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.”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. |
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 |
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. |
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 |
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
| A．tell Betty some good news | B．ask for some advice |
| C．answer some questions | D．invite her to dinner |
According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.
| A．can only bring some flowers |
| B．can’t bring wine |
| C．should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late |
| D．should arrive twenty minutes late |
Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
| A．relax at the dinner table | B．watch the other guests |
| C．ask the person beside him | D．keep silent at table |
One night last February, a seventeen-year-old Duffy drove home along a winding road, he saw a strange light thrown against the tree. “I knew it wasn’t the moon”, he said. “I drive this road all the time and I notice little things out of place.”
Duffy stopped his car and got out to examine. Below him far down in the deep valley lay a broken car with its headlights on. Thirty minutes earlier, a man had driven off the edge of the road, which has no guardrail. His car fell and rolled end over end, landing on its top more than two hundred feet below.
Duffy rushed to call for help, then returned and got down to reach the injured driver. Snow covered the valley and the temperature was below freezing. After struggling back up the cliff, Duffy took off his jacket and shirt and wrapped the injured man in time, along with the blankets from his car.
Life-saving deeds are starting to become usual action for Duffy, the oldest of seven children. When he was 12, he saved his ten-year-old brother from drowning. Two years ago, his three-year-old sister ate rat poison, and Duffy cleaned out her mouth, make her drink milk to protect her stomach and called doctors.
“We have tried to teach the children good values, and it looks like we have got some reward for it.” His father says. The strange light came from ________.
| A．The bright moon. | B．Duffy’s car. |
| C．The broken car in the valley | D．an unknown place |
The phrase” landing on its top” means the car lay_________.
| A．on the top of the cliff | B．with its wheels upward |
| C．with its head upward | D．on the road as usual |
From the above article, we can see Duffy has saved ________ at least.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
“We have tried to teach the children good values” may probably mean Duffy’s parents often tell their children_________.
| A．to help people in danger | B．how to save people’s lives |
| C．to remember the value of the car | D．how to do business |
This is a true story from Guyana. One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box. He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose. He couldn’t get it out. He ran crying to his mother. His mother couldn’t get the paper out, either. A week later, the paper was still in the boy’s nose. His nose began to have a bad smell.
So his mother took the boy to a hospital. The doctor looked up at the child’s nose, but she couldn’t get the paper out. She said she had to cut the boy’s nose to get the paper out.
The boy’s mother came home looking sad. She didn’t want her child to have his nose cut. The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May. May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose.
“Yes, I can see it,” May said. “It will be out soon.”
As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child’s nose. The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out. His mother was surprised. May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell.
So the lucky boy didn’t have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut. After the boy pushed a paper ball into his nose, ____.
| A．he took it out | B．his mother took it out |
| C．he did nothing but cry | D．he tried to take it out but failed |
The paper ball stayed in the boy’s nose for ____.
| A．at most seven days | B．less than seven days |
| C．more than seven days | D．exactly seven days、 |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The doctor helped to take the paper ball out of the boy’s nose. |
| B．May succeeded in taking the paper out. |
| C．The boy’s mother found some black pepper to solve the problem. |
| D．The boy had to have his nose cut at last. |
The boy should be taken to the seaside for a swim because ____.
| A．he needed to learn to swim |
| B．the sea water would stop the bad smell of his nose. |
| C．the sea water would wash out the paper ball. |
| D．he needed a rest |
The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.
The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep. The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ____________.
| A．happy | B．disappointed | C．unhappy | D．hopeful |
Reviewing his lessons that night didn’t help him because ____________.
| A．it was too late at night |
| B．he was very tired |
| C．his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
| D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
What do you suppose probably happened to the author the next day?
| A．He went to a church to pray again. | B．He passed the exam all by luck. |
| C．He failed in the exam. | D．He was punished by his teacher. |
The best title for the passage would be ____________.
| A．The Night Before the Examination | B．Working Far into the Night |
| C．A Slow Student | D．Going Over My Lessons |
We live in a digital world now, and a student’s technology needs have changed. For the early years, when you are in primary school, you can get by with no technology at all. Even if you have a computer, it’s a good idea to get children familiar with libraries. At this age, trips to the library are like family outings.
As you get closer to middle school, a computer with Internet access becomes more of a necessity. Teachers will often give assignments that require a student to use the Internet for research. After a computer, technology choices for students become more difficult to make – especially when it comes to cell-phones. Kids will beg their parents for a cell-phone, especially in middle school. For many parents, it’s a safety issue: They want to know that their kids can reach them quickly if necessary. For teachers, cell phones can be used to record lessons when students are absent. But many teachers dislike cell-phones. Some kids send messages or have talks in the class. Sending messages also raises the problem of cheating on exams. More and more schools are now forbidding the use of cell-phones.
Many kids see iPods as necessary things to have. IPods are great for music, but do they do anything good for your children’s education? Maybe they do. That’s the opinion of Doug Johnson, an educator for 30 years. Johnson says that educators should accept all new forms of technology in the classroom, including iPods. “Some do more with their cell- phones than we can do with our laptops,” he jokes. “I don’t think we should be afraid. The truth is that it’s easier to change the way we teach than to change the technology habits of an entire generation.” According to author, primary school children should___.
| A．use the computer and the Internet regularly |
| B．ask their parents to buy them cell-phones |
| C．buy iPods to listen to music |
| D．go to libraries to read more books |
Why do parents agree to buy their children cell-phones?
| A．They want their children to be cool. |
| B．They think cell-phones be helpful to their study. |
| C．They want to keep in touch with their children. |
| D．They want their children to keep up to date. |
The following are all reasons why many teachers dislike cell-phones EXCEPT ____.
| A．cell-phones can be used to cheat on exams |
| B．schoolchildren will send messages during class |
| C．cell-phones can be used to record lessons |
| D．schoolchildren might talk on them during class |
What does the underlined word “that” refers to?
| A．iPods can be used to listen to music. |
| B．iPods can be helpful for children’s education. |
| C．iPods can be used to play games. |
| D．iPods are necessary for children’s lives. |
We can infer from what Doug Johnson said that _____.
| A．cell-phones are not useful to students |
| B．teachers should let students use cell-phones |
| C．it’s better for teachers to change their teaching methods |
| D．schoolchildren should follow the trends(潮流) of fashion |