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 |
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| A．rent a beautiful flat of her own in Happy Vallev |
| B．find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat |
| C．share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet |
| D．employ a maid to look after herself and the flat |
According to the ads, you may .
| A．buy an old picture for$150 | B．call at 25720836 and see a beautiful park |
| C．buy two armchairs for$400 | D．hire a maid by paying $6 800 |
If you want to buy some old furniture. you should .
| A．get in touch with NOVA ELECTRONICS |
| B．call at 2524-5867 any day except Monday |
| C．do it before you move to another place |
| D．call at either2524—5867 on Monday or 2521～6011 on Saturday |
Once you can get a part-time job in NOVA ELECTRONICE, .
| A．you have to work at least 4 hours a day |
| B．you should write a letter to Mrs. G Chan |
| C．you will be given 14 days off each year besides weekends |
| D．you will get no more than $6598 each month |
In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. To have read Gulliver’s Travels is to have had the experience of listening to Jonathan Swift, of learning about man’s cruelty to man. To read Huckleberry Finn is to feel what it is like to drift (漂流) down the Mississippi River on a raft . To have read Byron is to have suffered his rebellions with him and to have enjoyed his nose—thumbing at (对……的蔑视) society. To have read Native Son is to know how it feels to be frustrated in the particular way in which Blacks in Chicago are frustrated. This is effective communication. It enables us to feel how others felt about life, even if they lived thousands of miles away and centuries age. It is not true that “We have only one life to live.” If we read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.The sentence “People who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read” suggests that ______.
| A．reading stimulates（激发）a desire to travel | B．reading broadens a person’s experience |
| C．people who read much live longer | D．people who read are more relaxed |
The author implies that good literature ______.
| A．must deal with social problems | B．must teach a lesson |
| C．is varied in subject and in content | D．is always exciting and heart--warming |
According to the author, reading good literature ______.
| A．produces new income | B．is quite useless |
| C．satisfies the curious | D．opens new worlds to us |
The underlined word effective in this passage means ______.
| A．actual | B．striking | C．existing | D．having an effect |
A nobleman and a merchant once met in an inn. For their lunch they both ordered soup. When it was brought, the nobleman took a spoonful, but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes, The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit that he had burned his mouth and answered, “Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime , for which he was hanged. I was thinking of his death, and that made me weep.” The merchant believed this story and began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. The nobleman noticed it and asked the merchant, “Sir, why do you weep?” The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived (欺骗) him, answered, “My lord(="master)," I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother.”This story teaches us ______.
| A．not to eat in inns | B．not to eat soup that is too hot |
| C．to cry when we burn our mouth | D．not to believe everything you hear |
The nobleman did not tell the truth because he ______.
| A．was a nobleman | B．felt ashamed | C．was in an inn | D．was angry |
It is probable that the nobleman ______.
| A．had no brother who was hanged | B．had a very good brother |
| C．knew the soup was too hot | D．had never eaten soup |
The merchant’s answer showed that he ______.
| A．was very happy | B．believed the nobleman |
| C．was angry with the nobleman | D．had kind heart |
Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love．There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage．I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart．My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs．
I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy．My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business．
Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart．Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story．The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year．
Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages．Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed．Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees．And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers．
Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence．You are sure to win the conversation．The divorce is likely to be more argued．
EconomistWhat concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
| A．His wife refuses to shop at Walmart． |
| B．They are faced with a divorce． |
| C．They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart． |
| D．They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart． |
Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________．
| A．it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages |
| B．consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart |
| C．Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy |
| D．Walmart’s business increases global trade |
What can be inferred from the reply letter?
| A．Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job． |
| B．Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees． |
| C．Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers． |
| D．Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart． |
To be able to motivate oneself, or self-motivate, occurs when a person has the willingness to do something and is internally(内在地) motivated to do it．
Sometimes it’s very difficult to get ourselves moving．The natural tendency is to postpone．Life just seems to get in the way! There is a job to go to, groceries to do, television to watch—whoops! I guess we get pretty good at finding excuses to escape getting started on goals like an exercise routine or reading a new book．The fact is that we are creatures of routine and habit．So what can we do to motivate ourselves to accomplish our goals?
Here are some tips on how to get moving:
Decide what you want．It’s hard to motivate an aimless mind．Set a goal and decide how you are going to go about it．Then break it down into smaller sections so it’s easier to handle and less overwhelming．（势不可挡）
Keep track of your progress．Keep a log or journal where you can measure how much you have accomplished．Looking at it can also motivate you to keep pushing ahead．
Post motivating pictures or slogans within your sight．It is always inspiring to see pictures of people who have accomplished what you’re going for．It makes it attainable and realistic．Likewise, little slogans like “go for it” or “just do it” can give you the little support you need．
Sometimes we forget what we set out to do and a little reminder is all we need to be revitalized (激活) and focus on the end result．If you remind yourself to go for the desired promotion, it will re-establish why you are doing what you’re doing．
Make it a habit．Once you have accomplished your objective, e．g．becoming an early riser, keep it up so that it’s second nature to you and you don’t have to think about it anymore．According to the author, some people fail to achieve their goals because ________．
| A．they don’t have enough desire |
| B．their life is filled with routine work |
| C．they benefit from the force of habit |
| D．they naturally put off forming new habits |
It can be inferred from the underlined sentence that ________．
| A．self-motivation needs repeated self-reminding of one’s goal |
| B．in modern society people tend to become forgetful |
| C．when we forget our goal, our life becomes meaningless |
| D．we can achieve our goal only by focusing on the end result |
To get moving on your goal, you can do the following EXCEPT ________．
| A．keep a diary to clearly judge your distance to your goal |
| B．make self-improvement your second nature |
| C．forget your aim and revitalize yourself with slogans |
| D．support yourself by hanging inspiring pictures in your house |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Set Goals in Your Life | B．Get Yourself Motivated |
| C．Get into Good Habits | D．Do Not Postpone |