A Charlotte N.C. man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. Can the guy be held responsible for the woman’s death? Prosecutors (公诉人) said that he can under the state’s murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person’s death while committing or fleeing from a severe crime—even if he or she doesn’t kill someone on purpose.
But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Absolutely, no question about it.
The body has a natural protective method called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon，chairman of Harvard University’s physiology department from 1906 to 1942. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the automatic nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from an aggressive beast. This process certainly would be of help to early humans. However, in the modern world there is obvious decline of the fight-or-flight response.
The autonomic nervous system uses the chemical messenger to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is poisonous in large amounts; it damages the organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death.
By the way, any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness can cause the same result. There are people who have died in excitement or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, “I can die now”, and then he dropped dead.
【小题1】What is Martin Samuels’ attitude to the possibility of being frightened to death?
| A．Approval. | B．Disapproval. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．The fight-or-flight response was raised and proved by Martin Samuels. |
| B．It is a natural protective method that can’t be found in all creatures but humans. |
| C．The ancient humans had a better fight-or-flight response than modern ones. |
| D．The fight-or-flight response is beneficial to both our actions and organs. |
| A．Winning an unexpected fortune. |
| B．Missing a dead family member. |
| C．Watching a horror movie. |
| D．Listening to a sweet song. |
| A．to explain why people will die of a heart attack |
| B．to offer some advice on protecting us from heart failure |
| C．to compare different kinds of feelings to cause a death |
| D．to show strong emotions can cause a sudden death |
【小题1】A
【小题2】Ｃ
【小题3】Ｄ
【小题4】Ｄ
解析试题解析：生活常识类文章阅读。本文通过一个案例提出问题：人会被吓死吗，通过一系列的说明让人们知道：答案是一定的。
【小题1】A推理判断题。根据最后一段第一句话：顺便说一下，任何一种强烈的无论是积极的还是消极的情绪的波动比如高兴或者伤心都有可能导致同样的结果，即死亡，也就表明了作者对于被吓死是赞成的，A. Approval. 赞成的 B. Disapproval反对的. C. Doubtful. 怀疑的 D. Indifferent.冷漠的，所以A正确。
【小题2】C 推理判断题。根据第三段内容：身体有一种自然保护机制叫做对抗反应,最初被(1906年至1942年)哈佛大学的生理系主任描述的：如果在野外,动物面临威胁生命的情况下,自主神经系统会增加心率,增加血液流到肌肉,扩张,减缓消化,所有这些增加了在战斗中成功或从具有攻击性的野兽逃跑的机会，这个过程肯定是对早起的人类是有帮助的，所以C正确。
【小题3】D。细节推理题。本文说明了一个人在极度强烈的情绪之下，对人的身体器官有害，甚至会导致死亡，而A ＢＣ都属于会产生强烈情绪的动作，而D听甜美的音乐，使人心情舒畅放松，而不会极度波动，所以Ａ正确。
【小题4】D主旨大意题。本文从一个案例入手，解释和说明强烈的情感给人体器官带来的伤害甚至会导致死亡，所以D正确。
考点：考查生活常识类短文阅读。
阅读快车系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
When I wake up on summer mornings, I know I am going to my favorite place to volunteer and make a difference in someone's life just by being with him or her -- a summer school for autistic (患孤独症的)children.
By helping the kids read or do math, I am not only teaching important skills but also helping them feel like any other kid. There are many wrong ideas about autism. The kids I work with can think and feel. They need help only in certain areas.
Of course, each kid is special. For example, some kids like to draw, and others like to sing.
At the school, the kids learn through about 20 activities. These activities can help them learn skills they will need later in life.
The very first day I volunteered, a boy came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said “Hello”. From then on, I knew I could make a difference.
Another boy loved to have me read books that can help him learn to read. Sometimes he could be encouraged to read a few words or sentences. Finally, one day during reading practice, he read nearly 220 words himself!
Summer school is also a time for fun, Last summer, bagpipe(风箱)players came to perform. Most of us had our hands over our ears because they were so loud. When they asked for a volunteer from the audience, one girl raised her hand as high as she could, got up on stage, and even tried the bagpipes in front of everyone.
Through these experiences, I realize that the challenges these kids face do not stop them from doing many amazing things. I'm teaching them, but they are teaching me more.
