The research carried out by the University of Bad in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.
A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology
Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered
most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly painting, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. The subjects rated the pa
in as being a third less intense while they were
viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings
or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced resoonse to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.
While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients,Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.
The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that
beaufiful surroundings could aid the healing process.
"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist."Beauty boyiously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering."
Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by pablo Picasso, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero." These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso.
The underlined word "alleviate" in the fifth paragraph probably means"______".
A.cure | B.ease | C.improve | D.kill |
How many artists have been mentioned in the passage?
A.4. | B.5. | C.6. | D.7. |
Which of the following is TURE about the view of Prof de T
ommaso's?
A.Beautiful surroundings could help to heal sufferings completely. |
B.Hospitals must take their artistic aspects into consideration first. |
C.Ugly surroundings will surely make the pain worse. |
D.Both music and beauty can reduce pain in hospital patients. |
From the last paragraph, we know that_______.
A.some artists' paintings were beautiful, so they were masterpieces |
B.only art experts could judge they were masterpieces or not, though ugly |
C.the artists mentioned above were not really art masters. |
D.som![]() |
Which of the following is the suitable title for the passage?
A.Beautiful surroundings can ease pain. |
B.Ugly paintings could be masterpieces. |
C.More research should be done in he field. |
D.Latest environmental research. |
I have to admit: I don’t flush(冲) the toilet every time I go to the bathroom. In fact, I firmly believe “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I work at home. Alone (well, except for the cats and dog). All day. And I drink a lot of water, which makes for many trips to the bathroom.
Another thing I have to admit: I also try to use very little toilet paper. I wash my hands after, though. Every time. (So maybe the water I don’t use flushing makes up for the water used to wash my hands?)
Ironically, my husband, who only uses toilet paper when necessary, always flushes. But he doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t flush every time. Or, at least not enough to file for divorce. Yet.
Posted by Juliet Farmer
Jun 14, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Comments (2)
When I’m at home alone I do not flush every time I pee(小便). My husband hates that, though, so when he’s home, I flush a little more often. I grew up doing that because I had a family that lived with huge tanks and you have to do it that way because it’s easier on the system, so it doesn’t bother me. I do flush when I’m out in public, at people’s houses that don’t have big tanks and when we have company!
CherBearCM, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:21 PM
Not always. But I have 4 children who are always hanging from the door knob(球形捏手) while I pee anyway. So I’m lucky I have time to wash my hands after. The average toilet uses 8 gallons of water per flush! Much less than what it takes to wash my hands after. (just saying)
luvbnmomnwife, Jun 15, 2010 at 4:32 PM CherBearCM doesn’t flush the toilet every time she pees ________.
A.because she can’t afford so much water |
B.because her husband doesn’t like that |
C.when she is with her friends |
D.when she is alone |
luvbnmomnwife seems to enjoy ________.
A.washing hands after using the toilet |
B.taking care of her four children |
C.peeing with her kids watching |
D.flushing the toilet after peeing |
The text is taken from ________.
A.a newspaper |
B.a website |
C.a magazine |
D.a handbook |
Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A.Stop flushing your toilet! |
B.Do you flush the toilet every time? |
C.Don’t forget to flush the toilet after peeing! |
D.Do you realize the importance of saving water? |
There is much more to growing up in a bilingual(双语的) family than learning two languages, and the cultural influences from both cultures are just as important.
In July we had a curious incident that shows the slight differences between cultures. My son has already changed a few of his baby teeth and since we lived in Italy we decided to go with the Italian version(版本) of the Tooth Fairy, which is not a fairy(仙女) but a little mouse. So last year when he lost his first tooth we had a visit from the little mouse who took the tooth away and left a rather good amount of coins --- when he lost the second tooth a few days later, however, the amount was significantly less! That in itself caused quite a few questions, but the real questions started when in July during a visit to the UK another tooth left my son’s mouth in Tooth Fairy land! The grandparents made a real problem out of it --- it was their first grandson’s tooth they got to say Goodbye to, so it was Tooth Fairy and rather generous, too!
The Qs & As
Son: Mum, how is the little mouse going to smell my tooth all this way? (as the story goes the little mouse smells a milk tooth and comes to collect it)
Me: No dear, it won’t! We are in England now so the Tooth Fairy will come.
Son: Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse? (I knew where this was going)
Me: She is very strong, and she is magic.
Son: What does the Tooth Fairy bring? (straight to the point)
Me: I am not sure. We’ll find out maybe a nice message.
Son: So is the little mouse coming too?
Me: No, it won’t make it all the way from Italy.
Son: But why don’t they have little mice in England?
Me: Because here the Tooth Fairy collects all baby teeth and she’s too fast, so the little mouse would always get there late.
