Question

【题目】Does happiness have a scent?

When someone is happy，can you smell it?

You can usually tell when someone is happy based on seeing them smile，hearing them laugh or perhaps from receiving a big hug．But can you also smell their happiness? Surprising new research suggests that happiness does indeed have a scent，and that the experience of happiness can be transmitted through smell，reports Phys．org．

For the study，12 young men were shown videos meant to bring about a variety of emotions while researchers gathered sweat samples from them．All of the men were healthy and none of them were drug users or smokers，and all were asked to abstain from drinking or eating smelly foods during the study period．

Those sweat samples were then given to 36 equally healthy young women to smell，while researchers monitored their reactions．Only women were selected to smell the samples，apparently because previous research has shown that women have a better sense of smell than men and are also more sensitive to emotional signaling—though it's unclear why only men were chosen to produce the scents．

Researchers found that the behavior of the women after smelling the scents—particularly their facial expressions—indicated a relationship between the emotional states of the men who produced the sweat and the women who sniffed them．

“Human sweat produced when a person is happy brings about a state similar to happiness in somebody who breathes this smell，” said study co-author Gun Semin，a professor at Koc University in Turkey．

This is a fascinating finding because it not only means that happiness does have a scent，but that the scent is capable of transmitting the emotion to others．The study also found that other emotions，such as fear，seem to carry a scent too．This ensures previous research suggesting that some negative emotions have a smell，but it is the first time this has proved to be true of positive feelings．

Researchers have yet to isolate(分离) exactly what the chemical compound for the happiness smell is，but you might imagine what the potential applications for such a finding could be．Happiness perfumes，for instance，could be invented． Scent therapies（香味疗法）could also be developed to help people through depression or anxiety．

Perhaps the most surprising result of the study，however，is our broadened understanding of how emotions get communicated，and also how our own emotions are potentially managed through our social context and the emotional states of those around us．

【1】What is the main finding of the new research?

A． Men produce more sweats．

B． Negative emotions have a smell．

C． Pleasant feelings can be smelt out．

D． Women have a better sense of smell．

【2】The underlined part “abstain from” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________．

A． Avoid

B． Practice

C． Continue

D． try

【3】What is the application value of the new research?

A． Perfumes could help people understand each other．

B． Some smells could be developed to better our mood．

C． Perfumes could be produced to cure physical diseases．

D． Some smells could be created to improve our appearance．

【4】We can learn from the last paragraph that ________．

A． happiness comes from a scent of sweat

B． positive energy can deepen understanding

C． people need more emotional communication

D． social surroundings can influence our emotions

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】B

【4】D

【解析】

【1】分析文章的内容以及文章的标题，不难看出，这项研究的发现是：愉快的心情能够“闻”得出来，故C选项的描述准确，故选C。

【2】分析此词组所在的语境，可知当时研究者是需要参加实验的人员不能喝酒和吃味道大的食物以免影响了研究的结果。故选A。

【3】根据文章第八段中的Happiness perfumes，for instance，could be invented. Scent therapiescould also be developed to help people through depression or anxiety，可知这个研究可以应用到香水的使用方面，故选B正确。

【4】根据对文章最后一段中our own emotions are potentially managed through our social context and the emotional states of those around us，可推断社会的环境会影响到我们个人的情绪，故选D。