Question

【题目】If I were to ask you to close your eyes and I gave you a piece of apple to eat, would you be able to tell me what it is just by tasting it? Of course, you could. Your tongue (舌头) helps you know what different foods taste like. Do you know that foods would taste different if you did not have a nose?

What You Need

☆ a friend to help

☆ small pieces of any food like carrot, orange, banana—whatever you have

☆ small pieces of apples, raw (uncooked) potato and (if you are brave) onion (洋葱)

What You Do

There are actually three different experiments. You and your friend should take turns trying them on each other.

Experiment 1:

Have your friend close her eyes and open her mouth. Give her a piece of the food and ask her to taste it. Then, ask her what she thinks it is. She will probably guess correctly.

Experiment 2:

While your friend has her eyes closed, give her a piece of raw potato. At the same time, hold a piece of apple right under her nose. Ask her to eat the potato and tell you what she thinks it is. She will say it is a piece of apple! You can even do it the other way around, and she will think she is eating a potato, or, perhaps, she won’t be able to name what she is eating.

Experiment 3: (for the brave)

Take a piece of raw onion. You don’t have to close your eyes this time. Press your nose closed with your other hand so that no smells can get into your nose. Now eat a small piece of the onion. Surprise! As long as you hold your nose, you will not be able to taste the onion.

The Science Secret

You already know the science secret. Your nose and your tongue work together to make food taste the way it does. Your tongue, however, can taste only certain flavors like salty, bitter, sour, and sweet. All of the other “tastes” are actually “smells”, and you need your nose to taste them.

Oh, you might use this science secret the next time you are forced to eat something you don’t like the taste of. If you hold your nose while you eat it, you won’t “taste” it at all.

【1】According to this article, what could a person know about food?

A. People hold their noses to eat onions.

B. If you close your eyes, food will taste better.

C. People need a sense of smell to taste some food.

D. If you can smell potatoes, you will taste apples.

【2】What is the most probable reason Experiment 3 is called “for the brave”?

A. You have to eat a raw onion. B. You keep your eyes open.

C. You have to hold your nose. D. You do the experiment alone.

【3】What can we learn from the passage?

A. Knowledge comes from personal experience.

B. Team work helps us to find out science secrets.

C. We should have courage while doing experiments.

D. We can’t draw a conclusion simply from the feeling.

【4】What’s the passage mainly about?

A. Why different foods can smell the same.

B. How smell influences the way food tastes.

C. Why some things smell better than others.

D. How smell changes the way we see things.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【4】B

【解析】本文利用三个小实验来阐述了一个科学奥秘,舌头能品尝酸甜苦辣,但是当你把你的鼻子堵住的时候,你却什么味道也尝不出。在你品尝食物的时候鼻子起着非常重要的作用。

【1】细节理解题。根据第一段Do you know that foods would taste different if you did not have a nose? This experiment shows how important your nose is when you taste things.你知道如果没有鼻子食物尝起来还会不同吗，这个试验证明当你尝东西时鼻子的是重要的。所以选C项。

【2】细节理解题。根据倒数第二段提到Squeeze your nose closed with your other hand so that no smells can get into your nose捂住你的鼻子，为的不让气味进入你的鼻子，Now take a nibble of the onion. Surprise! As long as you hold your nose, you will not be able to taste the onion.现在尝尝洋葱，令人吃惊的是，只要捂住你的鼻子，你就尝不出洋葱的味道，可见这个试验是需要勇气来吃洋葱的，所以选B项。

【3】推理判断题。通读文章可知本文利用三个小实验来阐述了一个科学奥秘,舌头能品尝酸甜苦辣,但是当你把你的鼻子堵住的时候,你却什么味道也尝不出。在你品尝食物的时候鼻子起着非常重要的作用。故答案为D.

【4】主旨大意题。本文通过三个实验来证明Your nose and your tongue work together to make food taste the way it does.你的鼻子和舌头一块作用才能吃出食物的味道。再根据第一段This experiment shows how important your nose is when you taste things.，说明鼻子的重要性，所以选B项。