Do you have an emotional brain or a rational ...

Do you have an emotional brain or a rational (理性的) one? Researchers at Australia’s Monash University have found actual difference in the brains of people who respond emotionally to others’ feelings compared with those who respond more rationally.

A study published in the journal NeuroImage has looked at whether people who have more brain cells in certain areas of the brain are better at certain types of empathy, according to Science Daily. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, and the two types investigated were cognitive (认知的) empathy and affective (情感的) empathy.

“Every day people use empathy with, and without, their knowledge to get around in the social world,” said Robert Eres from Monash University’s School of Psychological Sciences. “We use it for communication, to build relationships, and to increase our understanding of others.”

“People who are high on affective empathy are often those who get quite fearful when watching a scary movie, or start crying during a sad scene. Those who have high cognitive empathy are those who are more rational, for example a psychologist helping someone,” explained Eres.

The results of the study showed that people with high scores for affective empathy had more gray matter in a part of the brain called the insula, found right in the “middle” of the brain. Those who scored higher for cognitive empathy had more in a part called the midcingulate cortex—an area above the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves of the brain.

The discovery “raises new questions—like whether people could train themselves to have more empathy, and whether those areas of the brain would become larger if they did, or whether we can lose our ability to empathize if we don’t use it enough”, according to Science Daily.

“In the future we want to investigate further by testing whether training people in empathy-related tasks can lead to changes in these brain areas. We also want to investigate if damage to these brain areas, as a result of a stroke (中风) for example, can lead to empathy problems.” said Eres.

Perhaps in the future we will all be able to empathize more with other people. Maybe you will cry at that sad movie after all!

1.Empathy can be used in the following situations EXCEPT that　　　　 .

A. when a psychologist is helping a patient with his mental disease

B. when a teacher is comforting a student about his father’s death

C. when a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland

D. when people are reading a story with a frightening ending

2.What does the research done by Monash University mainly show?

A. Differences in the brains of emotional and rational people.

B. Whether a rational brain works better than an emotional one.

C. What empathy is and how to improve people’s ability to empathize.

D. How to effectively train people to have more empathy cells in their brain.

3.Which of the following statements might Robert Eres disagree with?

A. People use empathy when they are or aren’t aware of it.

B. People tend to use empathy to build relationships or understand others.

C. People with higher affective empathy feel heart-broken when watching sad movies.

D. People who are more rational have been found to have more gray matter in their brains.

4.Which of the following will be one of the focuses of future investigations according to the article?

A. How to train people in empathy-related tasks.

B. Whether people can be trained to be more empathetic.

C. Whether empathy problems can lead to damage to areas of the brain.

D. Why people seem to lose their ability to empathize if they don’t use it enough.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Having one of those days or weeks----when everything seems to annoy you? Even

if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster---often within a day or two.

Walk it off

Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster(破坏者). A person who is in bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.

Tune it out

Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.

Give yourself a pep talk

Stop and listen to what is on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. (“ I still don’t have a job” v.s “ I have two interviews next week.”)

Reduce your stress

Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象)，all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no choices. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.

Avoid things that won’t improve your mood

TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激) your mind -----something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine(咖啡因) contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.

65. We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood________.

A. to do nothing about it                   B. to take a long walk on the beach

C. to do some exercises with light music      D. to talk it to neighbors

66. Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

A. It is not complicated to do so               B. It is an area to be easily controlled

C. It helps beat a bad mood                      D. It brings us a new technique

67. TV may not improve your mood because _____.

A. it sometimes shows what happens around you

B. it keeps you stay unmoved

C. it reminds you of eating and drinking

D. it produces a calming effect

68. This text most probably appears in _______

A. a book on physical exercises                 B. a doctor’s handbook

C. a notice                                  D. a magazine

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Having one of those days – or weeks – when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster – often within a day or two.

◇Walk it off

Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.

◇Tune it out

Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.

◇Give yourself a pep talk

Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ( “I still don’t have a job.” Vs “I have two interviews next week.”)

◇Reduce your stress

Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to be against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.

◇Avoid things that won’t improve your mood.

TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate（刺激） your mind – something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. A better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta（面食）,produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.

1.Which of the following may help us stop a bad mood?

A．Doing nothing about it.                B．Exercising and enjoying music.

C．Writing down negative thoughts.          D．Talking about it with neighbors.

2.Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

A．It helps remove bad mood.     B．It brings us a new technique.

C．It is not complicated to do so.      D．It is an area to be easily controlled.

3.TV may not improve your mood because it________.

A．shows what happens around you             B．does not energize you

C．reminds you of eating and drinking      D．produces a calming effect

4.Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．Energy Level and Stress       B．How to Beat a Bad Mood

C．Bad Mood and Our Life        D．How to Control Your Feeling.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

How many coins do you have in your pocket right now? Three? Two? Or one? With a phone card, you can make up to 200 calls without any charges at all．

★What do you do with it?

