托福阅读tpo65R-1原文+译文+题目+答案+背景知识.pdf

托福阅读TPO65R-1ThePitOrgansofSnakes

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译文4

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原文

ThePitOrgansofSnakes

①Itisthoughtthatthefacialpitsorpitorgansontheheadofsome

snakesarespecializedinfrared(heat)receptors.Whenarattlesnake

strikes,thedirectionofthestrikeseemstobeguidedbytheinfrared

radiationfromitsprey.Arattlesnakestrikesonlyatwarm-bloodedprey,

andwhenthepreyisdeadandatroomtemperature,thesnakewillnot

strike.However,ablindfoldedsnakestrikescorrectlyatadeadratthat

ispulledacrossthecage,providedtheratiswarmerthanthe

surroundings.Blindfolded,thesnakecannotbeguidedbyvision;noris

itguidedbythesenseofsmell,foritwillstrikecorrectlyevenata

moving,cloth-wrappedelectricbulb.Thepitorgansareevidently

involvedinsensingthelocationofwarmobjects.Allsnakesthathave

pitorgansfeedpreferentiallyonwarm-bloodedprey,andthisfurther

1

supportstheviewthattheseorgansareinfraredsensors.Inthe

rattlesnakethepitorgansarelocated,oneoneachside,betweenthe

nostrilandtheeye;theyareconnectedtomanynerves,andthisin

itselfsuggestsasensoryrolefortheorgan.

②Thesensitivityofthefacialpithasbeenexaminedbyrecordingthe

activityinthenerveleadingfromtheorgan.Avarietyofstimuli,such

assound,vibration,orlightofmoderateintensity(withtheinfrared

partofthespectrumfilteredout),hasnodetectableeffectonthe

activityinthenerve.However,ifobjectsofatemperaturedifferent

fromthesurroundingsarebroughtintothereceptivefieldaroundthe

head,thereisastrikingchangeinnerveactivity,regardlessofthe

temperatureoftheinterveningair.

③Howistheinfraredradiationsensed?Thepitiscoveredbyathin

transparentmembrane,andithasbeensuggestedthatarisein

temper