C
Of all the components of a good night’s sleep, dreams seem to be last within our control. In dreams, a window opens into a world where there is zero logic and dead people can speak. A century ago, Freud formulated(创立理论) his revolutionary theory that dreams were the hidden shadows of our unconscious desires and fears; by the late 1970s, neurologists(神经病学家) had switched to thinking of them as just “mental noise”—the random byproducts(副产品) of the neural repair work that goes on during sleep. Now researchers suspect that dreams are regulating moods while the brain is “offline”. And one leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events actually can be bought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better. “It’s your dream,” says Rosalind Cartwright, chair of psychology at Chicago’s Medical Center. “If you don’t like it, change it.”
Evidence from brain imaging supports this view. The brain is as active during rapid eye movement sleep when most vivid dreams occur as it is when fully awake, says Dr. Eric Nofzinger at the University of Pittsburgh. But not all parts of the brain are equally involved: the limbic system or the emotional brain is especially active, while the prefrontal cortex—the center of intellect and reasoning, is relatively quiet. “We wake up from dreams happy or depressed, and those feelings can stay with us all day,” says Stanford sleep researcher Dr. William Dement. This link is shown among the patients in Cartwright’s clinic. Most people seem to have more bad dreams early in the night, progressing toward happier ones before awakening, suggesting that they are working through negative feelings generated during the day. Because our conscious mind is occupied with daily life we don’t always think about the emotional significance of the day’s events—until, it appears, we begin to dream.
There is probably little reason to pay attention to our dreams at all unless they keep us from sleeping or “We wake up in a panic,” Cartwright says. Those suffering from persistent nightmares should seek help from a therapist. For the rest of us, the brain has its ways of working through bad feelings. Sleep or rather dream on it and you’ll feel better in the morning.What does Rosalind Cartwright think of dreams?
| A．Dreamers can exercise conscious control over them. |
| B．They are shadows of our unconscious desires and fears. |
| C．People with more emotional changes dream more often. |
| D．They are actually products of our brain’s neural repairs. |
What is shown in Cartwright’s clinic?
| A．The functions of vivid dreams. |
| B．The relation of dreams to emotions. |
| C．The functions of different brain parts. |
| D．The secret of rapid eye movement sleep. |
Casual nightmare sufferers are advised to .
| A．ask for medical help |
| B．relax their mind during the day |
| C．don’t take the dreams seriously |
| D．realize the emotional significance of daily events |
A powerful earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan at two forty-six p.m. local time on March eleventh.2011. Japan's Meteorological Agency released its first tsunami（海啸） warnings just three minutes later. The country has one of the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.
There are more than four thousand Seismic Intensity Meters in place throughout Japan to measure earthquake activity. These meters provide information within two minutes of an earthquake happening. Information about the strength and the center of the earthquake can be learned within three minutes.
There are also concrete(混凝土) sea walls around much of the Japanese coastline. But these measures proved no match for the powerful earthquake and tsunami.
Costas Synolakis ，a tsunami expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said，"Japan is one of those most well-prepared countries on earth in terms of tsunami warning. They had a warning. I think what went wrong is that they had not expected the size of this event."
He says there are two reasons for this. Japan has not had any event anywhere near as big as this one in the last one hundred fifty years. And scientists had not expected such a large earthquake happening off the coast of Japan.
The nine point zero magnitude earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded worldwide. It was also the worst earthquake ever to hit Japan. The tsunami waves that followed were reported to have reached as high as thirteen meters in some areas.
Costas Synolakis says Japan's concrete sea walls were not built to handle such high waves.
Experts say early warning systems will continue to be limited by these facts until earthquakes and tsunamis can be predictedWhere can this passage probably be adapted from?
| A．A magazine on science | B．A fairy Tale |
| C．A scientific fantasy book | D．A newspaper |
Which of the following statements NOT true ?
| A．A terrible earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan |
| B．It was also the worst earthquake in Japan |
| C．The 9.0 earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan |
| D．Japan's concrete sea walls was unable to handle such high waves. |
According to Costas Synolakis, why did Japan suffer such a loss?
| A．The country has never experienced any event as big as this one over the past 150 years |
| B．Japan has the best earthquake early warning systems in the world. |
| C．There are not concrete sea walls around all of the Japanese coastline |
| D．The government didn’t announce its first tsunami warnings three minutes earlier. |
Scientists have transformed men’s minds into a virtual（虚拟的）woman’s body in an experiment that could throw light upon how humans distinguish themselves form others.
