PEOPLE who have had a painful experience may wish they could wipe the memory from their minds. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, US, say that this may someday be possible.
A drug remains far off, but researchers have laid a foundation with their discovery that proteins can be removed from the brain’s fear center to cut memories forever.
Previous research had already shown that a special behavior therapy (治疗) could cut painful memories. But relapse (复发) was possible because the memory hadn’t necessarily disappeared.
By looking at that process, Richard Huganir and Roger Clem, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University, discovered a “window of vulnerability (脆弱的窗口)” when proteins are created. The proteins help signals travel within the brain as painful memories are made. Because the proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with drugs or behavior therapy to cut memories.
Researchers used mice to find the window, but think the process would be the same in humans. They used electric shocks to make the mice fear a certain sound. The sound triggered (触发) the creation of the proteins, called calcium-permeable (钙通透性) AMPARS, which formed for a day or two in the fear centers of the mice’s brains.
The researchers are working on ways to reopen the window by recalling (唤醒) the painful memory and using drugs to remove the protein. They published their report online last month in Science Express.
Their research has drawn interest and concern from experts in mental healthcare.
Kate Farinholt, a mental health expert with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maryland, US, said many people suffering from a painful event might benefit from erasing a memory. “Erasing a memory and then everything bad built on that is an amazing idea, and I can see all sorts of potential ,” she said.
But there are a lot of unanswered questions, too.
“Completely deleting a memory is a little scary. How do you remove a memory without removing a part of someone’s life,” Farinholt said. “And is it best to do that, considering that people grow and learn from their experiences?”
【小题1】What have researchers at Johns Hopkins University found recently?  

A.A new drug to erase painful memories from human brains.
B.A special behavior therapy to erase painful memories.
C.Removing certain proteins from the brain can wipe painful memories.
D.Erasing memory damages a patient’s brain functions.
【小题2】What makes it possible to erase painful memories according to Paragraph 4? 
A.The way the brain cells are created.
B.The unstable character of the proteins in the brain.
C.The strength of the signals the proteins send.
D.The drugs that can stop the formation of memories.
【小题3】Which of the following shows the stages of the process done on mice? 
a. removal of fear proteins            b. making mice fear a certain sound
c. fear proteins created in mice brains   d. making mice recall painful memories
A.a-b-c-dB.d-a-c-bC.b-c-d-aD.c-b-d-a
【小题4】What is Kate Farinholt’s opinion of the research? 
A.People may lose the chance to learn from their bad experiences.
B.The research will be a great breakthrough in treating painful memories.
C.People could suffer long-term memory loss.
D.People could forget happy memories as well.

What is it that makes a house a home ? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other , who are harmonious and closer inside with one another than they are outside with those in the workplace or with classmates at school . A home is a place of companionship that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love , sharing and appreciation , and the members help each other .

     I have seen families on the street. But if they live , sleep , talk , and eat together , they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to live in them . The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby . The parents work. The children do wrong . They don’t talk and eat together every day . They rarely see each other . The truly homeless people are those with babysitters , caretakers , gardeners and maids. Parents are unaware , too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in . This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless . Who is to be pitied ?

     Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time , the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home . Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped . The computer eats up the time that one should be giving to others within the home . Using the computer moderately gives us time for gentleness , play and communication , not with a screen , but with a human being.

1.The purpose of the first paragraph is to _____________ .

A. tell us that where there is home there is love

B. tell us what people think home is

C. show the author’s concept of home

D. tell people how to have a happy home

2.The underlined word those  in the second paragraph refers to _____________ .

A. people who build multi-million-dollar houses

B. people who have lost their family members

C. people who don’t spend time with the family

D. homeless families living on the street in America

3.Which statement is Not True according to the passage ?

A. A home is a place where you are willing to stay .

B. Even the poorest person can have a happy home .

C. Computers and the Internet are important for a happy family.

D. Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied .

4.Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage ?

A. How to make a house a home        B. What makes a house a home

C. Who are homeless , the poor         D. What’s a home for

 

The blockbuster film Titanic has brought millions of dollars and thousands of people to the theaters and continues to touch people today in their homes. Why is this film so successful? It is a combination of many different things. Among these are many different elements. Looking at some of these elements will show how the director and others involved were able to create an emotionally charged movie that appealed to millions.

The film uses one thematic(主题的) element called - The Truth of Human Nature. The two main characters seem to represent noble people. Most of the other characters in the film are shown as non-tolerant, rude and cold-hearted people. The element of focusing on the two main characters' love and emotion seems symbolic of an ideal state.

There are also social problems addressed. This is done in a few different ways. The most noticeable way is that the lower class people remain locked in the basement as the ship goes down. Throughout Titanic, the lighting is very important. The poor, lower class people are always shown in very warm-coloured light that gives them a sense of life and happiness. On the other hand, the rich, upper class are always shown in a flat light portraying the feeling of hardness and coldness. By using these techniques, they show the issue of class segregation(种族隔离), and they create stereotypes. The main characters are able to break free of these stereotypes and be together. This is the solution to the segregation problem.

As you can see, Titanic took a lot of thinking and preparation to film in a manner that would create emotion and bring to the surface the issues and story of the great ship.

1.The underlined word “blockbuster” in the first paragraph probably means “________”.

A.something very successful

B.a highly explosive bomb

C.something worth a lot of money

D.a touching story

2.In Titanic, the scene of the lower class people remaining locked in the basement as the ship goes down is used to ________.

A.criticize non-tolerant and cold-hearted rich people

B.enlarge the scene of the film

C.make the film more attractive

D.emphasize the condition of the poor at that time

3.Why were different colours of light used in the film Titanic? ________

A.They were used to show the difference between the rich and the poor.

B.The director was determined to achieve good visual effect.

C.The social status was represented by the color of light in the past.

D.The use of light was the main technique the director made use of.

4.What can we infer from the passage? _________

A.The segregation problem in the society can be solved by using the light.

B.Though love is the main theme of Titanic, it also reflects some social problems.

C.Because of the director's talents, the film Titanic achieved great success.

D.In the film Titanic there are two characters altogether.

5.The writer mainly talks about ________ in this passage.

A.the process of shooting Titanic

B.the leading actor and actress in Titanic

C.the reasons why Titanic became a blockbuster film

D.the outline of Titanic

 

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