Go to a telephone box marked "Phone-card"．Put in your card to start, make your phone call and when you have finished, the screen will tell you how much is left on your card．It costs no extra for the cards, and the calls cost 10 p（便士） per unit, the same as any other pay-phone call．You can buy it in units of 10, 20, 40, 50, or 100．

★Appear in a shop nearby．

Near each card-phone place, you will find a shop where you can buy one．They are at bus, train or metro stations．At universities, hospitals, clubs, restaurants and shopping centers, you can also buy it．

★No more broken pay-phones．

It is possible that many pay-phones don't work because they have been damaged． There are no coins in a card-phone to excite the thieves' interest in it．So you are not probably to find a broken one．

Get a phone-card yourself and try it out．Or get a bigger wallet．

1.The passage is most probably ____．

A．a warning                             B．a notice

C．an advertisement                      D．an announcement

2.The underlined word "one" means ____．

A．a shop            B．a coin            C．a pay-phone      D．a phone-card

3.It is suggested in the passage that you buy a phone-card because ____．

A．you have got a bigger wallet than others

B．it's convenient to make calls with a phone card

C．the phone box might have been damaged

D．there are many different kinds of phone-cards

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

___  an important decision more on emotion than on reason, you will regret it sooner or later.

A. Based   B. Basing   C. Base      D. To base

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Hair loss can be an emotionally troubling experience for some women. Luckily, experts do have suggestions on how to treat and prevent this condition.

According to Dr. Robert Jones of the Hair Transplant Center in Oakville, ON, hair loss in women is largely genetically determined—he estimates that nearly 80 to 90 percent of hair loss in both men and women is due to a family history of the condition. But some women can experience hair loss as the result of a thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy hormones or because of side effects of medicines such as antidepressants and birth control pills. Nick Dimakos, founder of SureThik International in Toronto, agrees stress and lower-than-normal levels of estrogen (雌性激素) are other contributing factors to hair loss in females. Low levels of iron and over-use of chemical hair products such as artificial dyes (染料) can also lead to thinning hair, which can be especially difficult for women, for whom hair loss is much less socially acceptable than it is for men. “Women lose about 25 percent of their hair before even noticing there’s a problem,” Dimakos says. “It can be devastating (毁灭性的) for them.”

There is no surefire (一定成功的) way to prevent hair loss, but there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of hair you lose. Dimakos recommends visiting your doctor because early discovery and treatment can prevent unnecessary hair loss. He also recommends using mild hair products, avoiding hair dyes or extensions, avoiding smoking and taking vitamin B12 if you suspect hair loss may be in your future. Wearing hair in a ponytail (马尾辫) or braid (辫子) regularly can also lead to weakened hair that is likely to fall out, so it may be best to avoid wearing these styles too often.

Of course, if your hair begins to lose, you’d better seek treatment.

? Hair transplants

Very few women turn to hair transplants because unlike men, women suffering from hair loss usually have thinning hair all over their heads rather than only in one area. If there is not enough hair somewhere else on the head that can be taken to fill in the gaps, a transplant cannot be performed.

? Minoxidil

Found in Rogaine, an over-the-counter (OTC) product, this is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. But it can also slow down or stop hair loss, says Dimakos. This option may work for some women, but it is important to consult your physician before taking any type of medication.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

________ an important decision more on emotion than on reason, you will regret it sooner or later.

A．Based            B．Basing            C．Base             D．To base

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Maybe you have ever seen a cross. A cross can be a piece of jewelry or an image in

a painting. But do you know the cross is a very popular symbol for Christmas？

It came from the story of Jesus’ death on the cross two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. Jesus was Jewish，and at that time Jewish people were under Roman rule. Jesus was badly punished because he declared to be the Son of God and the King of Jews. Surely，the Son of God could have saved himself from the death！But the Bible says that Jesus had a reason to die that day. It was in God’s purpose that it would happen.[

Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”. At first，it is hard to understand how a terrible day could ever be called good. Well，the story does not end there. Jesus died and he was buried. But three days later，Jesus was alive，and the whole world was changed.

Today，Christians everywhere remember this important time. They celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. After his death on the cross，Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb. On the third day from then，God raised him from the dead. Jesus stayed on earth physically for several weeks. Many people saw him. Easter is the happiest time of year for Christians because they believe that Jesus had victory over death and evil and that now he lives with God the Father in heaven. But before celebrating Easter, Good Friday should be remembered. Jesus died a horrible and painful death. He suffered, though he did nothing wrong. Christian believe that Jesus was God’s substitute(代表) for humans， because humans all do wrong. He died because of humans and he died for humans.

Christians often wear crossed around their necks of hang them in their homes because they believe it is a very important sign. The cross helps them remember how much God loves them. It helps them remember how much his Son had to suffer. Seeing a cross always makes them think of Jesus’ death， and what it means.

