Question

阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在文章后的表格中填入恰当的单词（注意：表格中的每个空只填一个单词）

For more than twenty years scientists have been seeking to understand the mystery of the ‘‘sixth sense" of direction．By trying out ideas and solving problems one by one，they are now getting closer to one answer．

One funny idea is that animals might have a built-in compass(指南针)．

Our earth itself is a big magnet(磁体)．So a little magnetic needle that swings freely lines

itself with the big earth magnet to point north When people discovered that idea about a thousand years ago and invented the compass，it allowed sailors to navigate (航海)on ocean voyages, even under cloudy skies.

 Actually the idea of the living compass came just from observing animals in nature．

 Many birds migrate twice a year between their summer homes and winter homes．Some of them fly for thousands of kilometers and mostly at night．Experiments have shown that some birds can recognize star patterns．But they can keep on course even under cloudy skies．How can they do that?

A common bird that does not migrate but is great at finding its way home is the homing pigeon．Not all pigeons can find their way home．Those that can are very good at it，and they have been widely studied．

One interesting experiment was to attach little magnets to the birds’ heads to block their magnetic sense—just as a loud radio can keep you from hearing a call to dinner．On sunny days, that did not fool the pigeons．Evidently they can use the sun to tell which way they are going．But on cloudy days，the pigeons with magnets could not find their way．It was as if the magnets had blocked their magnetic sense．

Similar experiments with the same kind of results were done with honeybees．These insects also seem to have a special sense of direction．

In spite of the experiments，the idea of an animal compass seemed pretty extraordinary．How

would an animal get the magnetic stuff for a compass.

An answer came from an unexpected source．A scientist was studying bacteria that live in the

mud of ponds and marshes．He found accidentally little rod-like bacteria that all swam together inone direction—north．

Further study showed that each little bacterium had a chain of dense particles inside，which

proved magnetic．The bacteria had made themselves into little magnets that could line up with the

earth’s magnet．

The big news was that a living thing，even a simple bacterium，can make magnetite．That led

to a search to see whether animals might have it.. By using a special instrument called magnetometer，scientists were able to find magnetite in bees and birds，and even in fish．In each  animal，except for the bee．the magnetic stuff was always in or closer to the brain．Thus．the idea of a built—in animal compass began to seem reasonable．

 

The Magnetic Sense — The Living Compass
Passage outline	Supporting details
The existence of the earth magnet and the invention of the navigating compass	◇Our earth is a big magnet and a little freely (56)        magnetic needle lines itself with the earth magnet to point north and south. ◇(57)       on the idea above, the navigating compass was invented.
The possibility of birds’ built-in compasses	◇ One piece of evidence is the (58)        of many birds between their summer homes and winter homes. ◇ Birds can recognize star patterns on clear nights and keep on course (59)         under cloudy skies
The  (60)         on pigeons’ and bees’ built-in compasses	◇Little magnets were tied to the pigeons’ heads to (61)         their magnetic sense. ◇The pigeons’ magnetic sense seemed to be affected on (62)        days. ◇Similar things with the same results were done with bees.
The  (63)         of the magnetic stuff for the animal compass	◇Little rod-like bacteria were found by chance to swim together in the direction of (64)        . ◇Some animals had a chain of dense magnetic particles in or close to the (65)         inside their bodies.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

 swinging

 Based

 migration

 even

 experiments／tests／study／research

 block

 cloudy

 discovery

 north

 brain(s)

【解析】

试题分析：

 swinging   词性转换。根据第三段a little magnetic needle that swings freely lines把定语从句转换成现在分词短语修饰名词needle。

 Based   同义转换。根据第三段When people discovered that idea about a thousand years ago and invented the compass说明人们是根据这个原理发明了指南针。Be based on…以…为基础。

 migration  词性转换。根据第六段Many birds migrate twice a year中的动词migrate转换成名词。

 even  原词再现。   根据第三段最后一句it allowed sailors to navigate (航海)on ocean voyages, even under cloudy skies. 中的even. experiments／tests／study／research    根据文章第7,8段One interesting experiment可知是对鸽子和蜜蜂身上做的实验。

 block     原词再现  根据It was as if the magnets had blocked their magnetic sense．

 cloudy    原词再现 根据第六段But on cloudy days，the pigeons with magnets could not。

 discovery   推理题。根据文章倒数第四段How would an animal get the magnetic stuff for a compass.

接下来的几段都是讲述实验的发现。

 north    原词再现。根据倒数第三段最后一行that all swam together inone direction—north．

 .brain(s) 根据文章倒数第二行the magnetic stuff was always in or closer to the brain．

考点：考查任务型阅读

点评：任务型阅读要求考生对文章的篇章结构的和表格的结构要有清楚的理解，对于同义词和近义词的转换已经词性和词形的变化要善于总结。