研究生入学考试◆英语題庫下載題庫

The human nose is an underrated tool. Humans are often thought to be insensitive smellers compared with animals, __1__ this is largely because, __2__ animals, we stand upright. This means that our noses are __3__ to perceiving those smells which float through the air, __4__ the majority of smells which stick to surfaces. In fact, __5__, we are extremely sensitive to smells, __6__ we do not generally realize it. Our noses are capable of __7__ human smells even when these are __8__ to far below one part in one million.

Strangely, some people find that they can smell one type of flower but not another, __9__ others are sensitive to the smells of both flowers. This may be because some people do not have the genes necessary to generate __10__ smell receptors in the nose. These receptors are the cells which sense smells and send __11__ to the brain. However, it has been found that even people insensitive to a certain smell __12__ can suddenly become sensitive to it when __13__ to it often enough.

The explanation for insensitivity to smell seems to be that brain finds it __14__ to keep all smell receptors working all the time but can __15__ new receptors if necessary. This may __16__ explain why we are not usually sensitive to our own smells we simply do not need to be. We are not __17__ of the usual smell of our own house but we __18__ new smells when we visit someone else’s. The brain finds it best to keep smell receptors __19__ for unfamiliar and emergency signals __20__ the smell of smoke, which might indicate the danger of fire.