Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing (治疗) power of humor. It is claimed that humor not only affects patients’ moods, but can actually help them recover faster.
Several studies seem to support this. Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts. Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies.
Despite all this, many researchers are not convinced. They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally, with or without a daily dose of laughter. They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health, it is hard to tell which comes first.
Humor in times of stress, however, clearly makes us feel better. On one level, it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us. On another, it releases powerful endorphins, a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain.
There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person’s health. It can show, for example, whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe (额叶).
Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list. Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis (综合) of ideas. Subjects with specifically located brain damage, however, responded only to slapstick (闹剧) endings, which did not depend on a particular context. When pressed, the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings. They simply did not find them funny.
Of course, humor is largely an individual matter. Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes, there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain. However, you might suggest that he lighten up—for the health of it.
63. We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. all researchers have agreed on the healing power of humor
B. people seldom accuse their friends of not understanding jokes
C. the author holds a positive attitude to the healing power of humor
D. reading comics will surely become a popular way of treating diseases
64. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Many researchers are not convinced of the healing power of humor.
B. Patients in bad moods are known to have higher immune cell counts.
C. Optimism in general does seem to be related to better health.
D. People should try their best to cheer up for their good health.
65. Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that ________.
A. the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains
B. a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings
C. a person suffering certain brain damage doesn’t appreciate a good joke
D. humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins
66. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Which comes first, humor or health? B. Humor can cure different illnesses
C. People need humor in times of stress D. Humor contributes to good health
In Europe people hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right throughout the meal, a system that is generally agreed to be more efficient than the American zigzag（曲折的）method. Americans hold both the fork and the knife in their right hands throughout the meal, so they continually change their forks to the left hand when they have to cut their meat. It seems to be funny for the Europeans to see Americans busy changing their dinner sets, making a lot of noises. A few explanations for this American style are as follows:
(1)Americans are practical and efficient. Since most of us are right-handed, it is reasonable to keep our working tools at all times in the right hand that can use them most efficiently.
(2)Americans, the master of the New World are rebels（叛逆者）.They use the zigzag method to break the rules in the Old World and in this way they are thumbing their nose at Mother England. Americans are a restless kind. They do not like to sit in one spot for very long when dining.
(3)Forced to do so, they respond by “playing” with the silver.
Whatever the reason for the practice, it is now certainly as American as apple pie. Europeans recognize this and are quick to attack it as evidence of American innocence（无知）of form. Arguments against the zigzag method rest not only on grounds of efficiency but also on those of tradition. In Old World dining, the knife is held in the right hand continually because it can serve as an instant defense against the uninvited intruders（入侵者）.However, such alertness（警觉） is out of place in the New World, as every American believes that this is the home of the brave. Americans juggle their silverware, perhaps, to show that they are not afraid and that one of them holding a fork is worth any number of them holding blades（刀）.Americans use _______ to hold their fork to pick up the salad.
| A．the right hand | B．the left hand |
| C．both hands | D．either of the two hands |
As the masters of the New World, Americans use a different cutting method from that in the Old World to _______.
| A．show their independence of Mother England |
| B．show their disrespect to Mother England |
| C．add a new tradition to those in Mother England |
| D．show off their creativeness to Mother England |
In the sentence, the word “juggle” probably means _______.
| A．hold | B．play with | C．pick up | D．lay down |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．European people hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. |
| B．The zigzag eating method is related to American characteristics. |
| C．The zigzag eating method has become an American feature. |
| D．European people will use the American method because of its efficiency. |
Awareness Weeks（认知宣传周）have become a regular part of Britain's cultural landscape over the past few years. They started back in 1957,when one charity（慈善机构）,Christian Aid, decided to make all its money-raising efforts on one time of year. It was thought that by doing this they would get more publicity for their cause.
They were right, and soon other charities and campaign groups followed them. These days, most donations to charity are not collected on the streets. So instead of just asking for money, charities prefer to spend their time “raising awareness”—spreading knowledge of the work they do or the cause they support. They also compete with businesses and trade groups who use awareness weeks as marketing campaigns for their products.
There are now 500 awareness weeks held every year in the UK. No week goes by without one group or another trying to make the British public aware of something, with most held in May or October.
The danger with all these awareness weeks is that people start to become cynical(不信任).Take National Smile Week, it seems like a great idea. Let's all make each other's life a little bit happier with a friendly smile. But really it's just a group of dentists and cosmetics companies trying to sell us toothpastes. It's enough to make you want to start National Forget About It Week.
“People feel that many awareness campaigns are just marketing exercises,” says Ms Ormiston, who edits the Awareness Campaign Register, a newsletter which encourages people who run Awareness Weeks to become more aware of each other.“But 90 per cent of campaigns are run by traditional charities or not for groups to make money.”
“There's still no official group for awareness campaigns,” says Ms Ormiston.“People can do what they like, whatever the size of their budgets（经费）or their public relations machines allows.”
This situation has led to calls for laws to stop real charities having their efforts overshadowed by marketing campaigns. This could be done by making the two groups hold their weeks at different times or stopping businesses running imitation(模仿) charity campaigns.
