Question

read the excerpt from an immense world: how animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us by ed yong. in this passage, the author and horowitz, a scientist, watch a dog explore a room using his sense of smell.

as i look around, finn smells around. he explores nostrils-first, intently sniffing the foam mats on the floor, the keyboard and mouse on the desk, the curtain draped over a corner, and the space beneath my chair. compared to humans, who can explore new scenes by subtly moving our heads and eyes, a dogs nasal explorations are so meandering that its easy to see them as random and thus aimless. horowitz thinks of them differently. finn, she notes, is interested in objects that people have touched and interacted with. he follows trails and checks out spots where other dogs have been. he examines vents, door cracks, and other places where moving air imports new odorants-scented molecules. he sniffs different parts of the same object, and hell sniff them at different distances, \like hes approaching the van gogh and seeing what the brushstrokes look like up close,\ says horowitz. \theyre in that state of olfactory exploration all the time.\

horowitz is an expert on dog olfaction-their sense of smell-and im here to talk with her about all things sniffy and nasal. and yet, im so relentlessly visual that when finn finishes nosing around and approaches me, im instantly drawn to his eyes, which are captivating and brown like the darkest chocolate. it takes concerted effort to refocus on whats right in front of them-his nose, prominent and moist, with two apostrophe-shaped nostrils curving to the side.

from ed yong, an immense world: how animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us. copyright 2022 by ed yong

which word best describes the tone of the passage?
detached
amused
observant
anxious

Explanation:

Analyze the author's attitude and focus

Using the Tone Analysis knowledge point

The passage describes a detailed, close observation of a dog named Finn exploring a room using his sense of smell. The author and the scientist, Horowitz, pay close attention to the dog's specific movements, the objects he sniffs (foam mats, keyboard, mouse, curtain, vents, door cracks), and the physical details of his nose ("prominent and moist, with two apostrophe-shaped nostrils curving to the side"). This deep focus on details and sensory experiences indicates a highly attentive, watchful, and descriptive attitude.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

Using the Tone Analysis knowledge point

• detached: Incorrect. The author is personally engaged, describing their own visual tendencies and close interaction with the dog.
• amused: Incorrect. While the passage is lighthearted, the primary focus is on scientific and sensory curiosity rather than humor or entertainment.
• observant: Correct. The passage is filled with precise, detailed descriptions of the dog's behavior, physical traits, and sensory exploration, reflecting a highly attentive and watchful tone.
• anxious: Incorrect. There are no signs of worry, fear, or tension in the passage.

Answer:

• detached
• amused
• observant (Correct answer)
• anxious