第一段
Why are dogs our best friends? Maybe because they can understand our words much better than we thought, according to a study in Hungary. The study showed that dogs understand not only what we say, but also how we say it. “The results were very exciting and surprising,”said Attila Andics, the lead researcher from a university in Budapest.
understand：v.理解；明白
过去式和过去分词：understood
现在分词：understanding
much修饰形容词的比较级。
much和many的区别：
○many修饰可数名词复数，如：many apples；much修饰不可数名词，如：much money。
○many作代词代表可数名词复数，如：many of the students；much作代词代表不可数名词，如：much of the bread。
○much可以修饰动词，如：I like it very much.；many不可以修饰动词。
○much可以修饰比较级；many不可以。
according to根据；按照
not only...but also...不但...而且...(连接2个表示并列关系的成分，强调后者。also有时可以省略。)
○连接主语。
如：Not only I but also you are hard-working.不止我，连你也很用功。(谓语动词由but also后面的名词单复数决定，名复谓复，名单谓单。)
○连接谓语动词。
如：He not only sings, but also dances.他不仅会唱歌，也会跳舞。
○连接宾语。
如：She likes not only music but also sports.她不仅喜欢音乐，也喜欢运动。
以-ed和-ing结尾的形容词的区别：
○-ed形容词：说明人或动物的感觉、情绪，不说明事物。
如：tired感到疲惫的，excited感到兴奋的，surprised感到惊讶的...
○-ing形容词：说明人或物具有的特征、特点、特质。
如：tiring引起疲劳的，exciting令人兴奋的，surprising令人惊讶的...
名词lead作定语修饰名词researchers。
第二段
For the study, the researchers first trained 13 dogs for months. The dogs had to sit quietly inside machines so that the researchers could check their brain activities. Then the researchers put headphones on dogs and played people’s voices to them. There were four different voices. Some were of positive words, such as “well done”, or negative words like “not good”. The words were also in different tones. Some were positive, some were neutral, and some were negative.
train：v.训练；培养；锻炼；教育/n.火车；列车
培训学校training school
for months数月；数月来
quiet：adj.安静的；轻声的；不出声的=silent/v.安静
quietly：adv.安静地；平静地；静悄悄地=silently
so that以便；以致
so that与so...that...的区别：
○so that引导目的状语从句，从句谓语动词常用can/could/may/might/will/would/should等情态动词或助动词。
○so+形容词或副词+that+结果状语从句，意为"如此...以致于..."
check：v./n.检查；制止；控制
brain activity大脑活动 (复数：activities)
headphone：n.双耳式耳机=headset
蓝牙耳机bluetooth headset
无线耳机wireless headset
play在句中意为"播放"，其余意思为"玩；参加；扮演；演奏"等。
voice：n.声音；嗓音；发言权；[语]语态
positive：adj.积极的，正数的——反义词：negative否定的，负数的
such as例如；诸如...之类的
well done做得好；好；太棒啦(常用口语)
tone：n.音调；语气；语调
neutral：adj.中立的；不偏不倚的；中性的
(阅读理解的情感态度题中会出现，可积累一些表示情感态度的词汇，如：positive，neutral，negative，optimistic乐观的，pessimistic悲观的......)
第三段
Brain scans showed the dogs could recognize words, as well as the tones of words, much like people do. The positive words with a positive tone brought the strongest activity in their brains’ reaction centres. “It shows that for dogs, a nice phrase can work very well as a reward, but it works best if both words and tones match,”said Andics.
scan：n./v.扫描；浏览；细看
过去式和过去分词：scanned(双写n)
现在分词：scanning
recognize：v.认出；识别；辨别
recognition：n.认识；识别；认可；承认
as well as还有，也，和...一样
副词much修饰：
○修饰动词时，通常用于否定句或疑问句中，一般不用于肯定句中。(除了前面有very, too, so等修饰语。)
如：She doesn much like him./She likes him very much.
○修饰介词短语。主要修饰由like, in, to等介词构成的短语。
如：The baby doesn look much like his husband.
本句的much like people do就是much修饰介词短语。
○修饰比较级。如：much better than that。
reaction：n.反应；化学反应；反动
centre是英式英语，center是美式英语，意思一样，没有区别。
意为名词"中心"。
as a reward作为回报
reward：n.奖赏；酬劳；回报；报答；奖品
match：v.相配，匹配/n.火柴；比赛；对手(复数：matches)
第四段
They also found that dogs deal with meaningful words with the left side of the brain and tones with the right. Human brains work in the same way.
deal with处理；对付 (与how搭配)。
如：I don know how they deal with it.我不知道怎么处理。
do with处理；对付 (与what搭配)。
如：I don know what they do with it.
meaningful：adj.有意义的；重要的；有益的
meaning：n.意义；意思；含义；内涵
mean：v.意味着；意图/adj.吝啬的；小气的；刻薄的；恶意的
in the same way以相同的方式；同样地
第五段
Andics said it gave us a new understanding of language. That is to say, not only humans understand the meaning in words, but also other species do.
understanding：n.理解；看法；懂得；熟知，通晓/adj.通情达理的；宽容的
that is to say也就是说
in words在言辞中；口头上；用语言
species：n.物种；种类 (复数：species。单复数同形。)
specify：v.明确说明；指定；详细说明；列举
过去式和过去分词：specified