In a study at Barcelona University, men wore a virtual reality headset that allowed them to see and hear the world as a female character. When they looked down, they could even see their new body and clothes.
The “body－swapping” effect was so convincing that the men’s sense of self was transferred into the virtual woman, causing them to react to events in the virtual world they were immersed（沉浸）. “This work opens up another avenue for virtual reality, which is not just to transform your sense of place, but also your sense of self,” said Mel Slater, “If you can temporarily give people the illusion that their bodies are different, then the evidence suggests it also affects their behavior and the way they think. They can have new experiences: a person who is thin can know what it is like to be fat. A man can have an experience of what it’s like to be a woman.”
During the experiment, a “female” approached and hit the face of the character another man was playing. “Their reaction was immediate,” said Slate. “They would take in a quick breath and maybe flinch（退缩）. The more people reported being in the girl’s body, the stronger physical reaction they had.” But in all cases, the feeling was temporary and lasted only as long as the study.
The study shows that our minds have a very fluid picture of our bodies. The research is expected to shed light on the puzzle of how our brain tells the difference between a part of our own body and something else in the wider world. Thus the work might improve the conditions for those who have experienced strokes by placing them in a world that helps them to use their bodies to the full again.How can a man’s mind get into a woman’s body?
| A．by distinguishing themselves from women |
| B．by taking part in an activity actively |
| C．by wearing a special device（设备） |
| D．by transforming his sense of place |
Of the following statements, which we can’t infer from the passage?
| A．Men in the experiment can temporarily have the wrong feeling that they are women. |
| B．When hit, the men in the virtual world will react angrily to it. |
| C．As soon as the experiment is finished, the men will return to the normal state |
| D．Probably, this study can be applied to medical fields and benefit humans. |
What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?
| A．to introduce an interesting and advanced study |
| B．to inform us of the latest development of virtual reality |
| C．to illustrate the importance of virtual reality |
| D．to build up our confidence to fight stroke |
For some reason, it takes constant reminders that we primates（灵长目）need nurturing.
In a recent study of 46 baby chimpanzee（黑猩猩）orphans, Kim Bard of the University of Portsmouth in England and her colleagues demonstrated that primate babies that have tight relationships with mother figures do much better on cognitive（认知）tests than babies who receive only food, shelter, and friendship with peers. But this is not breaking mews. In fact, it’s old news.
In the 1950s, Harry Harlow conducted a series of experiments with baby monkeys that showed, without doubt, that lack of love and comfort makes for a crazy monkey.
Harlow constructed a cage that included a wire monkey “mother” topped with a plastic face. In this wire he fixed Mom with a milk bottle. The cage also held another wire mother covered with terry cloth. The baby monkeys spent all their time with the cloth mother and only went to the wire mother to feed, demonstrating that a soft touch beat something to eat any day.
Harlow’s monkey work was important because, at the time, child care “experts” and everybody’s grandmother had a “no touch, no comfort” policy toward children. They advised parents not to respond to crying babies, felt babies should sleep alone to grow up independent, and for God’s sake put those kids down. But Harlow’s work changed all that. Mothers were soon permitted to have their newborns next to them in the hospital.
The current chimp research based on Harlow’s work shows that mother love not only makes for a psychologically well-adjusted child, but also makes for a smart kid. Bard and her colleagues evaluated the abilities of the chimps when they were 12 months old with standard human tests for children of that age, tests that ask little kids to imitate some action.
The highly raised chimps did better than the ones that were not loved, and what do you know, the well-raised chimps did even better than human kids on this small IQ test.