Son: Oh!?Italian kids are supposed to believe ________ will come and collect the milk teeth.
A.a little mouse |
B.Tooth Fairy |
C.their parents |
D.the grandparents |
The author thought Tooth Fairy would be rather generous because ________.
A.Italian parents often give much money for their kids’ lost baby teeth[ |
B.she knew Tooth Fairy was more generous than the little mouse |
C.she knew the grandparents would give her son a big gift |
D.English people are usually more generous than Italians |
Hearing “Oh, is she stronger than the little mouse?”, the author knew her son was actually worried about ________.
A.the tooth fairy’s health |
B.the little mouse’s coming |
C.the amount of coins he could get |
D.the story his grandparents know |
By telling this story, the author intends to say it’s important to _________ in a bilingual family.
A.make kids know the folk stories |
B.help kids choose one of the cultures |
C.teach kids two languages |
D.keep the balance of both cultures |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
One of the speaking rules you need to know might sound strange to most ESL(English as a second language) students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.
Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction(部分) of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. When they sometimes ask me about grammar, I can easily look up the definition(定义) and apply it, but I can’t tell them the answer off the top of my head.
I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.
Do you want to be able to recite the definition of a causative verb(使役动词), or do you want to be able to speak English fluently?According to the author, what opinion do most ESL students hold?
A.Grammar matters a lot only in speaking. |
B.Grammar doesn’t matter much in speaking. |
C.Grammar is not important in English learning. |
D.Grammar is very important in English learning. |
What is the author?
A.An ESL student. |
B.A native English teacher. |
C.A native English student. |
D.A teacher teaching English natives. |
The underlined part “off the top of my head” means ________.
A.without consideration |
B.on purpose |
C.after thinking |
D.with difficulty |
Which of the following titles best suits the text?
A.Grammar Counts! |
B.Fluency or Grammar? |
C.Exams or No Exams? |
D.No More Grammar! |
阅读理解
The easy way out isn't always easiest . I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug , my husband of one month , to a special meal . I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu(菜谱) which included homemade bread . Knowing the bread would take time , I started on it as soon as Doug left for work . As I was not experienced in cooking , I thought if a dozen was good , two dozens would be better , so I doubled(加倍)everything . As Doug loved oranges , I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl . Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks . Realizing I had been defeated , I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work , I went on preparing the rest of the meal , and , when Doug got home , we sat down to eat Cornish chicken with rice . He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed . Twice he got up and went outside , saying he thought he heard a noise . The third time he left , I went to the windows to see what he was doing . Looking out , I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin , holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container . When I came out of the house , he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in our rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again , he held the lid up enough for me to see . I felt cold . But I stepped closer and looked harder . Without doubt it was my work . The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母)made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing .It looked like some unknown being from outer space. I could see why Doug was so shaken. I had to admit what the 'living thing” was and why it was there . I don't know who was more embarrassed(尴尬)by the whole thing - Doug or me.
The writer's purpose in writing this story is ___________
A.to tell an interesting experience |
B.to show the easiest way out of a difficulty |
C.to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman |
D.to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books |
Why did the woman's attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?
A.The canned orange had gone bad. |
B.She didn't use the right kind of flour. |
C.The cookbook was hard to understand. |
D.She did not fo![]() |
Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?
A.She didn't see the use of keeping it |
B.She meant to joke with her husband. |
C.She didn't want her husband to see it . |
D.She hoped it would soon dry in the sun. |
What made the dough in the rubbish bin look frighteni
ng?
A.The rising and falling movement. |
B.The strange-looking marks. |
C.Its shape. |
D.Its size. |
When Doug went out the third time , the woman looked out of the window because she was ______________.
A.surprised at his being interested in the bin |
B.afraid that he would discover her secret |
C.unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal |
D.curious to know what disturbed him |
阅读理解
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father. “But Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead.”
Dad , in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt--a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth( 神话)Number One: It's best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry , but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you'll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear.”
Myth Number Two: Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again. but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷) due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren't needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour
Truth: when two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other. An unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But. Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead”?
A.He was driving at great speed. |
B.He was running across the street. |
C.He didn't have his safety belt on. |
D.He didn't take his medicine on time. |
The reason Father was in a hurry to get home was that he_____.
A.wasn't feeling very well |
B.hated to drive in the dark |
C.wanted to take some exercise |
D.didn't want to be caught by the police |
According to the text, to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous ,because you _____.
A. may be knocked down by other cars
B may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car
C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D. may get caught in the car doorSome people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe___.
A.the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident |
B.they will be unable to think clearly in an accident |
C.they will be caught when help comes |
D.cars catch fire easily |
What is the advice given in the text?
A.Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour. |
B.Try your best to save yourself in a car accident. |
C.Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving. |
D.Drive slowly while you're not wearing a safety belt. |