Ask any readers who their favorite fictional ...

Ask any readers who their favorite fictional character in a novel is and you'll likely get a detailed explanation about the beloved character that they admire. It might even sound like they're talking about a person they know.

In a study, researchers looked at the brains of a group of people over nine days. Half of the group read the novel Pompeii, and half didn't. After examining, researchers found the readers' brains showed heightened connectivity in some areas. This is likely because the brain imagines the movement and emotions of the character they read about in the book. Even though the participants were then asked not to read the novel, they kept this heightened connectivity. We call that a "shadow activity", almost like a muscle memory. So even after you've finished a book, your brain keeps those benefits for some time afterwards.

It has been suggested that people who read a lot of fiction become more empathic (移情的),because fiction is a simulation (模仿)of social experiences, in which people practice and improve their interpersonal skills. The people who not only read fiction, but felt a high level of "emotion transportation" while reading as compared to people who weren't taken by the story or who read non-fiction displayed higher levels of empathy when tested. Increase of empathy is important for people because empathy is positively related to creativity, performance at work and cooperative behaviors.

Besides, reading improves "Theory of Mind". It is “the ability to understand that others have mental states that are different from one' s own.” Of various activities, reading novels has been found to improve this ability, while watching television programs or movies has been found to do just the opposite a reduced understanding of others and weaker cognitive (认知的)development overall.

Maybe we should put more of a priority on novel-reading. And many readers believe that reading a novel is far better and more meaningful than watching any movie. As David Kidd of the New School study said, “Fiction is not just a simulator of a social experience; it is a social experience."

1.Which of the statements is true according to Paragraph 2?

A.When they finish a book, the brain connectivity disappears.

B.The participants in the study all read the novel Pompeii.

C.Reading novels increases connectivity in our brain.

D.Reading novels helps enhance our memory greatly.

2.What do we know about novel readers from Paragraph 3?

A.They tend to be emotional in social experiences.

B.They are more likely to be innovative and cooperative.

C.They have poor interpersonal skills.

D.They are more sensitive to others' views.

3.What' s the effect of watching TV or movies?

A.It distinguishes your views from those of others.

B.It contributes to your cognitive development.

C.It reduces your empathy for others a lot.

D.It changes your overall mental states.

4.What does the underlined word "priority" in the last paragraph mean?

A.Preference. B.Authority.

C.Exposure. D.Evaluation.

5.What do you think is the best title for the passage?

A.Reading fiction VS Watching movie B.Reading fiction makes a full man

C.Novel-reading is a ''shadow activity" D.Novel-readers share emotions

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Who is Clifford?

A.A little girl. B.The man’s pet. C.A fictional character.

2.Who suggested that Norman paint for children’s books?

A.His wife. B.Elizabeth. C.A publisher.

3.What is Norman’s story based on?

A.A book. B.A painting. C.A young woman.

4.What is it that shocked Norman?

A.His unexpected success.

B.His efforts made in vain.

C.His editor’s disagreement.

高三英语长对话困难题查看答案及解析

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Who is Clifford?

A.A little girl.

B.The man’s pet.

C.A fictional character.

2.Who suggested that Norman paint for children’s books?

A.His wife.

B.Elizabeth.

C.A publisher.

3.What is Norman’s story based on?

A.A book.

B.A painting.

C.A young woman.

4.What is it that shocked Norman?

A.His unexpected success.

B.His efforts made in vain.

C.His editor’s disagreement.

高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Who is Clifford?

A.A little girl.

B.The man’s pet.

C.A fictional character.

2.Who suggested that Norman paint for children’s books?

A.His wife.

B.Elizabeth.

C.A publisher.

3.What is Norman’s story based on?

A.A book.

B.A painting.

C.A young woman.

4.What is it that shocked Norman?

A.His unexpected success.

B.His efforts made in vain.

C.His editor’s disagreement.

高三英语长对话中等难度题查看答案及解析

Readers in Grenoble can now nibble (啃) fiction after Publisher Short Edition introduced eight short-story dispensers (自动售货机) around the French city.

The free stories are available at the touch of a button, printing out on rolls of paper like a receipt. Readers are able to choose one minute, three minutes, or five minutes of fiction.

“The feedback we got has been extremely positive. Just two weeks since its launch, more than 10,000 stories have already been printed. We are thrilled to see it working so well,” said the co-founder Quentin Pleple. “There are only eight dispensers in the city of Grenoble for now but we are planning to introduce more. We are getting requests from all over the world-Australia, the US, Canada, Russia, Grace, Italy, Spain and Chile.”

Pleple said he and his team initially came up with the idea a couple of years ago when taking a break at a drink dispenser. “We thought it would be cool to have it for short stories,” said the publisher. ‘Then, we decided to make a difference: the short-story dispenser was born.”

The French publisher hopes the story will be used to fill the “dead time” of a passenger. “In the bus or the subway, everyone can make the most of these moments to read short stories, poems, or short picture books,” said a statement from Short Edition. “And they can be sure to enjoy the quality.”

The dispensers arc now in locations including Grenoble’s town hall, its tourist office and its library. The stories are drawn from more than 60,000 stories on Short Edition’s website. But there is a problem that users are not able to choose what type of story they would like to read. “Right now they can only choose the length. But that is exactly what really counts, isn’t it?” said Pleple.

1.Where can you probably see a short-story dispenser at present?

A. In Chile.　　 B. In Canada

C. In France.　　 D. In Italy.

2.What does the underlined word “launch” in the third paragraph probably mean?