1.According to the bible， why Jesus could not save himself from death that day？

A. Jesus was not afraid of death

B. God arrange Jesus’ death for certain purpose

C. Jesus should die without a reason

D. Jesus was not God’s Son at all

2.In Christians’ belief， for what reason did God want Jesus to die？

A. God loved humans despite human’s wrong—doing，so he asked his beloved Son to die in human’s place

B. Jesus did something wrong by acclaiming himself the Son of God

C. God wanted His Son Jesus to live with him in heaven

D. God wanted “Good Friday” and “Easter”mainly to be remembered by humans

3.It can be inferred from the passage that____________

A. a cross is a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting for Christians

B. Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”mainly to reduce their pain for the loss of Jesus

C. if Jesus hadn’t returned to life，people would often wear crosses around their necks or hang them in their homes

D. Christians like crosses because crosses always remind them of God’s love and Jesus’ death

4.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to___________

A. introduce a symbol for Christian---- the cross

B. tell an interesting Christian story

C. inform the origin of two Christian festivals

D. describe the rebirth of Jesus

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Cells in our brain usually send a “stop eating” signal when we've eaten enough. But in a study, researchers found that after mice ate fatty food for just two weeks, their brains brake on overeating failed.

Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle conducted the study.They shared their findings in Science.Garret Stuber is a professor at the University of Washington.He and his team mainly focused on one brain area known-to be connected with eating behavior.This brain area contains many different kinds of cells.Researchers noticed big differences between the glutamatergic nerve cells(谷氨酸神经细胞)of the fat mice and those of the thin mice.And the earlier work by Stuber's group had suggested that these cells act like a brake on overeating.When the researchers stopped these cells from working,mice suddenly overate.They also fattened up. But it wasn't clear how these cells' activity changed as the mice changed from being slim to being fat.

“Being fat doesn't just happen overnight,”notes Stuber.To study that gradual fattening up,his group did a new study.They fed mice with high-fat food.Now and again,they used a microscope to look at how well the animals 'glutamatergic nerve cells could send out signals.During the process,they found the activity of these glutamatergic nerve cells slowed,even before the mice became fat.That cell sluggishness(怠惰)continued as the mice grew larger over a 12-week period.

The results suggest that the high-fat diet is removing the brake on overeating and becoming fat,”says Stephanie Borgland,a professor at the University of Calgary in Canada. Stuber's group doesn't know whether these brain cells will go back to normal if the mice stop eating the fatty food and slim down.It would be hard to keep monitoring the same cells over the months it would likely take for the mice to return to a healthy body weight,”explains Stuber.And it's hard to say whether similar cells control the same thing in humans.

“Having high-fat diets probably affects a much wider family of cells than those studied here,” Stuber notes. “Changes,” he says, “are probably happening across the brain.” Understanding those things might help us find better ways of limiting overeating.

1.What did researchers find in the study?

A.Mice tended to become sluggish if they often overate.

B.Having high-fat diets affected many kinds of brain cells.

C.Mice began to overeat after eating fatty food for a period.

D.The number of brain cells would drop when mice overate.

2.Why was a new study conducted?

A.To prove that fatty food was bad for health.

B.To know more about that gradual weight-gain.

C.To collect more information about the mice 's cells.

D.To observe how long it would take for the mice to grow fat.

3.What does the last but one paragraph mainly show?

A.It's still difficult to answer some questions.

B.It's hard to find the similar brain area in humans.

C.It's wrong to apply what suits animals to humans.

D.It's necessary to keep monitoring the mice for long.

4.Where is this text most likely from?

A.A personal diary.

B.A useful guidebook.

C.A science magazine.

D.An adventure novel

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

We’ve all felt discouragement at one point or another in our lives. However, when this emotion bleeds into other aspects of our life, it can sometimes be inappropriate or even harmful.

I was personally discouraged by an adult during my high school. After telling her what university I wanted to attend, she plainly told me I would not get in. I was completely shocked and angry at her statement. The adult may have not intended to hurt me with her words, but it had an after effect. The meeting made me think she had no belief that I could possibly succeed in the future. After that it caused me to try to avoid any future meeting with adults until absolutely necessary.

We are all human; therefore, we can all understand that some days are more challenging. But when people allow situations of stress to consume(充满) them, they cannot perform their best. People should pay attention to how their reactions could affect the person they are interacting with. People have the potential to perform their best when they are indulged in the task at hand, but adults who come off in a rude and aggressive way through communication have an effect on teenagers’ mind.

Adults whether in schools, or any other institutions should work to tear down walls gently and create a safe space for the person they are serving. These adults should also help and contribute to a person’s academic, personal and professional growth. High school is an important time when young people need someone to believe in them.

In conclusion, I would like to add that it is not completely up to adults only. Students are responsible for seeking help from adults who are in authority(权威) positions. They are also responsible for the way they approach adults in their academic surroundings. Students can expect to be treated in a respectful way when they express at the beginning. Generally the responsibility lies on both parties. When both sides can communicate in a polite manner then the complete environment of the school has the potential to develop well.

1.The passage is mainly about ______.

A. the adults’ roles in school

B. the skill to encourage students

C. the way to communicate with children

D. the importance of personal professional growth

2. Who are responsible for children’s development at school according to the writer?

A. Students.　 　　 B. Teachers.

C. Headmasters.　 D. Both students and teachers.

3.The underlined phrase probably “are indulged in” means “______”.

A. are weak in 　　　　 B. are amazed at

C. are interested in　 D. are unbearable with

4.The writer once tried to avoid meetings with adults because ______.

A. he was very busy

B. he thought highly of himself

C. he was once hurt by an adult

D. he couldn’t get high marks at school

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析