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 |
The small unframed painting called “Fisherman” was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $27,000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession.
Pitt said, “I didn’t know it was so valuable. I’m not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought ‘Fisherman’ in Italy in 1970 for $140. The picture was dirty, and I couldn’t see the artist’s signature. But anyway it wasn’t the picture that I liked. I bought it because of the frame. ”
“It’s a most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I’ll never part with it.”
“When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn’t know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then. ”
“Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone’s signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”
As a result of this explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department.
Pitt was not happy. “I told the truth as I knew it then,” he said, “What else could I say?”
And then the judge agreed with him. “The Customs Department is to be responsible,” he said, “for making a true valuation of goods brought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr. Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If, now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty”.When Oliver Pitt bought the picture, ________.
| A．it was unframed | B．Maveleone signed the deal |
| C．he suggested that it was valuable | D．it was the frame that attracted him |
From the passage we can infer that if Maveleone had been a well-known artist, _.
| A．the painting would have cost much more than $ 140 |
| B．he wouldn’t have sold his painting |
| C．the customs officer wouldn’t have been cheated |
| D．Pitt wouldn’t have had the intention to buy any of his paintings |
Pitt took off the frame probably in order to _.
| A．clean the painting to put it up for sale |
| B．look for the artist’s signature |
| C．use it for his wife’s photograph |
| D．find the painting’s true value |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?
| A．In the end Pitt was asked to pay the correct amount of duty. |
| B．In the end Pitt sold the frame of the painting at an even higher price. |
| C．In the end the Customs Department had no right to revalue the painting. |
| D．In the end Pitt’s wife was regarded as an expert because of her wise suggestion. |
For several years, scientists have been testing a substance called interferon(干扰素), a possible wonder drug that is proving to be effective in treating a variety of diseases, including virus infections, bacterial infections, and cancers. To date, the new drug has no side effect of great influence to discourage its use. But in spite of its success, last year only one gram was produced in the entire world.
The reason for the shortage lies in the structure of interferon. A special protein, the interferon produced from one animal species cannot be used in treating another animal species. In other words, to treat human beings, only interferon produced by human beings may be used. The drug is produced by infecting white blood cells with a virus. Fortunately, it is so effective that the amount given to each patient each time is very small.
Unlike antibiotics (抗生素), interferon does not attack germs directly. Instead, it protects healthy cells from being infected, and prevents the reproduction of viruses within cells.
As you might conclude, one of the most special uses of interferon has been in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Hans Strander, a research physician at Sweden’s famous Karolinska Institute, has treated more than one hundred cancer patients with the new drug. Among a group of selected patients who had received operations for advanced cancer, half were given traditional treatments and the other half were given interferon. Among those treated with interferon 70 percent of them remained alive over three years, as compared with only 10 to 30 percent among those who had received the traditional treatments.
In the United States, a large-scale project supported by the American Cancer Society is now under way. If the experiment were successful, interferon could become one of the greatest medical discoveries of our time.What is the difference between antibiotics and interferon?
| A．Interferon has serious side effects, while antibiotics do not. |
| B．Antibiotics kill germs by attacking them directly, while interferon does not. |
| C．Antibiotics are very effective, while the effect of interferon is limited. |
| D．They are different in structure, although they are both proteins. |
According to the passage, if 170 cancer patients received interferon treatment, how many of them would remain alive over three years?
| A．About 30. |
| B．About 50. |
| C．About 120. |
| D．About 70. |
The passage tells us that ________.
| A．it is difficult to produce interferon in large quantities because of its special structure. |
| B．interferon is produced widely in lots of countries. |
| C．few of the patients who had received traditional treatments remained alive. |
| D．most of the patients who received interferon also needed traditional treatments. |
While in Banff, make time for a walk around town. A special treat is to go up the mountainside on the Banff Gondola for a surprising view of the valley below. Here is The pines, whose cook has developed a special way of mixing foreign food such as caribou, wild boar, and reindeer with surprising sauces.
Best time to visit is during the off-season, from early May to mid-June, or in October. This way you can avoid sharing the high way with mobile homes which can be pulled by cars. But whatever the season, take some lunch with you from Banff, because there are only a few food stops on the road.
Forty minutes north of Banff, side by side with the Banff National Park, sits world-famous Lake Louise. This surprisingly small body of water is attractive with towering mountains around it. Glaciers, huge masses of ice, moving very slowly against rocks, produce what is called glacier rock flour, making its water dark to see. It is worth taking a walk around the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise, another beauty, proud of its early 20th century history.
