Question

morrie has had a cold for 5 days, and his nose is so stuffy that he cannot smell anything. when he drinks his coffee, he finds that it is tasteless. what is the most likely reason for this? a chemical reaction has occurred between the caffeine and the cold medicine. to savor a taste, we need to breathe the aroma through our nose. morries cold has affected his taste buds. the coffee was too hot to taste.

Explanation:

The sense of taste and smell are closely related. When the nose is stuffed (as in a cold), it cannot detect the aroma of substances. Aroma plays a significant role in our perception of taste. Option A is incorrect as there is no indication of a chemical reaction between caffeine and cold medicine in the problem. Option C is wrong because a cold typically affects the sense of smell first, not taste buds directly (taste buds are more related to basic tastes like sweet, sour, etc., and a stuffed nose affects the complex flavor perception which involves smell). Option D is not relevant as the problem mentions a stuffed nose, not the temperature of the coffee.

Answer:

B. To savor a taste, we need to breathe the aroma through our nose.