研究:狗狗进化到与人类眼神交流
研究:狗狗进化到与人类眼神交流

Dog lovers all know the ability of a dog to communicate with its eyes. Now, scientific research suggests this ability developed over time as dogs learned to live with humans.
The study compared the facial muscles of dogs and wolves, which share ancestral history. Dogs broke off from wolves after being domesticated about 33,000 years ago. During that time, dogs changed physically and behaviorally to fit life with humans. The researchers examined the heads of six dogs and two wolves for comparison. They found the facial structure of both animals was mostly very similar. But one major difference was found above the eyes. The dogs were found to have two well-formed muscles around the eye that were not present in the wolves. These small muscles permit dogs to “intensely” raise their inner eyebrow, the study found.
In a separate part of the study, the researchers observed how twenty-seven dogs and nine wolves interacted with humans. “When exposed to a human for two minutes, dogs raised their inner eyebrows more and at higher intensities than wolves,” comparative psychologist Juliane Kaminski from Britain’s University of Portsmouth, who led the research, said.
The researchers suggest that the eye movements developed over time as a way for dogs to get humans to do things for them. This could involve humans giving them food, care or attention. Brian Hare, from America’s Duke University, edited the study. He called the findings “profound” for showing that these muscles likely developed to help in their interactions with people. “The proof has been in their puppy dog eyes all this time,” Hare said.


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1.What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “domesticated”?

A 进化.

B 攻击.

C 驯养.

D 捕杀.

解析:选C。词义猜测题。根据第二段第三句During that time, dogs changed physically and behaviorally to fit life with humans.可知,在狗从狼中分离出来期间,为适应人类的生活,狗的身体和行为都发生了变化,由此可知是被人们驯养了,故选C。

2.What’s the main difference between the dogs and wolves according to the study?

A The wolves can interact with people but dogs can’t.

B The dogs have two well-formed muscles around the eye.

C The dogs raise their inner eyebrows more than the wolves.

D The facial structure of dogs are not similar to wolves at all.

解析:选B。细节理解题。根据第二段第六和七句But one major difference was found above the eyes. The dogs were found to have two well-formed muscles around the eye that were not present in the wolves.可知,狗和狼的面部结构非常相似,但研究人员发现,狗的眼睛周围有两块形状良好的肌肉,而狼则没有,故选B。

3.What can we learn from this passage?

A Dogs and wolves are different kind of animals in the early time.

B The dogs have the ability to communicate with humans all the time.

C Eye movements developed for dogs to get humans to do things for them.

D Twenty-seven dogs and nine wolves were observed how to interact with people.

解析:选D。推理判断题。根据第三段第一句In a separate part of the study, the researchers observed how twenty-seven dogs and nine wolves interacted with humans.可知,在研究的另一部分中,研究人员观察了27只狗和9只狼如何与人类互动,故选D。

4.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A Dogs and wolves have different ancestral history.

B Muscles likely developed to help in their interactions with people.

C Dogs learn to communicate with their eyes by living with humans.

D Dogs can raise their inner eyebrows less but at higher intensities than wolves.

解析:选C。主旨大意题。根据全文介绍可知,狗被驯化后与人类一起生活,学会了用眼睛与人类交流,故选C。