But there is another way. Maybe it's time for National Weak Awareness Week, especially for people whose awareness of Awareness Weeks is weak.What's the main purpose of awareness weeks run by charities in Britain?
| A．To raise money for charities. |
| B．To spread knowledge of charities. |
| C．To take up marketing campaigns. |
| D．To advertise their goods for sale. |
Why do people start to become cynical about awareness weeks?
| A．Too many awareness weeks make people feel bored. |
| B．People feel many awareness weeks are just for marketing exercises. |
| C．People have a weak awareness of awareness weeks. |
| D．Awareness weeks are held too often and too much money is raised. |
What does Ms Ormiston think about awareness weeks?
| A．Most of the awareness weeks should not be for making money. |
| B．Official groups should take the place of charities in awareness campaigns. |
| C．People can do what they like in awareness weeks. |
| D．People can get larger budgets through awareness campaigns. |
In the 1960s,medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They found out that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress—it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events has a great effect on your chances of staying healthy.
By the early 1970s,hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow, the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women's magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illnesses”.If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said, avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. ven if stressful events are dangerous, many—like the death of a loved one—are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription(处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move.
The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of what we know about people. It is supposed that we're all weak and passive in the face of difficulty. But many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental damage.The result of Holmes-Rahe's medical research tells us _______.
| A．the way of dealing with major events may cause stress |
| B．what should be done to avoid stress |
| C．what kind of event would cause stress |
| D．how to deal with sudden changes in life |
The studies on stress in the early 1970's led to_______.
| A．widespread worry over its harmful effects |
| B．great fear about the mental problems it could cause |
| C．a deep research into illnesses connected with stress |
| D．popular avoidance of stressful jobs |
According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become_______.
| A．discouraged when faced with difficulty |
| B．physically and mentally weak |
| C．more experienced in the face of difficulty |
| D．uninterested in what happens to them |
What's the purpose of writing the text?
| A．To tell people the discoveries about stress. |
| B．To tell people how to keep healthy. |
| C．To help people avoid stressful events. |
| D．To help people view stress properly. |
Experts say it is far easier to prevent a child from being taken than to find missing children. Their advice to parents.
(1)Tell your child your phone number, including area code, and your full address.
(2)Keep up-to-date photographs of your child on hand.
(3)Make a mental note of what your child is wearing every day.
(4)Be sure your child know what to do if you are separated from him or her.
(5)Keep records of your child as early as possible and keep them up-to-date.
(6)Have a set of your child's fingerprints taken by the police and keep it at home.
(7)Make sure your child's school will phone you if your child is absent.
For information of what you can do to help solve the missing-children problem at the national level, call 1-800KID-FIND or write: FIND THE CHILDREN!11811W.Olympic Blue. Low Angeles, call 90064.The writer of this passage may be_______.
| A．an expert who is good at finding missing children |
| B．a policeman who is in charge of KIDFIND service in a police station |
| C．a teacher who teaches children how to phone their parents |
| D．a teenager who was once missing |
This passage is mainly written to warn_______.
| A．schoolboys | B．children | C．parents | D．teachers |
The best title of this passage may be_______.
| A．How to Find Missing Children |
| B．How to Protect Your Children |
| C．How to Teach Your Children Phone Number and Full Address |
| D．How to Phone the Police When You Are in Trouble |
In most towns today, you can see teenagers standing over electronic machines with flashing lights, shooting at spaceships from other planets and dropping bombs on strange monsters（恶魔）.The machines have names like Space Warrior, Dark Invader and so on. It used to be believed that damage was done only to those strange visitors from outer space, but now it seems that they are striking back.
Many teenagers like electronic games so much that they can't stop playing. They spend hours tightly holding the joystick controls and constantly pressing buttons marked “fire”.They develop pains on their fingers because of the constant pressure. They play and play so that the pains have no chance to cure properly. The rapid wrist movement required to guide the spaceship across the screen causes another problem: The muscles of the wrist and arm become so inflamed and swollen(充血红肿)that they press against the bones. This condition is what doctors now call “Space Warriar's Wrist”.Other strange aches and pains also are likely to affect（影响）the elbows and shoulders.
Another even more alarming problem is shown by the case of a 17-year-old girl which was recently in the British Medical Journal. She had been playing all kinds of electronic games for more than two hours a day. Her father repaired games and machines and she could use the cassettes and systems in his workshop as often as she liked. One day, after playing a game called Dark Invader, she lost consciousness(晕倒)and fell to the floor.
Doctors who examined her found she was suffering from an unusual illness caused by lights flashing at a particular frequency.“Space Warrior's Wrist”is caused by_______.
| A．constantly pressing the buttons |
| B．rapidly moving across the screen |
| C．tightly holding the joystick controls |
| D．inflamed and swollen muscles of the wrist |
The case of a 17-year-old girl by the writer shows that the writer_______.
| A．supports playing electronic games |
| B．feels very sorry for the girl |
| C．disagrees with young people's playing electronic games |
| D．feels worried about young people's poor health |
From the passage we can conclude that playing electronic games is _______.
| A．enjoyable and helpful to the study |
| B．exciting but harmful to the health and study |
| C．interesting but harmless to the eyes |
| D．amusing and satisfying |