Question

【题目】Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head，according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.

Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.

Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said：“Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”

The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed.Thus, our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don't see—and guide whether we see fear.”

To further understand this relationship，the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪)to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person's feeling of fear.

“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear,”Dr Garfinkel said.

“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders，and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”

【1】What is the finding of the study? ________.

A. Fear is a result of one's relaxed heartbeat.

B. One's heart affects how he feels fear.

C. Fear has something to do with one's health.

D. One's fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.

【2】The study was carried out by analyzing ________.

A. volunteers' heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures

B. the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions

C. volunteers' reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans

D. different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart－brain communication

【3】Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?

A. order B. treatment C. machine D. system

【4】This study may contribute to ________．

A. treating anxiety and stress better

B. explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety

C. finding the key to the heart－brain communication

D. understanding different fears in our hearts and heads

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】C

【3】D

【4】A

【解析】

试题分析：恐惧有可能在不光在脑子里感受到，还有可能在心里感受到？调查显示心脏的收缩和舒张与恐惧的感觉之间存在着某种联系。

【1】B考查细节理解题。根据第二段的最后一句Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.可知调查显示心脏可能会影响大脑对令人恐惧的事情的反应。故选D。

【2】C考查细节理解题。根据第四段on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces以及第五段To further understand this relationship，the scientists also used a brain scanner to show…可知这项实验测试的是被测者对令人恐惧的图片的反应以及脑电图的数据。故选C。

【3】D考查词义猜测题。根据上下文可知这是一种重要的机制。mechanism意为“机制，机理”。综合四个选项可知D最合适。

【4】 A 考查细节理解题。根据文章最后一段we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders可知调查人员希望这项研究可以对治疗焦虑症等带来新的方法。故选A。