问题标题:
AlmostanyonewhohasreadatravelbrochureaboutAfricahasheardofelephantsgettingdrunkfromthefruitofthemarulatree.Itissaidthatelephantscangetdrunkbyeatingthefermented(发酵)fruitrottingontheground.Bookshaveevenbe
问题描述:

AlmostanyonewhohasreadatravelbrochureaboutAfricahasheardofelephantsgettingdrunkfromthefruitofthemarulatree.Itissaidthatelephantscangetdrunkbyeatingthefermented(发酵)fruitrottingontheground.Bookshaveevenbeenwrittentoprovethetruthofthephenomenon.

Butastudypublished in thejournalPhysiologicalandBiochemicalZoologytellsaverydifferentstory.

SteveMorrisabiologistattheUniversityofBristolinEnglandandanauthorofthestudysaysthereisnothinginthebiologyofeithertheAfricanelephantorthemarulafruittosupportthestories.Morrissays“Peoplejustwanttobelieveindrunkenelephants.”

Themarulatreeamemberofthesamefamilyasthemango,growswidelyinAfrica.Itssweetyellowfruitisusedformakingjamwineandbeer.“Thefirstmistakeofthedrunken­elephanttheoryisthatit'sunlikelythatanelephantwouldeatthefruitifitwererotten,”Morrissays.“Elephantseatthefruitrightoffthetree,notwhenit'srottenontheground,”heexplains.

Otherexpertsaddthatifanelephantweretoeatthefruitonthegrounditwouldn'twaitforthefruittoferment.MichelleGaddanAfricanwildlifespecialistsaysthatelephantsandmanyotheranimalsincludingbirdsandmonkeysaretoofondofmarulafruittoletitrot.

Ifthefermentedfruitonthegroundisoutofthequestionsoisthenotionthatthefruitcouldfermentinthestomachofelephants,accordingtothestudyauthors.Foodtakesbetween12and46hourstopassthroughanelephant'sdigestivesystemtheauthorspointout,whichisnotenoughforthefruittoferment.

Supposingthatthishappenedit'sstillhighlyimprobablethatthefoodwouldproduceenoughalcoholtomakeanelephantdrunk.Throughcalculationsofbodyweightelephantdigestionratesandotherfactorstheauthorsconcludethatitwouldtakeabout1.9litresofethanol(乙醇)tomakeanelephantdrunk.

56.Wecanlearnfromthepassagethat________.

A.itisnoteasytofindthemarulafruitinthewild inAfrica

B.Africanelephantsdon'tliketoeatthemarulafruit atall

C.themarulafruitcanbemadeintofoodordrink consumedbypeople

D.birdsandmonkeysinAfricaliketoeattherotten marulafruit

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