then saying meaningless words such as “bobbu” and “bodmick” while holding up random objects the dogs hadn't seen before.

The scans suggested that the parts of the dogs' brains responsible for processing sounds showed different brain patterns when they heard words they were familiar with, compared with the ones they had never heard before. While that was not enough to prove that the dogs were picturing their toys when they heard the word, it did indicate some sort of recognition. The researchers believe this is an important step in understanding how dogs process language.

Something even more interesting was that the dog's brains showed a higher level of neural (神经的) activity at the sound of unknown words. This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains, which get more active at the sound of familiar words. The researchers say the dogs may become cheerful at the sound of new words to try to understand them in the hope of delighting their masters. “Dogs want to please their owners, and perhaps also want to receive praise or food，” says Emory neuroscientist Gregory Berns, senior author of the study.

However, though your pet may understand human speech, the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training. “When people want to teach their dog a trick, they often use spoken commands because that's what we humans prefer，” Prichard says. “From the dog's view, however, a visual command might be more effective, helping the dog learn the trick faster.”

[语篇解读] 本文是一篇说明文。一项新的研究表明，狗的确能理解主人说的话。 8．What's the purpose of the new study?

A．To convince dog owners to understand their dogs. B．To advise dog owners to treat their dogs kindly. C．To prove dogs follow owners' order by listening. D．To test out how dogs get information from owners.

解析：细节理解题。根据第一段尾句“A new study by scientists at Atlanta's Emory University seems to indicate that ‘man's best friend’ does indeed know what the owner is saying.”可知，亚特兰大的埃默里大学的科学家进行的一项新研究似乎表明，“人类最好的朋友”确实知道主人在说什么，并结合全文可知，该研究的目的是测试狗是如何理解主人的话的，故D项正确。

答案：D

9．What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2? A．Inform the result of the research. B．State the process of the research. C．Stress the importance of the research.

D．Introduce the subjects of the research.

解析：写作意图题。根据第二段第一句“The researchers began by asking the owners of twelve dogs of various kinds to train their pets to identify two toys of different materials, such as a toy animal and a ball.”并结合该段内容可知，该段主要介绍了进行研究的过程，包括让不同品种的狗识别不同材料的玩具等，据此可知，该段旨在介绍研究过程，故B项正确。

答案：B

10．How do human brains and dog brains react to words? A．Human brains become active in unfamiliar words. B．Dog brains become delighted at unfamiliar words. C．Human brains are not sensitive to familiar words. D．Dog brains show no response to familiar words.

解析：细节理解题。根据第四段前两句“Something even more interesting was that the dog's brains showed a higher level of neural activity at the sound of unknown words.This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains...”可知，对于不熟悉的单词，狗的大脑呈现出高水平的神经活动，而人类的大脑相反，故B项正确。

答案：B

11．What do scientists advise the owners to do in dog training? A．Give dogs oral commands. B．Teach dogs new tricks. C．Involve sight and smell. D．Encourage faster learning.

解析：细节理解题。根据尾段第一句“However, though your pet may understand human speech, the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training.”可知，尽管狗可能理解人类的语言，但科学家们建议使用视觉信号和嗅觉来训练它们，故C项正确。

答案：C