符合上下文串联。

【2】G 根据横线前句Some food experts argue there is a fifth basic taste called umami，but this theory remains controversial.可知有些专家认为还有第五种味道，但是这一理论还存在争议。但是无论基本的味道是四种还是五种，数量都不算多。故G项符合上下文串联。

【3】B 根据后半句Compare this to colors. There are only three basic colors—yellow, red, and blue—but when mixed in different ways and proportions.可知三种基本的颜色黄、红、蓝可以组合成不同的颜色。那么味道也是一样的，四种基本味道可以组合成不同的味道。故B项“This is possible because the basic tastes combine in different proportions.不同的味道也许是因为基本的味道以不同的比例组合在一起的”符合上下文串联。

【4】D 根据横线前句In fact, what we perceive as taste often involves smell more than the taste experienced through the tongue.实际上我们发现的味道通常涉及到通过舌头体验到的气味。说明横线句应该与气味有关，故D项“This is why foods with strong tastes often seem unattractive to people who, due to a stuffy nose, cannot smell them.”介绍的恰好是与气味有关的内容，符合上下文串联。

【5】E 根据横线后句The reason why hot, spicy foods like chili peppers are tasty is that they affect the lingual nociceptors.中的辛辣食物会对我们的语言器官有伤害。说明味觉还和我们对于疼痛的感觉有关。故E项正确。