By trying to tickle(挠痒痒) rats and recording how their nerve cells respond, Shimpei Ishiyama and his adviser are discovering a mystery that has puzzled thinkers since Aristotle expected that humans, given their thin skin and unique ability to laugh, were the only ticklish animals.
It turns out that Aristotle was wrong. In their study published on Thursday, Ishiyama and his adviser Michael Brecht found that rats squeaked and jumped with pleasure when tickled on their backs and bellies. These signs of joy changed according to their moods. And for the first time, they discovered a special group of nerve cells. These nerve cells made this feeling so powerful that it causes an individual being tickled to lose control.
To make sure that he had indeed found a place in the brain where tickling was processed, Ishiyama then stimulated(刺激) that area with electrical currents. The rats began to jump like rabbits and sing like birds.
“It’s truly ground-breaking,” said Jeffrey Burgdorf, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University who reviewed the paper. “It takes the study of emotion to a new level.”
Burgdorf has played a central role in our understanding of animal tickling. He was part of a team that first noticed, in the late 1990s, that rats made special noises when they were experiencing social pleasure. Others had already noted that rats repeatedly made short and high sounds during meals. But the lab where Burgdorf worked noticed that they emitted similar sounds while playing. And so one day, the senior scientist in the lab said, “Let’s go and tickle some rats.” They quickly found that those cries of pleasure doubled.
“The authors have been very adventurous,” said Daniel O’Connor, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University who studies touch. To him, that finding was very surprising.
“Why does the world literally feel different when you are stressed out?” he said. “This is the first step towards answering that question. It gives us a way to approach it with experimental rigor(严谨).”
1.What contributed to humans’ being ticklish according to Aristotle?
A. Their special skin. B. Their social pleasure.
C. Their nervous system. D. Their willingness to touch.
2.Why did the researchers make use of electrical currents?
A. To discover the special group of nerve cells.
B. To experiment on different animals.
C. To follow the process of tickling.
D. To prove their finding.
3.Which of the following statements will Jeffrey Burgdorf agree with?
A. The research process is full of risks.
B. The finding of the study is surprising and unbelievable.
C. The new discovery is beneficial for the study of emotion.
D. The finding of the study actually contradicts modern science.
4.The underlined word “squeak” in Paragraph 2 may be explained by ______.
A. give a smile B. make a noise
C. burst into tears D. watch with staring eyes
5.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Life of Rats B. How Rats Laugh
C. A Wonderful Scientist D. A New Discovery about Rat
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
By trying to tickle(挠痒痒) rats and recording how their nerve cells respond, Shimpei Ishiyama and his adviser are discovering a mystery that has puzzled thinkers since Aristotle expected that humans, given their thin skin and unique ability to laugh, were the only ticklish animals.
It turns out that Aristotle was wrong. In their study published on Thursday, Ishiyama and his adviser Michael Brecht found that rats squeaked and jumped with pleasure when tickled on their backs and bellies. These signs of joy changed according to their moods. And for the first time, they discovered a special group of nerve cells. These nerve cells made this feeling so powerful that it causes an individual being tickled to lose control.
To make sure that he had indeed found a place in the brain where tickling was processed, Ishiyama then stimulated(刺激) that area with electrical currents. The rats began to jump like rabbits and sing like birds.
“It’s truly ground-breaking,” said Jeffrey Burgdorf, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University who reviewed the paper. “It takes the study of emotion to a new level.”
Burgdorf has played a central role in our understanding of animal tickling. He was part of a team that first noticed, in the late 1990s, that rats made special noises when they were experiencing social pleasure. Others had already noted that rats repeatedly made short and high sounds during meals. But the lab where Burgdorf worked noticed that they emitted similar sounds while playing. And so one day, the senior scientist in the lab said, “Let’s go and tickle some rats.” They quickly found that those cries of pleasure doubled.
“The authors have been very adventurous,” said Daniel O’Connor, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University who studies touch. To him, that finding was very surprising.
“Why does the world literally feel different when you are stressed out?” he said. “This is the first step towards answering that question. It gives us a way to approach it with experimental rigor(严谨).”
1.What contributed to humans’ being ticklish according to Aristotle?
A. Their special skin. B. Their social pleasure.
C. Their nervous system. D. Their willingness to touch.
2.Why did the researchers make use of electrical currents?
A. To discover the special group of nerve cells.
B. To experiment on different animals.
C. To follow the process of tickling.
D. To prove their finding.
3.Which of the following statements will Jeffrey Burgdorf agree with?
A. The research process is full of risks.
B. The finding of the study is surprising and unbelievable.
C. The new discovery is beneficial for the study of emotion.
D. The finding of the study actually contradicts modern science.
4.The underlined word “squeak” in Paragraph 2 may be explained by ______.