【小题1】According to Paragraph 2, many people think autistic kids _________ .
| A．can't read or do math | B．don't have important skills |
| C．don’t play with other kids | D．can't think or feel |
| A．“I” read the books for kids |
| B．a boy read nearly 220 words himself |
| C．a girl tried the bagpipes on stage as a volunteer |
| D．a boy said hello to“ me” politely |
| A．His teaching experience in a summer holiday. |
| B．How to make a difference in others' lives. |
| C．His experience as a volunteer in a special summer school. |
| D．Autistic children's hard life. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression -- eating or mood changes -- and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity (成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
【小题1】 Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
| A．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness. |
| B．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions. |
| C．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior. |
| D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love. |
| A．The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance. |
| B．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly. |
| C．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents. |
| D．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression. |
| A．Confused. | B．Disinterested. |
| C．Scared. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Puppy love may bring young people depression. |
| B．Parents should forbid their children’s love. |
| C．Romance is a two edged sword for adults. |
| D．Romance is good for young people. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job’s pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
Do you prefer working alone or with other people? There are isolating(使孤立)jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
How do you handle change? Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don’t happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
Do you enjoy working with computers? I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you’ll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
________________________________? This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won’t know immediately to a smaller setting where you’ll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
How do you like to get paid? Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I’ve seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad |
| B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily. |
| C．Extreme people tend to work with other. |
| D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs. |
| A．Before you select your job, you should assess your skills and match them with your position. |
| B．There are more important things than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select a job. |
| C．Nothing is important than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select a job. |
| D．You should ignore your skills when you select a job. |
| A．What type of work environment do you enjoy? |
| B．What kind of people do you like to work with? |
| C．How can you fit in with your workmates? |
| D．Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond? |
| A．Lifestyles and Job Pay | B．Jobs and Environment |
| C．Job Skills and Abilities | D．Personalities and Jobs |
| A．Design. | B．Changes. | C．Cooperation. | D．Hobbies. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Yawning sends out certain messages -either “Oh，this movie is so boring” or “I probably need to get some sleep”. But did you know that a yawn can also help your brain to cool down when it is overheated?
A new study, led by a research team at Princeton University, has indicated that yawning could be the brain’s natural way of regulating temperature. People yawn more often when the temperature outdoors is lower than their body temperature but are less likely to yawn when it is hotter outdoors, according to Sciencedaily. com.
The research team did an experiment on 160 people, 80 in summer and 80 in winter, to examine how often they yawned at different air temperatures. The study found that people yawned more often in winter than in summer. Scientists say that when the air temperature is lower outside the body, there is heat exchange between the overheated brain and the cool air. But when the air temperature is higher than or equal to the body, people are less likely to yawn because the hot air they breathe in will make the brain even hotter.
When people yawn, their jaw is also stretched，which increases blood flow and may also help cool the brain
The study showed that the amount someone yawned could be related to the amount of time they spent outside. The longer they spent outside in summer, the less they yawned. Nearly 40 percent of participants yawned within their first five minutes outside, but after that the percentage was reduced to less than 10 percent.
However, the result was the opposite in winter. The number of people who yawned increased when they spent more than five minutes outdoors. But the change was only slight compared to summertime.
According to Gallup, this is the first report to show that yawning frequencies change depending on season. This could help us to understand better the way our brains work. It may also help us understand the reason why frequent yawning can sometimes be a sign of brain disease.
【小题1】The purpose of the experiment is ______.
| A．to find the frequency of people’s yawning |
| B．to indicate brain can regulate temperature naturally |
| C．to prove people yawn in winter and in summer equally |
| D．to show the real reason why people yawn |
| A．longer outdoor summertime results in more yawns |
| B．yawning frequency increases with outdoor time |
| C．yawning frequency changes with outdoor time |
| D．longer outdoor wintertime leads to fewer yawns |
| A．when the air temperature is equal to the body |
| B．when the hot air breathed in makes the brain hotter |
| C．when the air temperature is higher than the body |
| D．when the air temperature is lower outside the body |
| A．Yawning Is A Sign of Brain Disease |
| B．Yawning Cools Your Brain |
| C．Yawning Benefits Your Body |
| D．Yawning Carries Some Information |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, pain free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, self-improvement.
Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure , excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.
【小题1】Raising children, in the author’s opinion, is .
| A．a moral duty | B．a thankless job |
| C．a rewarding task | D．a source of inevitable pain |
| A．he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
| B．he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
| C．he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
| D．he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
| A．hatred | B．misunderstanding |
| C．prejudice | D．ignorance |
| A．How to get happiness |
| B．Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain |
| C．The importance of happiness in our lives |
| D．Happiness equals fun |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
When I first told people I was going to work in Cameroon, the most common reaction was: “Why?” The second was: “It’s in Africa; you’ll die!” The third: “Where is that?”
So let me give some answers. I was offered a job that looked interesting in a part of the world I’d never been to before. I’d also long had an interest in Africa, so I decided it was time to find out the reality.
A small amount of research showed that in more than 40 years since gaining independence, Cameroon has been a peaceful country with no wars. Not only are there no wars, but Cameroon is a food exporter to the region.
Now, after three years, I can say that these have been the healthiest years of my life! No malaria or any of the other frightening diseases you read about when Africa is mentioned. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a bout of food poisoning — once.
So what is it like to teach here? Well surprisingly not so different from teaching anywhere else.
Most students come to us with a bit of English in their heads. Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English as official languages, while there are also close to 200 local ethnic languages in a country of 16 million people. French is the dominant language, spoken by about 80% of the population.