Back on the road, and it’s time to continue north past the astonishing Columbia Icefield, then turn off the highway and take the short road to the base of the Athabaska Glacier. You can rent ice cleats (夹板) and do some climbing or do a more pleasant snowmobile tour. Either way, you can enjoy endless beautiful sights.
Finally you’ll reach Jasper, the usual turning around the place for the Banff-Jasper loop (回路). It’s worth riding the Jasper Skytram, and be sure to visit the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge, also dating back to the 1920s. If you can have lunch there, do it. The restaurant has an adventurous menu and their wine list would put a smile on any visitor’s face.According to the passage, The Pines is a ________.
| A．place in which you can see many mobile homes |
| B．mountain where you can get a good view of the valley |
| C．town which happens to be near the Banff National park |
| D．restaurant where you can ask for some special kinds of food |
What will probably happen when visitors come at the end of June?
| A．They may have trouble finding a restaurant. |
| B．They may come across traffic jams. |
| C．They may travel more easily with cars. |
| D．They may do much more sightseeing. |
Similar to the Chateau Lake Louise, ________.
| A．the Banff National Park is to the west of Banff |
| B．the Columbia Icefield lies between Lake Louise and the Banff National Park |
| C．the Jasper Skytram has a history of more than 80 years |
| D．the Jasper Park Lodge was built in the 1920s |
Besides the beautiful sights in Jasper Park Lodge, visitors to Jasper can enjoy themselves by ________.
A. taking the Jasper Skytram and eating in the restaurant
B. taking the Banff-Jasper loop and Jasper Skytram
Chinese netizens who like to create and use cyber words such as "geilivable" might find a new regulation very "ungeilivable"． The new regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication last week banned the use of Chinglish words created by netizens for publishing in the Chinese language．
"Geilivable", combining the pinyin geili （giving strength） with the English suffix （后缀） for adjectives, literally means "giving power" or "cool"． Different suffixes and prefixes were then added to the word． "Hengeilivable" means "very cool", and "ungeilivable" means "dull, not cool at all"．
Cyber language is popular among Chinese netizens, who create Chinglish words to reflect phenomenon in society． One example is "antizen", which refers to college graduates who earn a meager salary and live in small rented apartments, like tiny and laborious ants．
David Tool, a professor with the Beijing International Studies University, said it's very interesting to combine Chinese with English to create new words． "English is no longer mysterious to the Chinese people． They can use the language in a flexible way according to their own experiences," Tool said．
At the announcement of the regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication, netizens expressed their concern．
"The administration is totally 'ungeilivable'," said a netizen named laoda1713． "I know other netizens will shed tears with me．．． it is a good chance to enrich our language"．
"Language is always developing," said a columnist, Wang Pei． "It needs to be updated to absorb foreign culture and folk wisdom．"
But an unnamed official with the administration said that, in fact, many senior staff from news media who supported the regulation were worried that years later, the younger generation would forget how to use formal Chinese expressions． The official also pointed out that the regulation was only for formal publications in Chinese language, and it only banned Chinglish words in the publication． The new regulation by the General Administration of Press and Publication may be aimed at ．
| A．simplifying the Chinese language | B．limiting the development of language |
| C．banning the use of Chinglish | D．making the netizens more serious |
The underlined word meager in the third paragraph probably means．
| A．poor | B．flexible | C．high | D．plentiful |
From this passage we can infer that ．
| A．the Chinese people like their own language only |
| B．the English words are considered informal in China |
| C．nobody in China will support the new regulation |
| D．"geilivable" will be popular among Chinese netizens |
Which may be the title of this passage?
| A．New regulation is announced |
| B．Cyber words make language lively |
| C．Different views about cyber language |
| D．New phenomenon in China |
On which column of China Daily can you find this passage?
| A．Entertainment | B．Business | C．Travel | D．Opinion |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day． "I was a clothes addict, "he jokes．" I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．" Today David wears casual clothes – khaki pants and sports shirt – to the office． He hardly ever wears a necktie． "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable．"
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work． In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual． In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday． This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday．" "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．" said business consultant Maisly Jones．
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code． "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code．" Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes． In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale （士气）． Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity． Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money． "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said． "For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．"David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict," because．
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn't want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because．
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Many employees don't like a conservative dress code． |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive． |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees． |
| D．All the employers in the U．S． are for casual office wear． |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago． |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s． |
| C．"Dress-down Friday" was first given as a favor from employers． |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people． |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except ．
| A．saving employees' money | B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees' motivation | D．making employees happier |