A. give a smile B. make a noise
C. burst into tears D. watch with staring eyes
5.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Life of Rats B. How Rats Laugh
C. A Wonderful Scientist D. A New Discovery about Rat
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
People try to avoid public transportation delays by using their own cars,and this ___ creates further problems.
A.in short B.in case
C.in doubt D.in turn
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
People try to avoid public transportation delays by using their own cars，and this________creates further problems.
| A．in short | B．in case |
| C．in doubt | D．in turn |
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
People try to avoid public transportation delays by using their own cars, and this
________creates further problems.(2007· 湖北)
A．in short B．in case C．in doubt D．in turn
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Can you imagine that rats eat 40 to 50 times _______.
A. by weight B. their weight C. in weight D. of their weight
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
It is the season for long lines and frayed nerves. Here’s how to deal.
Lighten up
Do yourself a favor and ship your presents. Nearly every U.S. airline charges a fee to check a bag, so shipping gifts is now cheaper and more convenient than carrying them in your luggage.
Weigh your options
Now knowing what you’re going to pay for your luggage is annoying. So calculate your overweight-luggage fees at home. You can find the fees out in advance by visiting new site Luggage Limits, which provides the latest information on more than 90 airlines.
Leave amateurs in the dust
Trust us and get to the airport an extra half-hour early. The check-in and security lines are filled with inexperienced fliers, and it’s a hard walking. Plus, if you decide to cut it close, you may not get onto the flight at all. To reduce costs, airlines have reduced on flights and routes. The remaining flights are more likely to be oversold, especially on busy travel days. Fliers who check in early are the least likely to get bumped from oversold flights.
Take it public
The rates for renting a car at the airport have more than doubled over the past year because rental lot inventories (财产) have increased dramatically. True, renting at the airport is convenient, but it’s just not worth it anymore. Unless you really need a car, take public transportation, hop a cab, or beg a friend to pick you up at the airport instead.
Say no to bumper cars
Tell the people picking you up to avoid parking their car. They can hang out in their car for free while waiting to get a call from you when you land. Many airports, including JFK and LAX, now feature this sensible choice.
1.Airlines have reduced flights to .
A.lower the cost B.deal with crisis
C.reduce the time for leave D.provide more job chances
2.We can learn from the passage that _____.
A.many airports like JFK provides free parking service
B.shipping presents is more expensive than carrying them in luggage
C.taking a cab at the airport is less expensive than renting a car
D.Luggage Limits can give a discount on overweight luggage fees
3.What’s the best title for the passage?
A.Cars at the Airport B.Good Seasons for Flight
C.How to Board a Flight D.5 Ways to Survive a Holiday Flight.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Mice and rats have long been used in medical research because of their biological similarities to humans. Recently scientists at the University of Richmond in Virginia have trained rats to drive small vehicles.
The research team built tiny cars out of plastic and other materials, which had an opening at one end to which electrical wires were attached. By touching one of three different wires, the rat could control the car in different directions-left, center and right. Sweet treats were placed inside the containers in an attempt to get the rats to drive the vehicle for the food. After several months' training, the animals could drive to get to the treats.
Kelly Lambert, who has long been interested in the way the brain changes to react to different experiences and difficulties, led the experiment. She told the French news agency AFP the research suggested rat brains might be more complex and flexible than once thought. The driving activity seemed to help the rats relax and the rats kept in what was called “enriched environments” performed far better than those in labs.
The researchers examined levels of two hormones (荷尔蒙) in the rats — one that causes stress and the other that counters it. All the rats that took part in the training had higher levels of the hormone that reduces stress. The research suggests the increased relaxation levels could be linked to the enjoyment of successfully completing a new skill. The team also found the rats that drove themselves showed higher levels of the stress-fighting hormone than those that simply rode in small cars controlled by humans.
Lambert's team is planning to further the research to learn more about how the rats learned to drive. This research may open new areas of non-drug treatments for people suffering from mental health conditions.
1.Why have scientists chosen rats for the research?
A.They can build tiny vehicles on their own.
B.They are biologically similar to human beings.
C.They are clever enough to be trained to drive cars.
D.They can be used as non-drug treatments for humans.
2.What does the underlined word "counters" in paragraph 4 mean?
A.removes. B.substitutes.
C.resists. D.transforms.
3.What can we learn about the experiment?
A.The brains of rats might be more complex and flexible than those of human beings.
B.The increased relaxation levels led to the rats' enjoyment of learning a new skill.
C.All the rats involved in the training had higher levels of the hormone causing stress.
D.The rats in cars controlled by humans had lower levels of the stress-fighting hormone.