So we hear it once again. We are primates, social animals which need care and love. We need to be held and talked to and made to feel that at least one person wants to be with us all the time. And if we get that kind of connection, we are sure to be fine, even better than fine.The study Kim Bard and his colleagues did ______.
| A．included 46 baby and mother monkeys |
| B．was nothing new to people about the findings |
| C．showed that many chimpanzees lacked love when they were young |
| D．showed that many chimpanzees had good relationships with their mothers |
Why was Harlow’s monkey work important?
| A．Because the “no touch, no comfort” policy toward children was quite right. |
| B．Because parents were advised not to respond to babies’ crying. |
| C．Because Harlow’s work changed people’s former belief in child care. |
| D．Because mothers were not allowed to have their newborns next to them in the hospital. |
Harlow built two “mothers” for baby monkeys to ______.
| A．make them live comfortably | B．let them have more choices |
| C．give them more love | D．make a comparison |
Which of the following is TURE according to the text?
| A．Well-raised chimps always do even better than human kids. |
| B．A 12-month chimps is far cleverer than a child of that age. |
| C．The newborns were not allowed to be with their mothers in the past in the hospital. |
| D．Constantly touching the baby can make it feel safer. |
My son loves video games very much. He spends hours every day playing video games in his room. Is there any redeeming（补偿的）educational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry others may be too violent or numb（使麻木）his mind.
Cecilia
Some games may improve kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Games that require kids to actually move or manipulate（操纵）the game through their own physical movement can even get sedentary kids moving, though not as much as they could if they actually played outside or participated in sports or other outdoor acuities. Others, though, don’t have such benefits, and violent video games have been shown that they might increase kid’s aggressive behavior.
Like a lot of aspects of raising kids, when it comes to video games, the healthiest approach is actually self-control.
The American academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommends that kids should spend no more than 2 hours each day on screen time, including watching TV or movies, or playing computer or video games. So consider setting limits at least that strict to keep game playing from affecting their schoolwork, household responsibilities, and the physical activity your son needs very day.
Make sure that he’s playing games which are suitable for his age group. All video games are rated and labeled by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Steer clear of（避开）any rated “M” for mature. Those are for ages 17 and older and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.
Try to keep the video game console（游戏机控制板）in a common area of the house, not your son’s room. That way you can catch any inappropriate content in the games he’s playing, and he’ll be in a position to interact with others in the house while he’s playing.
Make sure your son has appealing alternatives, too, such as sports, activities, opportunities to socialize with peers; and downtime to be creative. If you continue to have concerns about his video game activity, talk with your doctor.
Reviewed by：Mary L. Gavin, MDWhat is the opinion of Mary L. Gavin about playing video games?
| A．Whether it’s beneficial or harmful depends on what the video games are. |
| B．It always improves kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. |
| C．It will make kids more violent and increase their aggressive behavior. |
| D．Kids should give it up and put their hearts fully into their schoolwork. |
The underlined word “sedentary” in the first paragraph of the answer letter is the nearest in meaning to “______”.
| A．unhealthy | B．lively | C．bright | D．inactive |
According to Mary L. Gavin, which of the following is encouraged to do by parents?
| A．Keep the video game console out of their house. |
| B．Allow their children to play only such video games as rated “M” |
| C．Let kids play video games as much as possible if it doesn’t affect their lessons. |
| D．Help their children develop other healthy hobbies such as sports and painting. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Should children play video games? |
| B．Kids’ playing video games is harmful. |
| C．Is playing video games good for kids? |
| D．Help children choose video games. |
It can’t be truer that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So it’s necessary for you to know what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions only on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausted, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art, music and current events or history are welcome topics. French believe in freedom, and you can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit and never use the standard. U.S. conversation opener “What do you do”.
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up these two subjects; be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australia and Australians tend to use sporting comparisons. Australians like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others. Don’t talk big；instead Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to teasing.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however, you’ll find that they are honest, responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are a very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?
| A．There is no moment of silence when you talk with French. |
| B．French don’t like others asking their careers. |
| C．The Swiss may seem cold but humorous sometimes. |
| D．Australians tend to judge you by your words. |
It is suggested during talking that ______
| A．you should tell the Australians what education you have received. |
| B．you should not use too much sporting comparisons with Australians. |
| C．you should not ask personal questions from people of the three countries. |
| D．you should have the Australians bring up subjects first. |
We can infer from the passage that ______
| A．Australians don’t like to show off their success before others. |
| B．Australians like to criticize themselves and others. |
| C．you can talk with French about anything even if you know little. |
| D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have the right. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Talking in western countries |
| B．How to argue with foreigners |
| C．Things that can’t be talked with foreigners |
| D．How to adapt to the life in western countries |
What will the author talk about in the following paragraphs?
| A．How to talk efficiently with foreigners. |
| B．Customs of the three countries. |
| C．How to choose topics in the western countries. |
| D．How to be a good listener. |
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