Question

Research at the University of Liverpool, UK, has found that Shakespeare’s language stimulates positive brain activity.

Shakespeare uses a linguistic（语言的）technique known as functional change that involves, for example, using a noun to serve as a verb．Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence．This process causes a sudden peak in brain activity and forces the brain to work backwards in order to fully understand what Shakespeare is trying to say.

Professor Philip Davis, from the university’s School of English, said: “The brain reacts to reading a phrase such as ‘he godded me’ from the tragedy of Coriolanus, in a similar way to putting a jigsaw puzzle（拼图玩具）together．If it is easy to see which pieces fit together you become bored of the game．But if the pieces don’t appear to fit, when we know they should, the brain becomes excited．By throwing irregular words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity — a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things.”

Experts believe that this heightened brain activity may be one of the reasons why Shakespeare’s plays have such a dramatic impact on their readers.

Professor Neil Roberts, from the university’s Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Center, and Professor Davis, together with Dr Guillaune Thierry, from the University of Wales, UK, monitored 20 participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) as they read selected lines from Shakespeare’s plays.

“The brain signal is relatively stable when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak．The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word,” explains Professor Roberts.

1.The research conducted by the professors has showed that ___________.

A．Shakespeare uses functional change to mislead readers

B．Shakespeare’s language excites positive brain activity.

C．Shakespeare’s plays have a dramatic effect on their readers.

D．Shakespeare’s language makes the brain signal relatively stable

2.Which of the following words can replace the underlined pronoun “it” in the 2nd paragraph?

A．technique       B．word        C．brain       C．sentence

3.In the 3rd paragraph, the example of a jigsaw puzzle is used here to state___________.

A．the function of Shakespeare’s linguistic technique

B．a sense of drama created by playing the game

C．the Shakespeare’s thinking process

D．the brain’s reaction to reading a book

4.Based on the research, Shakespeare’s plays have a great effect on their reader lies in_______.

A．language used in plays

B．characters showed in works

C．brain activity increased in reading

D．thinking process when writing

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了莎士比亚的文学作品能够让个读者的思维活动变得更加活跃，促进了大脑活动的功能，给读者留下很深印象。

1.B 细节题。根据文章第一段Research at the University of Liverpool, UK, has found that Shakespeare’s language stimulates positive brain activity.说明莎士比亚的文学作品能刺激人的大脑活动。故B正确。

2.C 推理题。根据本句Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence可知这里的It就是指前半句的the brain。故C正确。

3.A 推理题。根据第三段最后3行By throwing irregular words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity — a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things.”可知举这个例子就是为了说明莎士比亚文学作品的功能，故A正确。

4.C 细节题。根据文章最后一段“The brain signal is relatively stable when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak．The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word,” explains Professor Roberts.说明在阅读莎士比亚作品的时候，人的思维在不断地得到锻炼，故C项正确。

考点：考查调查报告类短文阅读

点评：本文介绍了莎士比亚的文学作品能够让个读者的思维活动变得更加活跃，促进了大脑活动的功能，给读者留下很深印象。要求考生在理解原文表面文字信息的基础上，做出一定判断和推论，从而得到文章的隐含意义和深层意义。推理题所涉及的内容可能是文中某一句话，也可是某几句话，但做题的指导思想都是以文字信息为依据，既不能做出在原文中找不到文字根据的推理，也不能根据表面文字信息做多步推理，要根据原文表面文字信息一步推出的答案。