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A.Science. B.Sports.
C.Education. D.Entertainment.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Mice and rats have long been used in medical research because of their biological similarities to humans. Now, scientists have trained rats to drive small vehicles created for them. One of the main findings of the experiment was that the driving activity seemed to help the rats relax.
Researchers at the University of Richmond in Virginia led the experiment. The team built tiny cars out of plastic and other materials. The vehicles had an opening at one end where electrical wires were attached. By touching one of three different wires, the rat could control the direction of the vehicle.
Researchers trained 17 rats over several months to drive around the experiment containers. The animals proved that they could be trained to drive forward as well as in other directions to get to the sweet treats placed inside the containers.
The researchers examined levels of two hormones (荷尔蒙) in the rats—one that causes stress and another that reduces it. All rats that took part in the training had higher levels of the hormone that reduces stress. The research suggests the increased relaxation levels could be linked to the enjoyment of successfully completing a new skill. The team also found that the rats that drove themselves showed higher levels of the stress-fighting hormone than those that simply rode in small cars controlled by humans.
Lambert said the most exciting result of the experiment for her was about the possible effect on humans. The research may open new areas of non-drug treatments for people suffering from mental health conditions.
“There’s no cure for schizophrenia or depression and we need to catch up,” she said. “And I think we need to look at different animal models and different types of tasks and really respect that behavior can change our neurochemistry (神经化学). ”
Speaking to the British-based magazine New Scientist, Lambert said her team is planning to continue experiments to learn more about how the rats learned to drive. The new research will also examine why some activities appear to reduce stress, and which areas of the brain are involved in the process.
1.What did the experiment find?
A.Rats are able to drive vehicles. B.Rats feel relaxed when driving.
C.Rats can be used in medical research. D.Rats are biologically similar to humans.
2.The finding of the hormone examination in the rats suggests that ___________.
A.one hormone causes stress and another reduces it B.acquiring a new skill brings about joy
C.levels of hormone are controlled by stress D.relaxation contributes to enjoyment
3.The research is significant because ___________.
A.it may lead to a way to treat human mental problems
B.it will affect the way that humans drive their cars
C.it may help people train animals better.
D.it can surely change neurochemistry
4.What Lambert’s team will do next is find out ___________.
A.which parts of the rats’ brain control their emotions
B.why rats have the ability of fighting stress
C.when activities affect the levels of stress
D.why certain activities reduce stress
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
It’s puzzling, isn’t it? No matter where you try to tickle（使人发痒）yourself, even on the soles（脚底） of your feet or under your arms, you just can’t.
To understand why, you need to know more about how your brain works. One of its main tasks is to try to make good guesses about what’s going to happen next. While you’re busy getting on with your life, walking downstairs or eating your breakfast, parts of your brain are always trying to predict the future.
Remember when you first learned how to ride a bicycle? At first, it took a lot of concentration to keep the handlebars steady and push the pedals（踏板）. But after a while, cycling became easy. Now you’re not aware of the movements you make to keep the bike going. From experience, your brain knows exactly what to expect so your body rides the bike automatically. Your brain is predicting all the movements you need to make.
You only have to think consciously about cycling if something changes---like if there’s a strong wind or you get a flat tyre. When something unexpected happens like this, your brain is forced to change its predictions about what will happen next. If it does its job well, you’ll adjust to the strong wind, leaning your body so you don’t fall.
Why is it so important for our brains to predict what will happen next? It helps us make fewer mistakes and can even save our lives. For example, when a chief fireman sees a fire, he immediately makes decisions about how best to position his men. His past experiences help him foresee what might happen and choose the best plan for fighting the fire. His brain can instantly predict how different plans would work out, and he can rule out any bad or dangerous plans without putting his men at risk in real life.
So how does all this answer your question about tickling? Because your brain is always predicting your own actions, and how your body will feel as a result, you cannot tickle yourself. Other people can tickle you because they can surprise you. You can’t predict what their tickling actions will be.
1.What is the best title for this passage?
A. How Does the Brain work?
B. Why Can’t I Tickle Myself?
C. The importance of Prediction
D. The Importance of Our Brains
2.Our brains cannot predict what will happen when we______.
A.walk down the stairs
B.eat our breakfast
C. suddenly lose our balance and fall
D. ride a bike
3.The phrase “rule out” in Paragraph 4 means______.
A. decide that something is not suitable B. think about
C. act according to the rules D. expect
4.The passage is probably taken from______.
A. a scientific report for experts
B. a textbook for medical students
C. a book for children
D.a research paper for doctors
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is nice to see millions who had nothing but a record of misery and hungry ______ to improve their life and living conditions．
A．having the chances B．have the chance
C．to have the chance D．had the chance
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析