A. Coming into use.　　 B. Being thrown away.

C. Being found out.　　 D. Breaking down.

3.Why did Short Edition provide short-story dispensers?

A. To help people kill time in the journey.

B. To encourage people to write short stories.

C. To attract international tourists to Grenoble.

D. To do research in the field of new technology.

4.In what aspect does the short-story dispenser need to improve?

A. The length of the stories.　　 B. The quality of the stories.

C. The number of the stories.　　 D. The choice of different stories.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

DU Lala is the hottest career coach in the country. The fictional character in the acclaimed novel Du La La’s Promotion shows others how to take the high road to success in a multinational company. But does her story describe a real or distorted picture of work life? The answer is as complicated as office life itself.

Over one million copies of the book have been sold since its release in 2007. Go Lala Go!, a movie adaptation of the novel set to hit cinemas next weekend, has stirred up even more interest in the story. The film stars Xu Jinglei and Stanley Huang, but fans seem to be more excited about seeing the story unfold on the big screen.

According to a recent sina.com survey, 45 percent of the 6,810 netizens polled said they have drawn career pointers from the novel. Other office novels, such as In and Out of the Loop, Win and Lose and Drowning and Floating, seem to have been received with similar interest.

“These books show me the life of white collars, and they teach me career rules and jargon that are not offered in class,” said Zhang Shanshan, a 22-year-old senior at Beijing Forestry University. Zhang says the competition, humor and office gossip in the book intrigued her. “I can’t wait to embark on my own career,” she said.

The popularity of office novels does not surprise Chen Ning, a senior career consultant at Zhaopin.com. “Novels about office fights and struggles satisfy the psychological demands of an ordinary office worker,” Chen said. “The leading characters face great pressure, fierce competition and an uncertain future. This is what really happens in many readers’ daily life.”

Li Ke, the author of Du Lala’s Promotion, has been stressing the significance of her fiction. “I want to provide real and useful common sense, knowledge and experience to office workers,” Li told the Qianjiang Evening News last year.

Recent graduates say they have found the basic work principles highlighted in the novel to be instructive. “If these books had been published five years earlier, I might have avoided some problems,” said Xu Jun, an HR manager at Guangqi Honda Automobile Company. “They often discuss basic office principles, which are relevant for staff working under the middle management level. They also help readers to see the importance of basic problem solving and organizational skills.”

But some veteran employees warn that the novels are not always realistic. They say this is especially true of the characters. “The protagonists appear to be unbeatable,” said Hou Zhendong, an HR manager at General Electric. “Du Lala’s team leader quit in an irresponsible way; her boss is inept; and the staff around her is either stupid or overly-sophisticated. Du stands out in emergencies and makes all the right decisions. The truth is, real-life colleagues are not that polarized（截然对立）,” Hou said. “You seldom get to negotiate your salary with a big boss. And, most of the time, you make wrong decisions far more than you make correct ones.”

The career principles in the books are also of limited use. “Most of the stories happen in Fortune 500 companies with a long history. Their cultures are well-established, and their rules are scientific,” Hou said. “But if you work for a small foreign company, or a local enterprise, some principles are useless.”

Liu Rui, a project manager at IBM, suggests fans of these books focus on the little bits of wisdom they provide. “The novels give rookies（新手） some inspiration,” he said. “They emphasize the importance of observation, practice and self-examination. These tips are precious and universally true.”

1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

2.What can be inferred from the passage?

3.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Although the main characters in the fiction are so true to life, they are certainly ______.

A.false B.visible C.familiar D.imaginary

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Top chefs aren’t known for their friendly character. Assistants who overcook food by ten seconds usually struggle to get out of the kitchen alive. My father was a top chef. We’d had a stormy relationship for years, but I decided to follow in his footsteps anyway, and train as a chef. It was better than the dead-end I ‘d reach with the job I’d been doing.

After three years, I became head chef in a restaurant called The Tortoise. As the boss, I made important decision but if anything went wrong, I was the one who should take the responsibility. Experiencing the sweaty kitchens, I learned why my father was the way he was. When I began, I didn’t have my sights set on anything much---I just wanted a regular job—but soon I realized my career was taking off. The rich and famous started to visit the restaurant and eventually came the time when I had to decide about my future: I could either open my own restaurant or go and work for one of the big ones. Then life made the decision for me. My father tried and I got his job.

On my first day, I received an unfriendly welcome. No one would talk to me. What made it worse was that I was ill—I had a cold , and my hands were shaking as I went into the kitchen. I held my breath, stood up in front of everyone and said, My name is Leah Kleist. You all know my father. whether you loved him or hated him, I don’t care. He is the past. Now let’s get to work. And we did.

1.What will happen to assistants who overcook food?

A. They got punished　　　　　　　 B. They eat the food

C. They get some advice　　　　　 D. They get fired

2.Why did the author decide to work as a chef?

A. It was his favorite　　　　 B. It was a better job.

C. He was forced to　　　　　　 D. He lost his job.

3.What does the underline part tell us about the author?

A. He knew little about the job.

B. He misunderstood his father

C. He didn’t have a clear goal.

D. He had a very poor eyesight.

4.What caused the staff’s unfriendly attitude towards the author?

A. His lack of experience

B. His poor health condition

C. Their impression of is father

D. Their envy at his success

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The young couple, who returned my wallet, left _____ I could ask for their names.

A.before 　　 　 　　　 B. while　　　　　　　　　 C. after　 　　　　 　 D.since

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The young couple, who returned my lost wallet, left _______ I could ask for their names.

A. while　　　　　　　     B. before　　　　　　　     C. after　　　     D. since

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析