The local school system is very traditional and somewhat strict. Perhaps not surprisingly when there can be up to 150 students in the classroom (of which maybe 30 have the books, and there are probably seats for 70).
Like anywhere else, students appreciate it if you know a bit about their country, and not just Roger Milla (the top scorer of the 1990 World Cup, in case you’re wondering). It helps if you know the names of the ten provinces, know who the first president was, or can say a word in a local language.
So in conclusion: Cameroon isn’t just football. Not is it war, poverty and disease. It’s just life and people, like anywhere else.
【小题1】 On hearing the writer’s decision, most people _____.
| A．didn’t understand him | B．considered it as a joke |
| C．admired him | D．laughed at him |
| A．a country full of diseases | B．peaceful after liberation |
| C．a poor country, especially lack of food | D．quite different from others in education |
| A．Food export may lead to many frightening diseases. |
| B．Most students in Cameroon do not need books |
| C．Cameroon is not as bad as people commonly believed |
| D．There must be a lot of people suffering from food poisoning. |
| A．leading | B．easy | C．only | D．wonderful |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Your peers are people your age or close to it who have experiences and interests similar to yours. You and your friends make dozens of decisions every day, and you influence each other’s choices and behavior. This is often ________ --- it’s human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.
Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you’re uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, or taking dangerous risks when driving a car.
The pressure to conform（随潮流） can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless--- or something that has more serious consequences.
People may feel pressure to conform, so they fit in or are accepted, or so they don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. When people are unsure of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for cues（暗示）about what is and isn’t acceptable.
The people who are most easily influenced will follow someone else’s lead first. Then others may go along, too --- so it can be easy to think, “It must be OK. Everyone else is doing it. They must know what they’re doing.” Before you know it, many people are going along with the crowd --- perhaps on something they might not otherwise do.
Responding to peer pressure is part of human nature --- but some people are more likely to give in, and others are better able to resist and stand their ground.
It’s not always easy to resist negative peer pressure. But when you do, it is easy to feel good about it afterwards. And you may even be a positive influence on your peers who feel the same way --- often it just takes one person to speak out or take a different action to change a situation.
【小题1】Which of the following is a kind of peer pressure?
| A．Your teachers give you a lot of homework. |
| B．Your parents expect high scores from you. |
| C．Your classmates persuade you to cut class. |
| D．Your relatives invite you to attend a party. |
| A．negative |
| B．impossible |
| C．positive |
| D．uncertain |
| A．feel a sense of achievement |
| B．get a feeling of being accepted |
| C．set a good example for others |
| D．stand out in a crowd |
| A．Giving in to peer pressure is unavoidable. |
| B．Peer pressure usually leads to serious results. |
| C．Going along with the crowd usually means making a right choice. |
| D．Everyone can make a difference by resisting negative peer pressure. |
| A．thoughts on peer pressure |
| B．different types of peer pressure |
| C．ways to deal with peer pressure |
| D．the influence of peer pressure on people |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Shopping in the United States changes a lot．About ninety years ago most people shopped in small stores that were owned by one person or a family．Women went from the bakery to the butcher's to the grocer and on to the fruit and vegetable seller in order to get their food for the week．
Then about sixty years ago, supermarkets were born．In a supermarket, people could get all the different kinds of food they needed without going to different stores．
The next big change in shopping in the United States was the shopping mall．A shopping mall is a group of stores under one roof．Because malls allowed people to shop without worrying about the weather, they soon became very popular．The mall became a place for people to socialize in addition to shopping．If you walk through a mall, you will see older people sitting, chatting and drinking coffee．Malls are places for teenagers to hang out．Many teens will often just "go to the mall" and spend time with their friends．
The recent change in American shopping was the superstore．Large chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Office Depot and Toys "R" Us have been built all across the United States．Because they are so large, they can buy goods at a great discount and sell them much cheaper than smaller stores．
Sometimes, when they are built near small towns, many of the small town stores have to close．They just cannot compete with their giant neighbors．
And now, online shopping is becoming more and more popular all over the States．People are too busy to go to the physical stores, so they go shopping over the Internet．Online shopping has lots of advantages．For instance, online stores are usually available 24 hours a day．Searching or browsing online shops can be faster than browsing the physical stores．While, online shopping also has its disadvantages．People are at higher risk of being cheated on the part of the merchant than in a physical store．And privacy of personal information may be let out．
【小题1】Which of the following shows the right order of shopping development in the United States?
①small stores ②superstores ③shopping malls ④shopping online ⑤supermarkets
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．①⑤②③④ |
| C．①⑤③②④ | D．②③④①⑤ |
| A．Shopping malls | B．Small stores |
| C．Supermarkets | D．Superstores |
| A．Because they are built near small towns． |
| B．Because they are across the United States． |
| C．Because they sell all kinds of products people need． |
| D．Because they can buy goods at a reduction in the price． |
| A．Wasting time． | B．Leaking personal information． |
| C．Fixed prices． | D．No chance to do physical activities |
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话：027-86699610 举报邮箱：58377363@163.com