At the beginning of this century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery; we are built not just of flesh and blood but also of time. They were        to show that we all have “a body clock”         us, which controls the        and fall of our body energies,        us different from one day to the next.

The        of “a body clock” should not be too        since the lives of most living things are controlled        the 24 hour night-and-day cycle. We feel        and fall asleep at night and become        and energetic during the day. If the 24 hour-cycle is        , most people experience unpleasant        . For example, people who are not        to working at night can find that        of sleep causes them to        badly at work.

       the daily cycle of sleeping and       , we also have other cycles which       longer than one day. Most of us would        that we feel good on some days and not so good on         ; sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they        do not exist.

1.A.anxious    B.able    C.careful               D.proud

2.A.inside       B.around        C.between           D.on

3.A.movement        B.supply          C.use                D.rise

4.A.showing   B.treating       C.making               D.changing

5.A.invention B.opinion        C.story             D.idea

6.A.difficult    B.exciting       C.surprising          D.interesting

7.A.from         B.by        C.over         D.during

8.A.dull         B.tired C.dreamy        D.peaceful

9.A.regular     B.excited        C.lively        D.clear

10.A.disturbed       B.shortened   C.reset        D.troubled

11.A.moments        B.feelings       C.senses              D.effects

12.A.prevented      B.allowed       C.expected    D.used

13.A.miss       B.none   C.lack          D.need

14.A.perform          B.show   C.manage            D.control

15.A.With       B.As well as    C.Except              D.Rather than

16.A.working         B.moving        C.living        D.waking

17.A.repeat   B.remain         C.last           D.happen

18.A.agree     B.believe        C.realize              D.allow

19.A.other     B.the other    C.all other           D.others

20.A.just         B.only    C.still           D.yet

 

The works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth are “rocket-boosters” to the brain and better therapy than self-help books, researchers will say this week.

Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the Bard and other classical writers has a beneficial effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and cause moments of self-reflection.

Using scanners, they monitored the brain activity of volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S Eliot and others.

They then “translated” the texts into more “straightforward”, modern language and again monitored the readers’ brains as they read the words.

Scans showed that the more “challenging” prose (散文)and poetry set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the more pedestrian versions.

Scientists were able to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and record how it “lit up” as the readers encountered unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentence structure.

This “lighting up” of the mind lasts longer than the initial electrical spark, shifting the brain to a higher gear, encouraging further reading.

The research also found that reading poetry, in particular, increases activity in the right hemisphere (半球)of the brain, an area concerned with “autobiographical memory”, helping the reader to reflect on and reappraise their own experiences in light of what they have read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.

Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study with the university’s magnetic resonance centre, will tell a conference this week: “Serious literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain.

"The research shows the power of literature to shift mental pathways, to create new thoughts, shapes and connections in the young and the elderly alike.”

1.How do classics such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth benefit the readers?

A.They set off far less electrical activity in the brain.

B.They light up the mind shorter than the initial electrical spark.

C.They shift physical pathways in the young and the elderly.

D.They draw readers’ attention and help make self-examination.

2.Why does the author mention” They then” translated”… modern language“?

A.To prove that classics are more useful than ordinary versions.

B.To show self-help books act like rocket-boosters to the brain.

C.To tell serious literature sets off far less electrical activity.

D.To make known ordinary versions set off more electrical activity

3.What can we conclude according to the researchers?

A.Self-help books are more valuable than classics.

B.Serious literature lights up the mind shorter than ordinary versions.

C.The right hemisphere of the brain is related to autobiographical memory.

D.Literature has a beneficial effect only on the mind of the young.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.Ordinary Versions Create New Thoughts

B.Modern Language Increases the Brain

C.Classics Help lmprove the Brain Activity

D.Self-help Books, Rocket-boosters

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网