Question

(2013·高考四川卷，E)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(收缩) 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.”

1.What is the finding of the study?

A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear.

B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.

C．Fear has something to do with one’s health.

D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.

2.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

3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to“mechanism” in Paragraph 6?

A．Order. B．System.

C．Machine. D．Treatment.

4.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

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】本文是一篇说明文。本文讲述了科学家通过研究揭示了恐惧与心脏和大脑的关系。

1.

2.2】解析：选C。由文章第四段和第五段可知，实验是通过分析志愿者对可怕图片的反应和他们的大脑扫描数据来进行的。A项“志愿者看到可怕图片时的心跳”太片面；B项中提到了身体健康状况，而文章中并没有提及，故排除；D项中的heart?brain communication是在实验后提到的，故也排除。

3.3】解析：选B。结合上文的实验可知，mechanism所在句句意为：我们已经发现了一个重要的(身体内的)机制，通过它心脏和大脑可以互相交流来改善我们的情绪并减少恐惧。故只有B项system“体系，系统”与mechanism意思相近。order“顺序，命令”；machine“机械，机器”；treatment“治疗”。

4.4】解析：选A。推理判断题。由最后一段中的．..we may be able to develop more...disorder.可知这个研究对治疗焦虑和压力有好处。所以选A项。