题目

阅读理解 The memory of elephants is the stuff of lore (传说), and now it seems they can recall the smell of a relative even after a decade apart. When Franziska Hörner at the University of Wuppertal in Germany and her colleagues heard about planned reunions between two mother-daughter pairs at zoos in Germany, the took advantage of the chance to test the elephants' memories. One pair had been separated for two years, while the other had spent 12 years apart. Hörner collected faecal (排泄物的) samples from these African elephants and others at German zoos, hauling the stinking 10-to-15-kilogram samples around in her tiny car. Her team presented these samples one at a time to the four elephants in advance of their reunions with family members. When they encountered faeces from unrelated elephants, either those in the same zoo or unfamiliar animals, they sniffed and walked away. But when presented with a sample from the mother or daughter they were due to be reunited with, the female elephants repeatedly sniffed the samples and showed a variety of reactions, from making sounds to flapping their ears. Such reactions may be linked to positive emotions, the researchers say. "That was amazing and really intense," says Hörner. "We were sure they do remember, and they know exactly what they are smelling there." The sample size was small, but it would be cruel to do similar tests on elephants that weren't being reunited, says Hörner. "I am not surprised that elephants have memories, especially in social contexts, that last a long time," says Joshua Plotnik at Hunter College in New York, who wasn't involved with the work. Elephants live in groups that split up and come back together over long periods of time. But Plotnik says the experiment may not be a true test of memory. There may be scent cues (线索，提示) common to all relatives that can trigger recognition not linked to memory, he says, and presenting the elephants with other smells would help make sense of their responses. （1） Why did Hörner collect faecal samples from elephants at German zoos? A . To figure out mother and daughter elephants. B . To haul samples in the tiny car. C . To help elephants reunite with their family. D . To test elephants' memories. （2） How did the elephants react when presented with samples from family members? A . They sniffed and walked away. B . They responded actively. C . They recognized their family members. D . They showed no reactions. （3） What's the shortcoming of this experiment according to Hörner? A . There is no experimental preparation. B . Samples are of different age level. C . The experiment is immoral. D . There are only four samples. （4） What does Plotnik suggest? A . Drawing a conclusion according to the findings. B . Making use of the findings. C . Conducting further research. D . Clarifying the purpose of the study. 答案： D B D C

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