Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head,according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said:“Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed.Thus, our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don't see—and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship,the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪)to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person's feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear,”Dr Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders,and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”What is the finding of the study? ________.
A.Fear is a result of one's relaxed heartbeat. |
B.One's heart affects how he feels fear. |
C.Fear has something to do with one's health. |
D.One's fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear. |
The study was carried out by analyzing ________.
A.volunteers' heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures |
B.the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions |
C.volunteers' reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans |
D.different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
A.order | B.treatment | C.machine | D.system |
This study may contribute to ________.
A.treating anxiety and stress better |
B.explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety |
C.finding the key to the heart-brain communication |
D.understanding different fears in our hearts and heads |
How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material on-line while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the U.S.
For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as dangers and with good guides, some education, and a few precautions(预防措施), the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated(航行). “Kids have to be on-line. If we tell our kids they can’t have access(机会) to the Internet, we’re cutting them off from their future,” said an expert.
Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way to limit access would be to use what is known as a “content screener(过滤器)”. But this can’t be wholly reliable(可靠), and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing(浏览) the Internet.
A few other tips
●Don’t put the PC in a child’s room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity.
●Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make on-line.
●Tell your child not to give on-line strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number.
●And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on-line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.The passage is mainly about the subject of _______.
A.American children going on-line | B.Internet in America |
C.appreciating Internet | D.opposing children’s on-line |
The best way to protect children from improper material is _______.
A.to install(安装) a content screener on the computer |
B.to buy some search engines for the children |
C.to be nearby when they are surfing the Internet |
D.to talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A.Surfing the Internet is the best method of educating children. |
B.Children’s not having access to Internet may have effect on their progress. |
C.Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children having access to Internet. |
D.Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them. |
According to the passage, we can infer that _______.
A.soft wares fit for children want programming |
B.a child who is on-line is in danger |
C.Internet is a jungle full of danger |
D.Internet contains a lot of harmful sites |
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.
The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy(糖果)while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why, is it only because they have money ? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?
Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grow up. This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.
A.is easy to get along with |
B.is unhappy with the life they are living |
C.is good at observing and understanding |
D.is never pleased with her neigbours |
What do you think of McGarity girl?
A.She is proud and hungry. | B.She is selfish and cruel. |
C.She is lonely and friendless. | D.She is unhappy and misunderstood. |
In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.
A.money is the key to everything |
B.the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be |
C.there is something more important than money |
D.when talking to people we should look into their eyes |
Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.
A.Why, is it only because they have money? |
B.There is more to happiness than money. |
C.Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things. |
D.The money we saved isn’t nearly enough. |
Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s “no”.
What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.
Sweet and simple “no”.
Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”
Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.
“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.” The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.
A.you can have more time to play with others |
B.you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy |
C.you are selfish and treat others rudely |
D.you can deal with your business as you have planned |
When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.
A.secret way | B.polite way |
C.proud way | D.guilty way |
In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.
A.they say “no” at a suitable time |
B.they say “no” as much as possible |
C.they are afraid of saying “no” |
D.they make others angry at them |
If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.
A.enjoys a wonderful life | B.makes a lot of money |
C.faces difficulty in life | D.forgets to say “yes” in the end |
Jonathan James looks like just another kid about to graduate from high school. But this 19-year-old Swede is anything but ordinary, from the computer in his parents’ home he helps the US Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) find out the world’s most wanted cyber criminals(网络犯罪分子).
Jonathan first made headlines when he and another Swede, Fredrik Bjoerck, found out the maker of the “Melissa” virus(病毒) in March 1999. He came to the aid of the FBI again on May 7, finding out the suspected(嫌疑的) sender of the dangerous “I LOVE YOU” virus. The suspect was caught in Manila on May 8.
Jonathan’s special skills are in hot demand as officials around the world express alarm at the “virtual” crimewave. In between studying for final exams, hanging out with friends and refereeing his younger brother’s football matches, the quiet, gentle teenager also gives lessons on e-security(电子安全) to large companies. He reads a lot and exchanges information with other computer experts to know much about the latest tricks of the hacker (黑客) trade.
Many companies have already tried to employ him, but he is not interested at the moment. Instead, he plans to begin law school in the autumn at Sweden’s Uppsala University and start up his own e-security company.
Although he works with the FBI now, his family insists he’s just “a regular kid”. “Jonathan is a great kid, he has his friends and he does a lot more than just play with the computer,” his little sister Tessa said, adding that he helps the FBI because “he likes to help”, not because he’s looking for fame and recognition.
When the world was hit by the “Love Bug” virus, Jonathan was too busy preparing a speech on e-security to look into the problem. “Finally on May 7, I had some free time, so I began looking.” Within a few hours, he had found the suspect and e-mailed his method and results to the FBI. He said his work on the “Melissa” virus, which took three weeks to solve, was a big help in finding the suspect so quickly.
“This time I knew exactly where to start, I knew what to disregard and what to look at.” The passage mainly wants to tell us that______.
A.Swedish kid helps FBI find out the most wanted cyber criminals |
B.Jonathan is really a quiet, gentle and ordinary boy |
C.many companies want the young computer expert to join in |
D.any cyber criminals will surely be found out wherever they are |
The public started to know something about Jonathan just from____.
A.his helping the US FBI to find out the sender of the dangerous “I LOVE YOU” virus |
B.his work together with Fredrik Bjoerck to find out the maker of the “Melissa” virus |
C.his little sister’s talk about his good qualities as a regular kid and a good programmer |
D.his speech on e-security to many computer companies after his fight against hackers |
From Jonathan’s success in finding out the sender of the dangerous ‘Love Bug” virus we can infer that ___.
A.where there’s a will, there’s a way | B.experience is knowledge |
C.hard work leads to success | D.failure is the mother of success |
What do we know about Jonathan?
A.He is a good fame hunter with various abilities. |
B.He is such a brave fighter that any criminal will feel afraid. |
C.He is an expert on security, not interested in running a company. |
D.He is a regular kid but does something unusual. |
Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October of 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips(窍门). She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercises every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glassed of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes(基因) from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying:
Sorry, I’m still alive! How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?
A.She is miserable and unhappy. |
B.She is cheerful and humorous. |
C.She would like to live much longer. |
D.She feels she is going to die very soon. |
Jeanne Calment owes her good health and long life to _______.
A.smoking only a little every day |
B.her giving up smoking and drinking |
C.drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day |
D.the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercises |
Which of the following could best replace the word “move” in the fourth paragraph?
A.deal | B.trick | C.march | D.sport |
Why does Jeanne Calment say “Sorry, I’m still alive” to the local lawyer every year on her birthday?
A.Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage. |
B.Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed. |
C.Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house. |
D.Because the house she sold to the lawyer isn’t worth the money he has already paid. |